Education

The Committee will study the educational basket of goods and how it relates to the uniform student content and performance standards established by the State Board of Education. This study will include reviewing life skills contained under the common core of skills and ensuring students are ready for post-high school pathways. The Committee will also study if the statewide student assessment accurately measures the educational basket of goods and how to ensure Wyoming's scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress do not drop between fourth and eighth grade. The Committee will consider the requirement for school districts to provide gifted and talented instruction and evaluate the consistency and efficacy of those programs. The Committee, in accordance with W.S. 21-13-309(o) and (u), will also review information necessary to make its recommendation on an external cost adjustment to the education resource block grant model for school year 2027-2028. The Committee will meet jointly with the Joint Appropriations Committee to receive required reports and information under W.S. 21-13-309(u).

The Committee will study how the community colleges and the University of Wyoming (UW) are preparing students for post-secondary education and the workforce through dual and concurrent enrollment programs. The Committee will receive information regarding the agreements between the school districts and colleges and UW, the allocation of funding between the post-secondary institutions and districts, including revenue from boards of cooperative educational services, what courses are offered, participation rates, and the opportunities for students across the state to participate in these programs.