Transcript Highlights:

• achievement levels in fourth grade<00:49:14.240> reading.
• highest performing in the state, but actually when we look at proficiency at just sixth grade level,
• highest performing in the state, but actually when we look at proficiency at just sixth grade level,
• level, and then how do we monitor that children are being successful across our grade levels in this
• across our grade levels in this one across our grade levels in this one area.<02:42:53.840> We

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A review of attendance data by district, school, ethnicity, special populations, and grade level was
• Our pilot sites span grade levels, and the district is located in two counties.
• Our pilot sites span grade levels, and the district is located in two counties.
• Our pilot sites span grade levels, and the district is located in two counties.
• <00:42:43.920> level consolidating data I think grade level consolidating data I think grade

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• personnel, school-level resources, and district-level resources.
• Our final district-level category is school district letter grades.
• This is a school-level measure.
• districts with F grades spent the most per student on all district-level resources.
• and districts with F grades spent the most per student on all district's level resources and then looking

Summary: The joint education committee continued its adequacy study with a detailed Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on resource allocation, covering how Arkansas school districts and charters spend foundation and other funds on matrix and non-matrix items. Staff explained the methodology for mapping expenditures, the district and school categories used in the analysis, and key findings showing that districts spend more per student from all fund sources than the foundation amount alone. The presentation highlighted that classroom teachers account for the largest share of matrix spending, while operations and maintenance, student support staff, nurses, and other lines also drew significant attention. Members asked for additional breakdowns by district type, size, rural/urban status, and trend data, and several questions focused on how waivers affect funding and spending, especially for library media specialists and other positions. The committee then discussed non-matrix spending, including instructional aids, non-technology-related facilities, school safety, mental health services, dyslexia support, food service, gifted and talented, career and technical education, and other items not explicitly defined in the matrix. Staff reported that non-matrix spending exceeded $2 billion in 2025, with most of it coming from other fund sources, and that the top superintendent-identified unmet needs over recent surveys were mental health services, school safety, and dyslexia support. Members raised concerns about dyslexia identification and funding, possible over-identification, and whether some support costs are being coded in ways that obscure the true spending picture. There was also discussion of facilities funding, the building fund, and the Department of Education’s partnership program for school construction and maintenance, with staff agreeing to provide more information and potentially bring department officials back for a future meeting. Throughout the meeting, members repeatedly requested more granular data and clarifications, including waiver counts and funding impacts, trend lines for superintendent-reported needs, district-by-district spending spreadsheets, and definitions for certain matrix and accounting terms such as salary enhancement, LEA indebtedness, and other employee health insurance. The chair noted that the committee would continue the adequacy process over the coming months and use the worksheet in the binder to develop recommendations for the next biennium. No votes were taken during this portion of the meeting; instead, the committee received the report, asked for follow-up data, and agreed to continue the discussion at future meetings.

Transcript Highlights:

• We had inconsistent job leveling and pay grade alignment.
• Again, the pay grades were at 20.
• It's on a career track, a job level, and the leveling is really important. It's really important.
• The new pay grade.
• If not, there is only one level, but the pay Grade now is wide enough to compensate individuals if they're

Transcript Highlights:

• To give you a background on our school, we serve 315 students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade
• To give you a background on our school, we serve 315 students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade
• To give you a background on our school, we serve 315 students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade
• ...who currently only receive school counseling services at the 7th through 12th grade level, and I ask
• <00:45:29.760> um especially with the younger grades um especially with the younger grades

Bills: HF984, HF921, HF922

Keywords: education funding, nonpublic schools, counseling services, guidance services, transportation for students, HF921, tax increment financing, TIF, excess tax increment, school district aid, levy adjustment, property tax levy, education finance, Minnesota education aid, decertification, local government finance, school funding formula, state aid reduction, referendum equalization aid, debt service equalization

Transcript Highlights:

• This combination of things made first grade very difficult.
• grade level, and those percentages go up into the 70s and 80s for low-income students, students with
• through third grade.
• . ...and social-emotional learning, especially in the early grades.
• The reality is Black students in grades pre-K through third grade are 4.6 times more likely to be suspended

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held its sixth public hearing and took testimony on a large slate of bills, with the chair moving H. 542/S. 341 on family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care to the top of the agenda so young constituents would not have to wait. Witnesses from labor, community organizations, and FFN providers strongly supported the bill, saying FFN care fills critical gaps for families working nonstandard hours, especially in low-income, immigrant, and BIPOC communities. Testimony emphasized that FFN providers are currently underpaid, often receive only about $24 per child per day, and should be guaranteed at least the state minimum wage. Witnesses also backed changes to the voucher system to allow families to combine formal and FFN care more flexibly, and they supported creating an FFN advisory council. Committee members asked about the difference between FFN and center-based care, registration requirements, fingerprinting/background checks, EEC’s ongoing study group, and the fiscal impact; witnesses said the current annual cost is about $1.8 million and could rise to about $6 million if all current FFN providers were paid minimum wage, still under 1% of the EEC budget. The committee then closed testimony on that bill. The committee next heard testimony on several preschool and universal pre-K bills, including H. 707 on public preschool facilities, H. 687/S. 339 on universal pre-K and mixed delivery, and related bills such as H. 606, H. 523, H. 618, H. 522, H. 510, and H. 615, many of which were later closed without additional witnesses. A Lowell school official testified that space and facilities funding are major barriers to expanding preschool and that the city has hundreds of children on voucher waitlists. Other witnesses and organizations, including the Early Care and Education Consortium and AFT Massachusetts, supported mixed-delivery universal pre-K and warned that public-school expansion should not undermine community-based providers, whose preschool tuition helps subsidize infant and toddler care. Several witnesses also urged stronger standards for preschool teachers, better staffing ratios, and more integrated special education and support services. The committee accepted written testimony on some bills and closed testimony on the others when no one else came forward. A major portion of the hearing focused on H. 541/S. 373, which would ban school exclusion in pre-K through third grade. Advocates from Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Mass Appleseed, Citizens for Juvenile Justice, AFT Massachusetts, and the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee argued that suspensions and expulsions at young ages harm learning, worsen inequities, and contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline. They cited data showing disproportionate impacts on Black and Latinx students, students with disabilities, and low-income children, and described personal stories of children whose behavior improved when schools kept them in class and addressed underlying needs. Committee members asked for updated data on the number of students and districts affected, and witnesses said they would provide more detailed written information. After testimony on this and a few other bills, including S. 372, S. 357, and H. 275/S. 133, the committee closed testimony and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Engaging as a school district, we participate in what's called the Hobbs Campaign for Grade Level Reading
• The Hobbs Campaign for Grade Level Reading starts at prenatal with our mamas and daddies.
• And so our students use that to be prepared for that next grade level.
• Our middle schoolers as well, as they're advancing to that next grade level, we're...
• Lovington is a great... grade-level district, which means that our students move through each stage of

Transcript Highlights:

• We are removing HB 553, the timber Grading Act, from the consent calendar so that there can be discussion
• establishes consistent grading standards for timber products in New Mexico.
• Madam Chair and Senator, I think that New Mexicans are smart enough to grade timber. I really do.
• , and the moisture content of the timber at the time of grading.
• one, level two, level three, we're talking about police officers we're talking about firefighters, we're

Transcript Highlights:

• First grade was great. Kindergarten was great. Second grade was great.
• levels in one year.
• This year, his math proficiency score increased from a third-grade level to a mid-sixth-grade level.
• His math proficiency score increased from a third-grade level to a mid-sixth-grade level in one year.
• One of our graduates, Nia, came to Brighton as a seventh grader reading at a second-grade level, diagnosed

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Gifted students can be several grade levels ahead in one area, but not typically gifted in all areas.
• level system and need services. is expected, does not fit in the standard grade level system and needs
• Gifted students can be several grade levels ahead in one area, but not typically gifted in all areas.
• And the standard grade level curriculum is not designed to meet their academic or emotional needs, and
• data that is accessible on the students in that grade level.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and not 6th grade.
• levels to ensure they stay.
• That would bring Level 1 licenses to $55,000, Level 2. licenses to $65,000 and Level 3 licenses to $75,000
• Do counselors start with a Level 3 license, or do we have Level 1 and Level 2 licenses?
• In this case, a Level 3 counselor's salary is tied to a Level 3 teaching salary.

Transcript Highlights:

• Deeper learning is a belief that when provided opportunities to engage with grade-level work that is
• It ends in sixth grade.
• So, be sixth grade, the student complete sixth grade.
• I feel without funding, students will not get the same level... ...students will not get the same level
• Hancock is a small rural district serving students in pre-K through sixth grade in a multi-grade setting

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused primarily on H. 517/S. 314, a bill to provide a sustainable future for rural schools, and H. 697, a bill to require full funding of regional school transportation. Witnesses from rural districts, school committees, superintendents, students, and local officials described chronic underfunding, declining enrollment, high fixed costs, special education and transportation burdens, and the loss of programs, staff, and extracurriculars. Several speakers argued that rural aid should be funded at $60 million annually and made non-discretionary, while others emphasized that transportation reimbursement for regional districts has repeatedly fallen short of the state’s promise and is driving budget crises and overrides. A number of students testified in support of rural aid, describing cuts to classes, counselors, and activities, and the impact on their schools and communities. Committee members also discussed whether transportation policy should be revisited to address underlying cost drivers, including bus bidding practices and whether regional districts should have more flexibility in transportation requirements. The committee also heard H. 515, concerning Hancock Elementary School and a school choice-related exemption from a state requirement that has created a large financial burden for the district. Hancock’s superintendent and Rep. John Barrett explained that a decades-old regulation, recently enforced by DESE, would require Hancock to pay tuition for choice-in students through high school graduation even though the district only serves pre-K through grade 6 and sends its own students elsewhere for middle and high school. They said the rule creates a significant per-student shortfall and has forced Hancock to opt out of school choice. Committee members asked for clarification about how the arrangement works and how the costs fall on Hancock. Additional testimony supported related transportation bills for non-regional districts, especially Plymouth/Carver and North Middlesex, describing high and rising bus costs, special education and McKinney-Vento transportation expenses, and the strain on local budgets. Speakers repeatedly said that state reimbursement has not matched actual costs and that communities are being forced to choose between transportation and classroom services. No votes or final actions were taken in the hearing; the committee simply received testimony and closed the hearing on the bills discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's my understanding that with the third grade promotion, we're now allowing a score of level two on
• If so, what steps are in place to make sure that that student moves up to grade level and is able to
• maintain... ...that that student moves up to grade level and is able to maintain that level because they
• So if they got a level two on progress monitoring one and a level two or better on progress monitoring
• Florida sees our kids at the next level.

Summary: The Senate convened with an opening prayer, pledge, and several recognitions, including visiting student groups, chambers of commerce, and apprenticeship participants. Senators also observed a moment of silence for a fallen Walton County deputy and later for the late John Pasadoma. The chamber then moved through a long third-reading calendar and special order calendar, with most bills passing overwhelmingly and several amendments adopted along the way. Among the major measures, SB 234 on criminal offenses against law enforcement officers passed 37-0 after debate and an amendment clarifying “good faith” in an officer’s duties; SB 7020 on open government and cybersecurity information passed 37-0; SM 1488 urging Congress to create a U.S. sovereign wealth fund was adopted by voice vote; SB 944 reducing insurance overpayment claim deadlines for psychologists passed 37-0; SB 878 expanding misdemeanor probation treatment provisions to controlled substances passed 36-1; SB 538, the state court system package, passed 37-0; SB 480 on nonprofit agricultural organization medical benefit plans passed 32-4; SB 472 on correctional-facility education credit for licensure passed 37-0; and SB 56 on geoengineering and weather modification passed 28-9 after extensive debate about enforcement, federal preemption, and the bill’s purpose. Later, the Senate passed CS/HB 421 on peer support for first responders 37-0 after substituting the House companion, and SB 164 on vessel accountability advanced with a technical amendment. SB 166 on administrative efficiency in public schools drew the most extended debate and multiple amendments; it changes testing, promotion, teacher evaluation, certification, and facilities rules, and passed 37-0. The chamber also passed SB 282 on warranty association financial requirements 36-0, SB 316 creating series LLCs 35-1, and SB 384 on annexing state-owned lands 36-0. At the end of the day, the Senate waived rules to immediately certify all passed bills to the House, received budget schedule guidance from Appropriations Chair Hooper for SB 2500 and SB 2502, and adjourned until April 9.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:25:27.200> level objective, measurable, and grade level objective, measurable, and grade
• level K through 5, as well as the grade band of 6 through 8 and the grade band of 9 through 12.
• level K through 5, as well as the grade band of 6 through 8 and the grade band of 9 through 12.
• level K through 5, as well as the grade band of 6 through 8 and the grade band of 9 through 12.
• level.

Bills: HF3489, HF3550

Keywords: grooming, child protection, student safety, sexual exploitation, educator licensing, teacher discipline, mandatory reporting, mandated reporter training, school misconduct, predatory offender, child abuse, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, child sexual abuse material, child pornography, position of authority, school employee, school administrator, license revocation, license suspension

Transcript Highlights:

• So, um, as you know, a program of study has a Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4.
• And then the level one and level two would, um, qualify for the 1.28 weight, and the level three and
• Grades a high school grade if it's counting toward a high school graduation requirement and a grade for
• Why do we limit it to grade levels 11 and 12? Because it's anticipated.
• rather than 11th and 12th grade.

Bills: HB20, HB120

Keywords: fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations, higher education, LGBTQ studies, DEI studies, program prohibition, educational policy, HB120, Texas, Texas Education Code, public universities, public colleges, queer studies, gay studies, lesbian studies

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we want every student reading on grade level by the end of third grade.
• level at the end of grade three.
• They were in that 12% that weren't on grade level, but they got promoted on to fourth grade anyway.
• <01:40:11.679> so grade level and content specific so grade level and content specific so
• <01:41:03.679> any grade level, are they getting any grade level, are they getting any services

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are all grades 6 through 9.
• We don't have one teacher that teaches one subject at one grade level.
• parent was talking to a fifth grade parent was talking to a fifth grade parent<01:11:38.080>
• , but on a global level.
• , but a global level.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the September meeting minutes, and heard presentations from Carter G. Woodson Academy in Lexington and related school programs in Fayette County Public Schools. School leaders described the academy as an all-male public school option focused on culture, belonging, and opportunity, with a mission to educate, empower, and equip young men academically, socially, and morally. They emphasized culturally responsive instruction, restorative practices, mentorship, brotherhood circles, and access to advanced coursework, dual enrollment, and career pathways. Student speakers highlighted school culture, leadership opportunities, and clubs such as SGA, Beta Club, FFA, and the Bow Tie Club, along with service and community engagement. Presenters said the academy began in 2012, is housed with Frederick Douglass High School, uses an application and lottery process, and can serve up to about 350 students but is intentionally kept near 300 because of space. They reported 302 enrolled students, about 38 seniors, a 100% graduation rate, 95% average attendance, 100% postsecondary success, and $1.8 million in scholarship offers last year. They also shared demographic and achievement data, noting growth in MAP scores, strengths in reading and writing, and math as an ongoing focus area. The school said 90% of high school scholars are taking at least one dual credit class this year, and some students have earned opportunities at selective programs such as Gatton Academy and Craft Academy. Committee members praised the school’s results and asked about enrollment, funding, and whether the model could be replicated statewide. School leaders said the program is fully funded through Fayette County Public Schools, could be replicated with committed staff and training, and that teachers receive preparation through the Gearing Institute to better understand how boys learn. They also noted that Fayette County has other specialized programs, including girls’ academies and other options for underrepresented students. Members expressed interest in long-term tracking of graduates, and the school said it is preparing to study outcomes as the first graduating class approaches its 10-year anniversary.

Transcript Highlights:

• And when we think of grading meat or grading your homework, we’re thinking of grading in terms of quality
• They’re all grade A.
• have to meet grade A standards.
• You can still be labeled grade A.
• You can still be labeled grade A.

Bills: SB500, SB719, SB912, SB1232, SB1467, SB1777, SB1864, SB2023, SB2119, SB2458

Keywords: SB 500, Texas adoption law, Family Code, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child-placing agency, prospective adoptive parents, adoption records, confidential information, nondisclosure agreement, child history report, health history, social history, educational history, genetic history, termination of parental rights, permanency plan, single source continuum contractor, privacy, redaction

Summary: The committee first took up several pending bills and reported them favorably: SB 968, SB 636 as substituted, SB 1137, and SB 1138 as substituted. Each was advanced by roll call vote, and the committee also recommended the approved bills for the local and uncontested calendar. The chair then moved to the posted agenda and heard SB 719, a mental health bed-capacity study bill by Senator Eckhart, with a committee substitute that refined the data collection to distinguish state and non-state beds, child and adult beds, include two point-in-time counts, and capture jail diversion data. Testimony on SB 719 was largely supportive from Integral Care, NAMI Texas, and the Children’s Hospital Association of Texas, all of whom said Texas needs better data on inpatient psychiatric capacity, workforce needs, and future demand. Several witnesses described long waits for beds, especially for forensic restoration, and argued the study would help target future investments. Senator Perry and others noted the state has already made major investments in new beds and urged the bill to account for beds already coming online; the committee ultimately withdrew the substitute and left SB 719 pending after public testimony closed. The committee then heard SB 1864, which would allow small egg producers to sell ungraded eggs more broadly, including to restaurants and retailers, with the substitute increasing the weekly sales threshold and addressing sanitation and labeling. Supporters said grading is about size, not safety, and that the bill would help small farms reach new markets; opponents from the Texas Poultry Federation argued grading and candling help identify cracks and defects that can affect safety and quality. The committee adopted the substitute and left the bill pending. It also heard SB 1467, requiring DSHS to share death record information with hospitals for record accuracy and quality review, and SB 912, which would modernize continuing education tracking for health licensing agencies; both bills drew supportive testimony and were left pending. Finally, the committee heard SB 2023, which would create an HHSC grant program to help counties pay for indigent burial costs, with county representatives testifying in support.

Transcript Highlights:

• level with additional funding for additional need.
• That describes the number of units that every grade level produces; every student in every grade level
• You'll see that as you go down the line from 1.44 to 1st grade, to 2nd and 3rd grade, that number decreases
• That's sort of our baseline for all other funding levels.
• 7th through 12th grade.

Transcript Highlights:

• vice versa at a high school level.
• vice versa at a high school level.
• vice versa at a high school level.
• And so if you have a certification in a different grade band and you want to add to a different grade
• vice versa at a high school level.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee began with introductions of student guests, including an FCCLA national officer who spoke in support of career and technical education. She emphasized that CTE connects classroom learning to real careers, builds leadership and employability skills, and deserves continued state supplemental funding to keep programs current, expand offerings, and support student organizations. Members thanked her for her remarks and for representing FCCLA students. The committee then considered House Bill 67, a cleanup bill to address unintended consequences from last session’s Senate Bill 181 on traceable communication in schools. Rep. Josh Calloway explained that the substitute clarified definitions of family members, coaches, volunteers, certified/classified/contract employees, and virtual instruction; exempted group messaging, public social media posts, translation services, parent-provided phone numbers, emergency communications, and field trip/work-based learning contacts; and allowed teachers to disclose outside commercial or nonprofit involvement so they can communicate with students for those purposes. He said the bill was developed with input from school boards, administrators, KDE, school HR groups, Kentucky League of Cities, and Farm Bureau. The committee approved the substitute and passed HB 67 favorably. Next, the committee heard House Bill 759, which KDE described as a consistency bill for teacher certification pathways. The bill renames and standardizes alternative certification routes, clarifies content mastery requirements, allows teachers to add certifications more consistently, and lets educators extend certification into lower grade bands if they already hold higher-level certification and pedagogical knowledge. Members asked about chemistry majors, CTE occupational pathways, the veterans pathway, and grade-band “bandwidth”; KDE said the bill preserves the veterans route, does not create a new pathway but reorganizes existing ones, and will help make certification options easier to understand. HB 759 also passed favorably. Finally, Rep. Shane Baker presented House Bill 654, a follow-up to last year’s effort to reduce administrative burdens on schools. He said the bill would eliminate additional reporting requirements, bar KDE from requiring components of a comprehensive improvement plan not expressly required by statute or federal law, and allow EARS to temporarily authorize reports when the legislature is not in session while preserving necessary reporting tied to SEEK funding and school operations. The committee took up the substitute and began discussion of the bill.