Transcript Highlights:

• I want to tell you the story of a first-grade girl who had a variety of unmet needs.
• This combination of things made first grade very difficult.
• , cumulatively leaving these students really far behind by the time they hit the end of the 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:

• The highest grade level there is you're going to see are 12th-grade students.
• The highest grade level there is you're going to see are 12th grade students.
• And a lot of times what you see with 12th grade students and 11th grade students are dropout prevention
• level, third-grade reading level.
• on grade level.

Summary: The Senate and House Joint Committee on Children and Youth met to approve prior minutes, confirm Representative Mary Bentley to the Child Maltreatment Investigations Oversight Committee, and receive several presentations. The Arkansas Infant and Child Death Review team reported on unexpected child deaths in Arkansas, saying its 2023 review covered 148 of 170 non-natural deaths, with the remainder unavailable due to criminal investigations or missing records. Of the reviewed deaths, 69 were accidents, 14 suicides, 18 homicides, and 47 undetermined, and members discussed how the report’s recommendations could be used by agencies and nonprofits for prevention work and grant applications. Committee members also asked about age breakdowns and how the data could be shared without identifying individual cases. The committee then took up HCR 1010 and a broader discussion of juvenile justice reform. Representative Shepard said the resolution was intended to confront data on juvenile incarceration and system outcomes. Senator Missy Irvin, judges Troy Braswell and Kathy Hess, and AOC Juvenile Division Director Burke Steen described the state’s long-running reform efforts, including the SAVRY risk assessment, diversion programs, and efforts to keep more youth in their communities. They said the reforms have reduced delinquency filings, DYS commitments, and revocations, while increasing diversions, but also emphasized ongoing gaps in mental health, substance abuse, and school-based supports. Members raised concerns about school data sharing, behavioral health access, and how to better identify youth with disabilities or trauma earlier. Judge Braswell and others stressed that many youth in the system have significant trauma, family instability, or unmet treatment needs, and that judges need individualized information to make decisions. Several members discussed the role of schools, the school safety dashboard, and the need for stronger community providers, especially in rural areas. The committee then heard from DYS Director Michael Crump, who provided data on commitments, facility use, demographics, offense levels, length of stay, education outcomes, recidivism, dual DCFS/DYS custody, and costs. He said commitments rose after the pandemic and then began to decline, while secure and detention costs increased with the need for more beds; he also noted that most youth in custody have behavioral health needs and that DYS works closely with DCFS, courts, and providers. No final action was taken on HCR 1010 during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• My oldest is in first grade. Okay.
• I’ve taught every grade level from pre-K and kindergarten through fifth grade.
• the full grade-level curriculum.
• She's also taught every grade level from pre-K and kindergarten through fifth grade.
• I also taught a high-functioning fifth-grade autistic student who tested above grade level on paper.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2266, which would change school district and charter governing board policy from permissive to mandatory for excusing students for religious instruction during the school day. The sponsor and supporters framed it as a parental-choice and religious-liberty measure that preserves release-time programs, while opponents argued it would reduce local control, take students out of core instruction, create peer pressure and bullying, and raise constitutional concerns. After testimony from Secular AZ, a LifeWise Academy board member, and a school board president, the committee voted 7-5 to give HB 2266 a do pass recommendation. The committee then took up House Bill 2193, a cleanup measure related to student directory information and parent organizations such as PTOs/PTAs/APTs. Supporters said the bill would restore parent-to-parent communication that had been unintentionally limited by prior privacy legislation, while some members raised concerns about how the information could be used and suggested narrowing the language to prevent political or lobbying uses. The bill advanced on a 10-1 vote, with members generally supporting school-community communication but asking for possible amendments. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2075, which requires public school districts to submit superintendent and other top administrator contracts or attestations to ADE and have the information posted in a searchable database. The sponsor and Goldwater Institute supporters said the bill is a transparency measure because base salary reports do not show total compensation, benefits, or allowances; opponents from school administrator groups and rural districts argued the bill singles out districts while ignoring charters and other publicly funded education providers, and they said superintendent pay is already publicly available in other forms. Discussion also touched on whether the bill should be expanded to charters and private schools. The sponsor closed by emphasizing transparency and the committee continued discussion of the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:39.040> grade<00:10:39.360> six through grade six through grade six unless<00:10
• well birth through three grade three. well birth through three grade three.
• , I mean two, grade one?
• , I mean two, grade one?
• Our youngest learners who were two in second grade, I mean two, grade one?

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Seclusion Working Group approved the prior meeting minutes and then spent most of the meeting discussing draft recommendations and a Senate amendment, 007-7, related to seclusion in schools. The chair explained the history of the issue, including Minnesota’s 2023 ban on seclusion from birth through grade 3, and described 007-7 as a compromise developed with stakeholders that would extend the ban through grade 6 unless strict conditions are met. Those conditions include explicit written informed consent from all parents or guardians in their primary language, oral translation of safeguards, showing the seclusion room before consent, mandatory follow-up IEP meetings after repeated use, outreach and education for families, and data reporting on use of seclusion. The chair also said the amendment would prevent judges or other officials from ordering seclusion over a parent’s objection. Members then reviewed the draft recommendations line by line. They agreed to revise language to add “and fund” after “mandate” in the first section, and discussed changing references from “level three and level four” to “level three and higher,” though several members ultimately preferred keeping the focus on school settings and not expanding into medical or correctional settings. They also discussed replacing the word “subjected” with more neutral language such as “experience” or “whose IEP includes seclusion.” Another issue was whether the recommendations should distinguish between students whose IEP already includes seclusion and students who experience seclusion in an emergency but do not have it in their IEP; members suggested splitting that into separate recommendations and possibly adding a new item for the latter situation. A final discussion focused on whether the working group should recommend a mandated alternative-to-seclusion program and whether such a mandate should be tied to funding. School district representatives said many districts already use programs such as CPI, but others, especially outstate districts, charter schools, hospitals, and residential settings, may face significant costs if required to adopt new programs like Ukeru. Members generally agreed that if the legislature is asked to require implementation of new alternatives, funding should accompany the mandate. The chair also noted that existing law already requires an IEP team meeting after restrictive procedures are used twice in 30 days, and encouraged members to compare that with the 007-7 language before finalizing recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• In my own experience, I was an exemplary third grade teacher.
• That doesn't start till third grade.
• grade.
• Why is it going down in 11th grade?
• You know, what happens in 11th grade is that you've got to be able to read at an 11th-grade level to

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• similar grades?
• for both grade levels. for both grade levels.
• grade level.
• Why not display more grades? How about that? >> Both grades at both levels. >> Both grades.
• Why not display more grades? >> All right. Why not display more grades?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first reviewed and approved the prior day’s minutes after making several corrections, including changing references to the “majority report,” fixing wording and spelling in the special education section, clarifying language about NAPE scores, and correcting a funding figure from 2,000 to 20,000. Members also agreed to add a sentence noting that the conclusions of the special education study commission should be considered in any consolidation plan. The minutes were then adopted unanimously. The committee then worked through the minority report, making edits to soften or clarify language. Changes included replacing “partisan” with “participation,” revising a statement about test scores so it reflected that “the minority believes” some committee members lacked a complete understanding, and adding “the minority believes” before a statement that the structure of education funding is inequitable because of its reliance on local property taxes. Members also discussed whether some wording was factual or opinion-based, and agreed to leave some comments in place or make minor wording adjustments. After discussion, the committee voted on the final report of the majority of the committee, with edits and appendices, and approved it by a 5-2 vote. Representatives Damon and Bricky voted no. Members noted that a minority report would also be included in the final materials. Finally, the committee authorized the committee assistant to make technical corrections, fix remaining typos, and include the minutes of the meeting, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• AS F OR THEY HAVE EARNED THEIR SECOND CONSECUTIVE SCHOOL GRADE AS A D.
• C OR HIGHER WITH THE RELEASE OF THE JULY 2024 SCHOOL GRADES.
• WE OUTPERFORM THE NATION IN GRADE FOR READING. WE OUTPERFORM THE NATION IN GRADE FOR MATH.
• LIKE THIS KID IS IN FIRST GRADE. WE WANT TO SEE THEM IN 10TH GRADE IN ADVANCED COURSES.
• WE SHOULD BE TALKING TO THEM IN SIXTH GRADE SETTING THEM ON A TRAJECTORY.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are removing HB 553, the timber Grading Act, from the consent calendar so that there can be discussion
• public testimony on this, but if you want to go ahead and present House Bill 553, uh, the timber grading
• 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.

Transcript Highlights:

• The highest grade level there is you're going to see are 12th grade students.
• And a lot of times what you see with 12th grade students and 11th grade students are dropout prevention
• level, third-grade reading level.
• But yes, kindergarten is one of those grades in which we have a lot of parents... ...one of those grades
• so that by the time they get to third grade, they're reading on grade level.

Summary: The Senate and House Joint Committee on Children and Youth approved the December 10 minutes and confirmed Representative Mary Bentley to the Child Maltreatment Investigations Oversight Committee. The committee then heard the annual Arkansas Infant and Child Death Review report, which said the state reviewed 148 of 170 non-natural child deaths in 2023; the reviewed deaths included 69 accidents, 14 suicides, 18 homicides, and 47 undetermined causes. Members asked about how the report’s recommendations could be used, grant opportunities tied to prevention work, and whether the data could be broken down by age; presenters said the report is intended as a prevention tool for agencies and nonprofits and that some age detail is available in later pages of the report. The committee next took up HCR 1010 and then a broader discussion of juvenile justice reform. Senator Missy Irvin, judges, and Administrative Office of the Courts staff described Arkansas’s use of validated risk assessments, including SAVRY, the Ohio Youth Assessment Tool, MAYSI, and substance-abuse screening, as part of a long-running effort to reduce juvenile incarceration and tailor services to individual youth and families. They said the reforms have contributed to fewer delinquency filings, fewer DYS commitments, and more diversions, while also emphasizing that mental health, substance abuse, school issues, and trauma often drive juvenile court involvement. Several members raised concerns about data gaps, school collaboration, and whether community-based services are sufficient, and presenters said more shared data and stronger school use of safety dashboards could help intervene earlier. Division of Youth Services Director Michael Crump then presented custody, education, recidivism, and cost data. He said DYS commitments rose after the pandemic, secure residential populations remain high, and detention-center use increased when intake beds filled; he also noted that DYS pays about $320 per day for secure custody and that detention beds cost roughly $90 to $100 per day. Crump said most youth in custody are older teens, about 80 percent are male, and many have behavioral-health needs or educational deficits; he reported 222 GEDs and 102 high school diplomas over six years. He also said about 15 to 19 percent of youth return to DYS within three years and that a larger share later enter the Department of Corrections, while members pressed him on how assessments relate to commitments, how low-risk cases are handled, and how to improve mental health and substance-abuse services statewide.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a tracking mechanism of this from 3rd grade through 8th grade.
• third grade math eighth grade reading eighth grade math we also measure kindergarten readiness so these
• We think of approaching grade level or meeting grade level.
• Grade level as opposed to the kids not meeting grade level.
• Can you just tell me about overall grade level overall the grades Math is materially worse.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• reading and third grade math.
• grade level in math.
• level by third grade.
• level by third grade.
• Absolute bar to your going beyond third grade if you can't read at third-grade level.

Summary: The House convened with a quorum present, heard an invocation and pledges, received Senate messages, and adopted several procedural motions allowing committees to meet during the session and postponing or scheduling certain committee hearings. Members also observed a memorial recognition for Wood County Deputy Sheriff Melissa Pollard, who died in the line of duty, and adopted a resolution honoring her service. The chamber then adopted House Resolution 897 recognizing May 6, 2025 as Golf Day in Texas and House Resolution 1063 recognizing Dallas Housing Coalition Advocacy Day; additional recognitions highlighted Mental Health Awareness Month and tardive dyskinesia awareness, The Woodlands’ 50th anniversary, Alzheimer’s advocacy, student athlete Gator Young, an intern in Rep. Leo-Wilson’s office, and educator Jessica Lopez. The House spent much of the day on third-reading consideration of a long calendar of bills. Among the measures passed were HB 24 on zoning protest procedures, HB 3800 creating a health care workforce advisory board, HB 42 on higher education appropriations, HB 129 restricting contracts with foreign adversary companies, HB 677 on county elections administrator political activity, HB 668 on license-to-carry renewal procedures, HB 2128 directing a rural firefighting study, HB 2038 expanding physician licensing options, HB 2316 on election result reporting, HB 3686 on retired peace officer ID cards, HB 2563 creating a prescribed burn manager self-insurance pool, HB 1160 increasing penalties for assaults on utility workers, HB 3883 on major events funding, HB 2788 protecting fraud-detection information, HB 2663 on inactive well plugging extensions, HB 3305 extending a county health provider participation program, HB 3474 on pension reporting, HB 1105 expanding tuition exemptions for certain paramedics, HB 3490 on closed meetings with internal auditors, HB 3597 on child care facility notice thresholds, HB 1295 on health literacy planning, HB 3512 on AI training for government employees, HB 3783 on court-ordered counseling, HB 2017 on intoxication manslaughter penalties, HB 3010 on rural disaster recovery, HB 3112 on cybersecurity-related public information and meetings, HB 4215 on delivery network companies, HB 3223 on construction claims limitation periods, HB 3464 on controlled substances in correctional facilities, HB 3120 on residential child detention facilities, HB 4214 on public information, HB 481 on trade secret sealing, HB 4783 on opioid antagonist program reporting, HB 4063 on unilateral memoranda of contract, HB 2783 on county employee deferred compensation, HB 5085 on seed banks, HB 2510 on assisted living facility operations, HB 3426 on digital driver’s licenses, HB 4361 on emergency notifications at higher education institutions, HB 1169 on oil and gas infrastructure protection, HB 2516 on Medicare supplement eligibility for Texans under 65, HB 3560 on hospital staff background checks, HB 3860 on occupational licenses for inmates, HB 3146 on SOAH hearings, HB 184 on loan repayment for border prosecution attorneys, HB 198 on firefighter cancer screenings, HB 247 on border security infrastructure taxation, HB 367 on excused absences for students with severe illnesses, HB 449 on deepfake sexually explicit images, HB 1778 on human trafficking and related offenses, HB 514 on maternal health workforce outreach, HB 632 on pharmacy regulation, HB 2582 on victim parole information, HB 766 on precinct chair ballot applications, HB 2715 on suspension/removal of officials, HB 2712 on water and sewer utility test years, HB 3069 on transmission projects, HB 3505 on health provider participation districts, HB 1269 on plant disease and pest prevention grants, HB 4224 on access to health care records, HB 5032 on historical documents in the Capitol complex, HB 2240 on void marriages, HB 5180 on diploma designation, HB 3348 on health provider participation programs, HB 4668 on PUC authority to retain assistance, HB 4665 on child care training providers, HB 3395 on beneficiary designation for manufactured homes, HB 3157 on interim electric utility rates, HB 4395 on electronic submission of public securities records, HB 4325 on bribery civil penalties, HB 4386 on annuity replacement transactions, HB 4273 on Medicaid fraud-related unlawful acts, HB 2760 on judicial review of unemployment decisions, HB 2820 on charitable bingo operating capital, HB 1828 on legislative leave for correctional officers, and a series of Senate bills including SB 2349, SB 1268, SB 610, SB 1577, SB 1369, SB 2032, SB 1057, SB 1044, SB 922, SB 1759, SB 1143, SB 1506, SB 1403, SB 2361, SB 870, SB 372, and SB 72. Several bills drew debate or amendments, including HB 24, where a germane point of order was sustained against an amendment, and HB 198, HB 3348, and SB 2361, which were amended before passage. Most measures passed by wide margins, though some drew notable opposition, including HB 3883, HB 514, HB 1295, HB 184, SB 1143, and others. The House also postponed further consideration of HB 4700 until the end of the day and HB 24 until 1 p.m., and it granted permission for committees to meet during the House session and for the Calendars Committee to meet that morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• to report that all of the local boards the letter grade calculation.
• President Johnston, going back to the letter grades, please walk us through the letter grades metrics
• Our goal is to continue to drive the grade.
• How responsive is our letter grade system to potential changes for revisions with the U.S.
• Our goal is to continue to drive the grade.

Summary: The subcommittee met to receive an informational presentation from CareerSource Florida President and CEO Adrian Johnson, joined by Anthony Gagliano of CareerSource Suncoast, on the structure, funding, and services of Florida’s workforce development system. Johnson explained that CareerSource serves job seekers and businesses through 21 local workforce development boards and nearly 100 career centers, using federal and state funding streams such as WIOA, Wagner-Peyser, SNAP Employment and Training, and TANF. She described services including case management, training, wraparound supports, job matching, rapid response for layoffs and disasters, and business services such as recruitment, customized training, and on-the-job training. She also highlighted the REACH Act’s role in consolidating local boards from 24 to 21, creating the Master Credential List and Credential Review Committee, and implementing performance-based letter grades for local boards. Members asked detailed questions about funding formulas, letter grade metrics, apprenticeships, youth services, small business access, and the demand occupation list. Johnson said federal allocations are driven largely by unemployment and poverty formulas, which has reduced Florida’s WIOA funding by about $27 million over four years because of the state’s low unemployment rate. She explained the letter grades measure outcomes such as increased earnings, reduced public assistance, employment and training outcomes, work-based learning, business engagement, and service to individuals in certain programs, and said the system is being reviewed for possible changes, including removing extra credit and adjusting weights. On youth services, she said Florida has a waiver allowing a 50/50 split between in-school and out-of-school youth funding, and that local partnerships drive outreach. On the demand occupation list, she said it is based on state labor market data and projections, but local boards can submit evidence of local demand when data does not reflect conditions in their area. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on apprenticeships and workforce training grants. Johnson and Gagliano described apprenticeship navigators funded by the $7.75 million apprenticeship expansion allocation, which help employers navigate registration and expand apprenticeships into nontraditional fields such as IT, health care, education, and hospitality. Gagliano gave examples from CareerSource Suncoast and said navigators helped employers move faster through registration and develop programs with local education providers. Johnson also discussed Incumbent Worker Training Grants and Quick Response Training Grants, noting recent awards of nearly $3 million to 69 businesses and $6.5 million to 24 businesses, respectively, and said these programs are targeted toward high-skill, high-wage occupations and priority industries. The meeting ended with no votes or formal action; the chair thanked the presenters, invited follow-up questions, and adjourned the meeting without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• He's in fourth grade right now. right now learning sixth grade work.
• level by the third grade.
• Coach's grade level, meet's grade level, master's grade level.
• levels above my student that's on grade level and my student that may be two grade levels below.
• level in fourth grade. is actually equivalent to third grade or second grade I think moms and dads need

Bills: HB4, HB54, SB 10, SB 24, HB4, HB54, HB775, HB850, HB 1122, HB 1249, HB1405, HB2336, HB2757, HB3372, HB3622, HB4442, HB4687, HB4893, HB5089, HB5515, HB5606, SB10, SB24, HB1573, HB3369

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, citizenship, U.S. citizen, non-citizen, public office, advisory board, task force, state government, local government, political subdivision, commission board, appointment eligibility, officeholder qualifications, public service, naturalization, Texas Government Code

Transcript Highlights:

• and grades 9 through 12 by 2.6% of the base rate.
• So grades TK through 3 would be receiving that grade span adjustment.
• and math at eighth grade, with improvements in fourth grade math.
• now; the ones who were eighth graders now were in third or fourth grade at that time.
• It's also part of the achievement issue, particularly in the early grades.

Summary: The committee heard presentations on the Governor’s education budget proposals for the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), Learning Recovery Block Grant, and Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), followed by testimony from State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond. On LCFF, Finance outlined the proposed 2.43% COLA, repayment of prior deferrals, and a trailer bill penalty for LEAs that fail to adopt Local Control Accountability Plans on time. The LAO said its COLA estimate was slightly lower and raised concerns that the Governor’s proposed TK staffing ratio increase may be more costly than estimated. Members also discussed whether the current COLA formula should better reflect California-specific or district staffing costs, and whether TK should be more clearly separated from the K-3 grade span adjustment to avoid larger K-3 class sizes. The chair asked staff to work with the LAO on both the TK/K-3 issue and alternative COLA calculations. For the Learning Recovery Block Grant, Finance proposed restoring the first of three delayed payments, $378.6 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund, while the LAO recommended adopting the proposal but extending the expenditure deadline by at least a year. The LAO reported that districts had spent $1.6 billion of the $6.8 billion received through 2023-24 and said most districts were only now shifting from federal COVID relief to block grant spending. Members questioned whether the large state and federal investments were improving outcomes, citing declining reading and math trends, while Finance and the State Board president pointed to some signs of improvement, especially in math, attendance, and gains for some student groups. Darling-Hammond emphasized that student needs have grown, that recovery spending has gone to devices, ventilation, staffing, tutoring, summer school, and community schools, and that targeted interventions appear to be helping some districts recover faster than others. On ELOP, Finance proposed adding $435 million to expand universal access by lowering the Tier 1 threshold from 75% to 55% unduplicated pupils, bringing ongoing funding to $4.4 billion. The LAO said the estimate was reasonable but recommended delaying implementation for a year, aligning ELOP with ASES to reduce overlap, moving toward funding based on participation rather than enrollment, and considering a fixed Tier 2 rate. Members and witnesses discussed staffing challenges, the use of funds for students with disabilities, and uncertainty in Tier 2 funding caused by unspent dollars and opt-outs. Darling-Hammond supported ELOP as part of California’s broader after-school and summer learning strategy, said most districts are now offering full-day TK and expanded learning, and urged the state to reduce fragmentation across categorical programs and build more unified systems for funding, reporting, and support.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think we should explore doing it in 7th grade, and I say 7th grade because our 6th graders, some
• are in stand-alone schools, some are in 5th and 6th grade schools, some are K-6, but by 7th grade, they're
• Then we'll give them access to the grade-level content.
• That means they're, you know, their skills of 1st grade and 2nd grade.
• These are kids, 8th, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade.

Transcript Highlights:

• That’s what the law says: they have to be able to read at grade level by grade three.
• <00:44:43.440> so<00:44:43.760> fourth grade level by grade three so fourth grade level
• Kindergarten first second third grade Kindergarten first second third grade learning<00:45:23.280
• your example from fifth and sixth grade your example from fifth and sixth grade that<00:46:20.599
• <01:02:47.520> losing grades really many grades we're losing grades really many grades we're

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• span, with adjustments that increase the base grants for grades K-3 by 10.4% of the base rate, and grades
• students for TK, so grades TK through 3 would be receiving that grade span adjustment.
• eighth grade, with improvements in fourth grade math.
• now; the ones who were eighth graders now were in third or fourth grade at that time.
• It's also part of the achievement issue, particularly in the early grades.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First grade was great. Kindergarten was great. Second grade was great.
• Her grades really started to plummet. We kept asking her, why are you getting these bad grades?
• What grade are you in? Fifth grade. And you want to be a scientist? Why not?
• was in the first grade.
• was in the first grade.

Summary: The committee met for public testimony on the Finance budget, with the main discussion focused first on funding for disability services and then on the LA GATOR scholarship program. Several individuals testified in support of fully funding Families Helping Families and Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS), describing how advocacy, transition services, and direct support workers help people with disabilities access education, employment, and independent living. Witnesses urged the committee to preserve or increase state general funds to draw down federal matching dollars, and provider groups said current reimbursement rates and staffing shortages are leaving agencies in deficit, creating waitlists, overtime costs, and difficulty retaining workers. Committee members thanked the speakers and noted that the testimony would be used to compare the governor’s, House, and remaining budget requests. The committee then heard extensive testimony in support of increasing funding for the LA GATOR scholarship program. Supporters included policy groups, school leaders, parents, and students who argued that the program expands educational choice, helps low-income and special-needs students find schools that fit their needs, and should be fully funded at the level of demonstrated demand. Speakers from Catholic and Christian schools said GATOR funding had helped students thrive academically and spiritually, but that shortfalls left many eligible students without awards, hurt kindergarten enrollment, and forced schools to raise private donations to cover gaps. Several witnesses emphasized that the program is not a zero-sum attack on public schools, but a way to let education dollars follow students. A few committee questions focused on the fiscal impact and on whether choice programs improve outcomes without harming public schools. Testimony cited enrollment growth, parent demand, and data from other states to argue that school choice can improve student and parent outcomes and may also strengthen traditional public schools through competition. No votes or formal actions were taken during the public testimony portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> So what we did in 2023 was ban the use of seclusion up through grade three.
• six, this goes up through grade 12.
• grade six, this goes up through grade grade six, this goes up through grade 12.<00:05:22.639>
• Um, the disagreement over whether seclusion should be used in grades 1, 2, and 3 remains.
• <00:08:56.720> So grades 1, 2, and three remains. So grades 1, 2, and three remains.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The value in the Read by Grade 3 assessment happens...
• So that is our SBAC that hits a bunch of grades. I can't remember them all right now.
• This is a change in terms of the additional state act for the Read by Grade 3 program.
• by Grade 3 laws, so there's sort of no alignment there.
• This just changes the Read by Grade 3 assessment from one assessment to another.

Bills: AB386

Keywords: AB386, Washoe County School District, reading assessment, literacy, elementary school, pupil assessment, statewide assessment, alternative assessment, reading proficiency, standards-based testing, valid and reliable test, State Board of Education, Department of Education, pilot program, school testing, assessment equivalency, education grant, Nevada education, NRS 388.157, school accountability