Council for American Private Education

13017 Wisteria Drive #457Germantown, MD 20874301-916-8460 (tel)301-916-8485 (fax)cape@capenet.org

www.capenet.org

Voice of America’s Private Schools

Private education: Good for Students

Good for Families

Good for America

State CAPE ReportsMarch 2013

California Association of Private School Organizations

State-CAPE Report for 2012-13 1. Statewide Private School Enrollment: Attrition Resumes Following a modest increase in K-12 enrollment enjoyed during the previous year, enrollment for the 2012-13 school year current stands at just over 500,000 students in grades K-12, representing a 3 percent decrease. Reported enrollment is a function of compliance with a state law requiring the annual filing of an affidavit. 2. Task Force on Athletic Officials/Referees CAPSO organized a task force consisting of board members, other private school representatives, representatives of the California Interscholastic Federation (at both the state and sectional levels) and public school districts for the purpose of seeking a remedy to the problem created by the lack of mandated criminal record checks for high school athletic officials. 3. Education Tax Credits By the time the SCN meets, CAPSO's board of directors will have considered adoption of the following position statement:

"CAPSO encourages exploration of the creative use of tax policies that benefit students, regardless of the schools they attend, and provide preferences for the economically disadvantaged. At present, we support endeavors designed to secure committee hearings and elicit staff analyses so as to better enable assessments of the economic implications and political viability of particular arrangements."

CAPSO has been involved in the shaping of several "test bills" with the current goal of achieving committee hearings and eliciting staff analyses. 4. Selected Current Bills of Interest SB 131 (Beall): The bill would effectively undo last year's favorable California Supreme Court decision in Quarry v. Doe 1 and reinstate previously time-barred claims against third parties to acts of childhood sexual abuse. CAPSO Position: Oppose AB 10 (Alejo): The bill would increase the state minimum wage from the current $8.00, to $8.25, $8.75, and $9.25 over the course of the next three successive years. The bill has implications for private schools because the exempt employee status of private school teachers requires receipt of at least twice the minimum wage. CAPSO Position: Watch AB 20 (Waldron): The bill would add librarians to the list of "mandated reporters" of suspected acts of child abuse and would establish additional reporting requirements for librarians witnessing documents displaying child pornography within the scope of his/her professional capacity or employment. CAPSO Position: Support AB 389 (Williams): The bill would remove the exemption on fingerprinting/criminal background checks for private school teachers holding valid state-issued teaching credentials (- the possession of which requires applicants to be fingerprinted and undergo a criminal background check). We fail to understand the purpose ostensibly served by the bill. (Probable) CAPSO Position: Oppose

NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA

• North Carolina has Interest in the IRS and its position on non-profits in general. Also, municipalities and changing views on tax exempt property.

• School choice is another area that is gaining steam in NC…following the path of many other states across the nation.

• Digital/online learning is something that we all need to be embracing…VISNET is gaining momentum and we have a big meeting with state and regional execs in Philly in late February in conjunction with NAIS.

• In South Carolina one of the large concerns is how to deal with the Affordable Health Care Act. Schools are preparing budgets with little or not guidance.

• Also, even though school choice and the charter school movement is apparent to independent educators in South Carolina, it does not pose a threat at this time.

• Schools believed that School Security and Mental Health Funding to both the North and South Carolina lists.

• In SC, of course, we've had the "near miss" (no pun intended) at Ashley Hall the week before last. And, I know that recent board level school security conversations at a number of our SC and NC schools have been difficult, and occasionally contentious, as groups with diverging views and opinions wrestle with these tough issues. The head of the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools her board have written an excellent letter to the President; the PAIS board will likely choose to do so as well, following our meeting on Wednesday, February 20th. When I get a digital copy I will forward it.

• Also, for PAIS, access, affordability and changing demographics continue to

loom large for many

STATE CAPE REPORT FLORIDA

March 2013

HB 859 and SB 962 revise the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program by increasing the cap on the amount of tax credits available to the program. HB 859 also removes the requirement for prior public school enrollment for students in grades 2 – 5. The provision that creates concern is allowing private schools to administer the FCAT. The FCAT is a criterion referenced assessment and is tied to the public school curriculum. While it is voluntary in the bill, once the language is in statute, it will be very easy for future Legislatures to change the “may” to “shall.” Only private schools which participate in the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program will be allowed to administer the FCAT at the school. (Passed: On the last day of session, the Senate President called the bill up on special order and allowed Senator Benacquisto to amend the Senate language onto the House Bill without a vote. During the third reading, the damage had been done and the amendment could not be recalled. The Governor has signed HB859 into law.)

HB 1403 and SB 1704 revise High School Athletics. SB 1704 would have created the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association (SIAA) for private schools in Florida statutes. It also prohibited the FHSAA from denying or discouraging interscholastic competition between the two associations. HB 1403 was amended, with input from Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS), Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic Schools (FAANS) and Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), and does not include the SIAA language, but addresses student transfers, due process, and athletic investigations with regards to student eligibility for participating in athletics. SB 1704 went through a “strike all” and accepted the language of HB 1403 the last week of session. (HB 1403 passed on March 8, 2012 and was signed into law by the Governor.

HB 7119, HB 7085, HB 5103 all dealt with some aspect of Voluntary Pre Kindergarten (VPK), School Readiness, Office of Early Learning (OEL) and the Early Learning Coalitions. These bills address issues raised in the audit released December 2011 by the Auditor General in which the OEL is designated as a high risk agency. These House bills are more prescriptive while the only Senate bill, SB 1974, basically directs the OEL to correct the issues addressed in the audit. Both bills require a statewide standardized contract and monitoring tool. (FCIS and FAANS have had significant input into the conforming language. The Governor received HB 1503 on April 6, 2012 and later vetoed the bill.)

HB 293 allows private schools to request notification from the emergency response agencies that are responsible for notifying public schools when an event that threatens student safety occurs. (Time ran out on this one; talk is already circulating that this bill may return in the next session.)

   

HAWAII  ASSOCIATION  OF  INDEPENDENT  SCHOOLS  

2013  Legislative  Report    

SB  238/  HB  60  is  a  bill  that  amends  the  definition  of  “student  instructional  hours”,  giving  the  

Department  of  Education  greater  flexibility  and  focus  the  discussion  of  instructional  time  around  students  and  increasing  access  and  opportunities  to  those  teachable  moments  where  students  learn  best.    It  will  also  help  to  improve  instruction  and  increase  student  engagement  by  encouraging  project-­‐

based  learning,  technology-­‐assisted  learning,  and  all  other  activities  to  which  a  general  learner  outcome  is  attached.      

SB  244/  HB  674  is  a  bill  that  seeks  to  continue  to  improve  Hawaii’s  charter  schools’  rankings  by  the  National  Alliance  for  Public  Charter  Schools  (NAPCS).    The  purpose  and  intent  of  this  measure  is  to:  (1)  

require  charter  schools  to  complete  an  annual  independent  financial  audit;  (2)  require  the  Charter  School  commission  to  develop  procedures  for  conducting  criminal  history  checks  of  persons  who  are  employed  or  seeking  employment  in  any  position  that  places  them  in  close  proximity  to  children;  (3)  

specify  charter  school  enrollment  requirements;  (4)  specify  when  a  charter  school  may  use  criminal  history  information  to  terminate  or  deny  employment;  (5)  require  Charter  school  Commission  members  to  disclose  to  the  Commission  a  list  of  all  charter  schools  in  which  the  member  is  an  employee,  

governing  board  member,  vendor,  contractor,  agent,  or  representative  and  disqualifies  members  from  voting  on  or  participating  in  the  discussion  of  such  matters,  (6)  authorize  the  Charter  School  Commission  to  hire  employees  without  regard  to  chapters  76  and  89,  HRS;  (7)  remove  the  requirement  that  a  

nonprofit  organization  that  governs  a  conversion  charter  school  make  minimum  annual  contributions  to  the  charter  school;  (8)  make  other  amendments  to  chapter  302D,  HRS,  for  the  purposes  of  clarity  and  consistency.  

SB  564  establishes  a  working  group  within  the  department  of  agriculture  to,  among  other  things,  

develop  the  parameters  of  and  implement  a  demonstration  model  in  which  a  state  facility  utilizes  locally-­‐grown  produce  for  consumption  and  to  advise  the  department  of  agriculture  on  the  feasibility  of  implementing  the  demonstration  model  at  other  state  facilities.    In  2010,  at  the  request  of  the  

Department  of  Agriculture  (DOA),  HAIS  launched  GROW  HAWAII,  a  three-­‐year  effort  to  build  capacity  for  the  use  of  Hawaii-­‐grown  agricultural  products  in  schools,  and  cultivate  healthy  food  attitudes  and  behaviors  through  school  garden  programs.  HAIS  values  the  effort  on  the  part  of  the  Department  of  

Health  to  convene  the  School  Garden  Task  Force  and  continues  to  collaborate  with  the  DOE,  the  DOA,  and  community  stakeholders  to  plan,  implement,  and  evaluate  a  lasting  farm  to  school  program.      

SB  1084/  HB  853  proposes  a  constitutional  amendment  to  permit  the  appropriation  of  public  funds  for  private  early  childhood  education  programs,  as  provided  by  law,  to  help  the  State  meet  its  goal  of  

providing  an  early  learning  system  for  the  children  of  Hawaii.    The  Executive  Office  on  Early  Learning  has  developed  a  blueprint  for  a  statewide  early  childhood  education  program  which  will  ensure  that  our  children  enter  kindergarten  having  had  a  quality  preschool  experience.    This  will  eliminate  the  possible  

lack  of  school  entry  requirements  or  negative  school  success,  particularly  be  advantageous  for  at-­‐risk  children,  who  are  especially  affected  by  the  lack  of  ability  and  access  to  quality  early  learning  programs.    However,  for  the  “blueprint”  to  succeed,  partnerships  with  the  private  sector  must  be  forged  in  order  to  

ensure  high  quality  standards  and  meet  capacity  needs.    Furthermore,  the  Attorney  General  indicates  that  we  need  a  Constitutional  amendment  to  allow  public  funds  to  be  given  to  private  early  education  programs.    The  passing  of  this  bill  will  result  in  an  amendment  appearing  on  the  2014  election  ballot  to  

be  ratified  by  state  voters.  

SB  1093/  HB  862  is  a  bill  which  establishes  a  statewide  school  readiness  program,  administered  by  the  Executive  Office  on  Early  Learning  consisting  of  providers  of  school  readiness  services  to  assist  families  in  preparing  their  children  for  success  in  school.    This  program  will  serve  four-­‐year0old  children  with  

priority  for  those  who  are  not  eligible  to  attend  public  school  kindergarten  in  the  calendar  year  they  turn  five  years  of  age.    Due  to  the  change  in  age  requirements,  approximately  5,100  children  will  be  left  unserved  without  a  program  in  place  by  2014.    In  the  2014  school  year,  a  child  must  be  five  years  old  

before  August  1,  2014  into  enter  kindergarten.    This  School  Readiness  Program  will  give  priority  to  these  children  born  later  in  the  year.      

SB  1095/  HB  864  is  a  bill  which  establishes  an  early  childhood  education  program,  administered  by  the  Executive  Office  on  Early  Learning,  to  prepare  children  for  school  and  provide  access  to  high  quality  

early  childhood  education.    This  program  will  serve  children  ages  three  to  four  years  of  age  with  a  priority  for  four  year  old  children.    This  is  the  last  bill  in  a  package  proposed  by  the  Governor’s  initiative  

to  implement  a  statewide  early  childhood  education  program.      

SB  1106/  HB  875  is  a  bill  which  resulted  through  Act  163  of  Session  Laws  of  2012,  which  relieves  the  Department  of  Human  Services  (DHS)  of  licensure  duties  for  programs  already  certified,  licensed  or  accredited  by  the  Hawaii  Council  of  Private  Schools  (HCPS)  starting  July  1,  2013.    Act  163  exempted  

kindergarten,  schools,  or  childcare  programs  licensed  by  HCPS  and  federal  agencies,  as  they  already  license  or  accredit  their  programs  in  accordance  with  their  standards.    Programs  licensed  by  HCPC  shall  apply  for  an  exemption  with  DHS.      

SB  46/  HB  1200  is  a  bill  which  creates  the  framework  for  authorizing  private  post-­‐secondary  education  

institutions  in  the  State.    The  bill  creates  the  post-­‐secondary  authorization  subaccount  of  the  compliance  resolution  fund  established  pursuant  to  section  26-­‐9(o),  HRS.      This  bill  also  repeals  the  post-­‐secondary  education  commission  within  the  University  of  Hawaii.    The  purpose  of  this  Act  is  to  bring  Hawaii  into  

compliance  with  Title  IV  of  the  Higher  Education  Act  of  1965  by  establishing  the  post-­‐secondary  education  commission  within  the  department  of  commerce  and  consumer  affairs  and  creating  the  framework  for  authorizing  private  post-­‐secondary  educational  institutions  in  the  State.      

   

   

STATE  CAPE  REPORT  March  2013  

 

 

November  Elec,ons  –  November  elec+ons  in  Indiana  had  some  expected  and  some  very  surprising  results.  Indiana’s  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruc/on,  Educa/on  Reformer,  Tony  Benne:(R)  was  defeated  by  a  virtual  unknown,  Glenda  Ritz,  (D)  who  was  supported  by  the  Teachers  Union  and  a  strong  social  media  campaign.  Republicans  maintained  the  Governor’s  seat,  a  supermajority  in  the  Senate  and  gained  a  supermajority  in  the  House.  Tony  Benne6  has  since  been  hired  in  the  top  educa*on  posi*on  for  the  State  of  Florida.  It  is  yet  to  be  seen  how  this  will  affect  the  reforms  that  Dr.  Benne:  promoted  in  his  four  year  term.  

Common  Core-­‐  Indiana  was  one  of  the  first  states  to  join  the  common  core  movement.  In  the  last  two  years,  there  has  been  somewhat  of  a  rebellion  in  Indiana  led  by  some  conserva/ve  Republicans  with  concerns  about  a  “na-onalized  curriculum”.  Legisla-on  was  introduced  and  passed  out  of  the  Senate  that  would  slow  down  the  implementa)on  process  and  would  require  public  hearings  around  the  state  before  implementa.on  could  con.nue.  

School  Choice  Update  –  Legisla(on  was  introduced  and  passed  out  of  the  House  to  expand  Indiana’s  school  choice  programs.  A  number  of  family  friendly  changes  have  been  proposed,  including  kindergarten  voucher  eligibility,  voucher  recipient’s  siblings  having  voucher  access,  increased  access  for  military  and  foster  families,  as  well  as  special  needs  students.  A  preschool  scholarship  tax  credit  program  is  being  proposed  as  Indiana  finally  gets  serious  about  early  childhood  educa1on.  There  is  s(ll  much  work  to  do  in  Senate  before  we  know  actually  what  program  expansions  are  passed.  

The  numbers:  Year  one  of  the  Program  –  3919  students  -­‐  16  million  dollars  –  saved  the  state  –  4.2  million  dollars.  Year  two  (current  school  year)  of  the  program  –  over  9100  students  –  est.  35  million  dollars  in  vouchers.  

Scholarship  Tax  Credit  Program  –  approximately  2.5  million  dollars  in  scholarships  from  SGOs  given  in  2011-­‐12.  

2013  Legisla-ve  Session  –  Indiana  has  finally  started  to  focus  on  early  childhood  educa-on.  Two  different  bills  are  exploring  funding  opportuni3es  for  preschool.  Both  have  a  school  choice  flavor.  One  program  establishes  a  scholarship  tax  credit  program.    The  other  establishes  a  pilot  of  1000  students  who  would  receive  a  voucher  of  almost  $7000.    

There  were  a  number  of  bills  that  push  back  on  some  of  the  reforms  passed  in  the  past  few  years.  Two  bills  address  the  state’s  school  accountability  (A-­‐F)  system  by  either  changing  the  metrics  or  the  scoring  categories.  In  Indiana,  state  accredited  non-­‐public  schools  and  voucher  schools  par1cipate  in  the  state’s  accountability  system.  Another  bill  requires  the  teaching  of  cursive  wri*ng  which  was  de-­‐emphasized  with  the  adop%on  of  Common  Core.  If  passed  out  of  both  houses,  teachers  now  will  be  required  to  clear  a  na$onal  background  check.  

In  a  state  that  passed  Right  to  Work  legisla3on  in  2011,  this  year  there  is  also  an  effort  to  ins+tute  a  payroll  protec+on  bill  that  would  not  allow  public  schools  to  payroll  deduct  union  dues  (or  at  least  the  part  that  is  used  for  PAC  candidate  support).  

 

Quality  Summit  –  In  response  to  the  increasing  diversity  in  the  student  demographic  that  comes  with  School  Choice  Programs,  INPEA,  along  with  School  Choice  Indiana,  hosted  a  Voucher  School  Success:  Quality  Summit.    The  goal  of  the  summit  was  to  engage  in  high  level  conversa4on  on  issues  impac&ng  quality  in  non-­‐public  schools.  Approximately  40  people  from  Indiana  and  around  the  country  were  invited  to  engage  in  the  process.  The  invitees  included  school  leaders  from  K-­‐12  and  higher  ed.,  researchers,  think  tank  fellows,  and  funders  with  an  interest  in  educa3on.  A  list  of  recommenda3ons  within  a  wri)en  summary  was  the  product  of  the  Summit.    Currently  an  implementa+on  team  is  being  iden%fied  and  convened  to  work  toward  implemen/ng  priority  recommenda/ons.      

IDEA  Toolkit  Project  –  INPEA  along  with  Michelle  Doyle  (Notre  Dame  ACE)  has  been  working  with  the  Indiana  State  Department  of  Educa3on  to  develop  a  toolkit  to  provide  guidance  for  public  and  non-­‐public  school  leaders  in  the  implementa2on  of  IDEA  special  educa2on  services  for  parentally  placed  non-­‐public  school  students  with  special  needs.  The  document  has  gone  through  many  revisions  and  is  currently  in  the  hands  of  IDOE  legal  counsel.  

Conferences  –  INPEA  held  its  biannual  Teacher’s  Conference  (INPEC)  in  October  with  2300  a?endees  over  the  2  days.  The  theme  for  the  conference  was  “Embracing  a  Changing  Landscape”.  Prepara>ons  are  underway  for  our  Administrators  Conference  (INPAC)  to  be  help  next  September.  The  conference  theme  is  “Quality  Leaders  for  Quality  Schools”.  

 

Respec&ully  submi.ed,  

 

John  F.  Elcesser  Execu&ve  Director    

1517 REISTERSTOWN ROAD � BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21208 � P/F: 410-484-3632

EMAIL: INFO@MDCAPE.ORG � WEB: WWW.MDCAPE.ORG � TWITTER: @MD_CAPE

2013 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

TEMPORARY HOLD ON SCHOLARSHIP TAX CREDIT BILL – INCREASE TO BUDGET FUNDING

After the 2012 legislative session ended without successfully passing the scholarship

tax credit legislation, it was clear that changing the bill from its original form as the

BOAST (Building Opportunities for All Students and Teachers) tax credit to the

Maryland Education Credit (with numerous tweaks and modifications), did not

produce the hoped-for result. MDCAPE coalition partners and supportive legislators

engaged in conversations during the legislative interim to see how the nonpublic

school community could best be served despite that difficulty.

The decision was reached that the coalition would pursue a significant expansion to

the lone statewide program currently active (instituted in 2000) to benefit nonpublic

schools, the Maryland Textbook/Technology Loan Program. If the allocation was

increased in the Governor’s budget to a satisfactory level, we would potentially better

off putting our efforts into that single item and to let the tax credit have the year off.

The Governor made a 25% increase to the allocation in his budget package with a

commitment to add additional funds to the supplemental budget at session’s end.

With significantly more dollars now available upfront, the nonpublic school community

will see benefit almost immediately. Next year (2014) we intend to reintroduce the tax

credit bill with some new strategies that we hope will take it to where it needs to go.

ANNUAL MARYLAND CAPE BREAKFAST WITH SUPERINTENDENT TO RESUME THIS MAY

After the 2011 retirement of the beloved Superintendent of Education, Dr. Nancy

Grasmick, the annual MD CAPE breakfast with the state’s superintendent was put on

hold to allow for the search process to take its course. On July 1, 2012, Dr. Lillian

Lowery was introduced as the new Superintendent of Education. After meeting in

September 2012 with MD CAPE leadership, Dr. Lowery expressed her interest and

enthusiasm of creating and maintaining a relationship with the nonpublic school

community, just as her predecessor. Dr. Lowery’s first introduction to and interaction

with - the statewide nonpublic school community, will be at the May 22, 2013 MD

CAPE breakfast to be held at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore.

RABBI ARIEL SADWIN

President

MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF NON-PUBLIC SCHOOLS (MANS) MARCH 2013 CAPE REPORT

MANS held a successful triennial General Conference in October 2012. Over 3500 administrators and teachers gathered in Grand Rapids to participate in two full days of professional development. MANS celebrates its 40

th year of serving Michigan’s non-public schools. The 2012 Conference

theme was, “Celebrating the Past – Shaping the Future.” FEDERAL TITLE PROGRAMS: MANS continues to work with its members to assure that they are able to equitably participate in federal title programs. The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has been increasingly helpful to non-public schools in working with LEAs who are not complying with the law. Various school reform efforts sponsored by the state including creating a statewide education authority for the lowest performing schools and “charterizing” entire school districts potentially pose a threat to equitable participation as traditional LEAs disappear in this process. MDE continues to work with MANS members and the U.S. ONPE to ensure that equitable participation continues to happen. STATE LEGISLATIVE ISSUES: The Grand Rapids Diocese and Christian Schools International are exploring the concept of “faith-based” Learning Centers. These Centers would potentially have seat time waiver students and/or full time virtual students (up to 10,000 eligible in the fall of ’13) taking their public school curriculum within a faith-based learning environment (dedicated classrooms in a faith-based school) with learning coaches and/or mentors assisting the student taking an online course. Options would be offered on an ala carte basis to parents to select including religion, extra-curricular activities, other classes, etc. The concept has been approved by MDE and would not violate the constitutional ban against aid to non-public schools. It is in response to the Michigan legislature significantly increasing the number of students eligible to receive their education virtually (up to 2% of the school age population by 2015, roughly 34,000 students). SHARED TIME SERVICES: Michigan law was amended to allow an expansion of public school districts offering to non-public school students “non-essential” or “non-core” courses. MANS worked to secure passage of legislation that would allow any school within the same Intermediate School District (ISD) or contiguous ISD to provide shared time courses. The legislation further makes non-public schools “free agents” to pursue shared time programming from any district or charter within the geographic limits stated above. This greatly expands options for non-public schools. DUAL ENROLLMENT: MANS was successful in securing passage of an amendment to the dual enrollment law. Non-public high school students are now eligible to dual enroll at a participating Michigan post-secondary institution for college and/or high school credit. In order to receive high school credit the college course must meet the definition of a nonessential elective course under the Snyder v. Charlotte decision. It is no longer a requirement for a non-public high school student to enroll as a part-time public school student to avail himself/herself of dual enrollment. PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE ACT: The Michigan Education Finance Project is drafting a “Michigan Public Education Finance Act of 2013” to replace the School Aid Act of 1979. The project to rewrite the School Aid Act is based on Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s Education Message Proposals that include:

• Proposing a new – Any Time, Any Place, Any Way, Any Pace public school learning model.

• Performance-based funding rather than seat time requirements.

• Michigan’s state foundation allowance should not be exclusively tied to the school district a child attends. Instead, funding needs to follow the student.

The project to replace the 43-year old School Aid Fund will not address special education, private or nonpublic schools and early childhood issues.

MANS has met with the drafters of this rewrite and advocated for change that would impact the ability of parents to choose a faith-based education. The team will not address that issue. There has been much media report on this as an effort to bring about vouchers. This is primarily a scare tactic used by the public school lobby. There is nothing in this effort to date that would call for vouchers or tax credits to support true choice. It could be argued that it may create “public school vouchers” as the last bullet contemplates funding following student. Unfortunately that concept is kept within the realm of government supported schools. MANDATE REIMBURSEMENT: MANS and the MCC are working with the Governor’s office, state legislature and MDE to see if there is a possibility of securing an appropriation to reimburse non-public schools for state mandates. These would primarily consist of health and safety mandates that the state requires all schools to perform. It also would include the taking of attendance (enforcing the state’s compulsory education law). We are not sure how much traction we will get, but we do have a legal opinion that indicates such a reimbursement policy would not violate the state constitution as it would not directly or indirectly aid the attendance of a student at a non-public school. New York and Ohio have like provisions in their statutory law. Respectfully Submitted,

Brian D. Broderick, Executive Director Michigan Association of Non-public Schools

 

MoCAPE    Affiliate  of  the  Council  for  American  Private  Education                          Raymond  E.  Wicks,  Ph.D.,  Executive  Director   Tel:    314-­‐‑792-­‐‑7323          E-­‐‑mail:    rwicks@archstl.org    

TAX CREDITS

Due to the state's economy and other considerations, there are clearly opposing views in the Missouri General Assembly regarding continuation of existing tax credit programs and the amount of funding they permit. In prior legislative sessions, some limits have been placed on existing programs. Until debate on the broader issue of tax credits is resolved, it is not likely that one which would directly or indirectly benefit private school children will have any chance of serious consideration.

PROPOSED LEGISLATION

Missouri's General Assembly is currently in session. As is common at this point in the annual session, only a limited number of bills have moved beyond the stage of committee hearings. Due to Missouri's constitutional ("Blaine") restrictions, the General Assembly rarely considers legislation that directly impacts the private and religious schools of the state. When legislation addresses "schools", that term always refers to public schools, unless otherwise specified. This year, however, there are a number of bills which could have a direct impact on the private and religious school community. Blaine Amendment

Unlike recent years, no bill has been filed to repeal or amend Blaine amendment language of the Missouri Constitution. Scholarship Programs

If authorized, this bill (HB 458 "Bryce's Law") would permit the establishment of scholarship-granting organization for special needs students and a tax credit equal to 80% of the donation. The organization must provide scholarships to eligible students attending qualified public or non-public schools. The bill has been referred to the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, but no action is scheduled. Common Core State Standards

Bills have been filed in the House (HB 616) and Senate (SB 210) which would prohibit the state education department from implementing the Common Core State Standards initiative. The bills would also nullify any actions already taken. Both bills have been referred to committee, but no action is scheduled on either bill. Note: Missouri was among the first states to join this initiative. Early Childhood Education

Senate Bill 95 proposes to establish the "Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program" for children ages 3 to 7 to enroll in a publicly-funded program. The bill has been referred to the Education Committee, but no action is scheduled at this time. Guns and Schools

Several bills have been filed in the General Assembly which address the issue of guns and schools. Some would permit "concealed carry" for school staff and another would require gun safety training for 1st graders. Unlike these, two others do include private schools. One would prohibit school staff from asking

whether anyone in the child's home owns a firearm, and the other would require parents to notify their child's school if they own a firearm. Little action has occurred on these bills other than being referred to various committees. Religious Books

A bill (HB 282) permitting the use of "books of a religious nature" as part of instruction has been filed and referred to the Elementary and Secondary Education committee. The bill would limit use of such books to elective course in literature and history, as long as the don't violate the federal Establishment Clause. Scientific Evolution

House Bill 179 proposes that, beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, public school entities "… create a school environment that encourages students to explore scientific questions; learn about scientific evidence; develop critical thinking skills; and respond appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion about controversial issues, including biological and chemical evolution, and to assist teachers in finding effective ways to present controversial scientific material. These entities must not prohibit any teacher from helping students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and weaknesses of theories of biological or chemical evolution." The bill has been referred to the Elementary and Secondary Education committee, which held a hearing but has no further action scheduled. Primacy of Parental Rights

Two bills (HB 513 and HJR 26), one proposing a state constitutional amendment, seek to affirm and protect parent rights. One states, in part, that parents "… have a fundamental right to exercise exclusive control over the care, custody, and upbringing of their minor children, including all decisions involving the discipline, education, religious instruction, health, medical care, place of habitation, and general well-being of such minor children. Parents have the right to choose to educate their children in public schools, private schools, or in-home education to prepare them for future obligations in life." While it includes some exceptions, it goes on to say that "Neither the state nor any political subdivision, nor any agency, entity, or person acting on behalf of the state or any political subdivision, shall act to deny or impair the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children." The bills have been referred to different committees. One hearing has been held, but no further action is scheduled at this time. OTHER EDUCATION ISSUES

NCLB Waiver

Last year, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education submitted a second-round waiver request to the U.S. Department of Education seeking relief from certain provisions of ESEA No Child Left Behind. The request was not approved at that time, but was approved several months later. Committee of Practitioners

After a hiatus of nearly two years, MoDESE reconstituted the Committee of Practitioners for the purpose of meeting the review requirement for submission of the waiver request. The MoCAPE Executive Director was appointed to the Committee, along with nearly 30 other educators state-wide, but was the only member representing the nonpublic school community. The Committee reviewed and recommended revisions to two drafts of the NCLB waiver application, but did not review the final application.

All communication between MoDESE and the Committee was by e-mail, and the two Committee "meetings" were held utilizing Internet conference software. There were no subsequent meetings of the Committee until one scheduled for late February of 2013. That also occurred by on-line conference software.

Agudath Israel of New Jersey • Archdiocese of Newark • Association of Christian Schools International Association of Schools and Agencies for the Handicapped • Catapult Learning; A Division of Educate Inc. • Christian Schools International Diocese of Camden • Diocese of Metuchen • Diocese of Paterson • Diocese of Trenton • New Jersey Association of Independent Schools

New Jersey Association of Jewish Day Schools • New Jersey Association of Lutheran Schools • New Jersey Catholic Conference New Jersey Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Schools

NJ CAPE Council for American Private Education "To promote the interests and betterment of private/nonpublic schools within the State of New Jersey"

New Jersey State Report CAPE Meeting March 9, 2013

FEDERAL ISSUES There are no major problems with Federal programs in New Jersey. We are working on the implications of Project SERV which is designed for relief from Hurricane Sandy. Nonpublic schools are clearly eligible under the terms of the program, although it did take a bit of convincing to make state officials aware of that requirement because the program is being run outside of the Office of Grants Management. There were individuals developing the Notice of Grant Opportunity who are unfamiliar with consultation requirements affecting nonpublic schools. The major issue here is what constitutes eligible items for nonpublic schools. STATE ISSUES

Governor Christie’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget The major implications for nonpublic schools of Governor Christie’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget, proposed on February 26, was in a very small ($2M) pilot school choice program. For several years, the NJ CAPE has quietly advanced the position that, because New Jersey budget language has the force of the law, a pilot program could be enacted within the Budget without enabling legislation. The Nonpublic School Technology Initiative was a positive result of that strategy in 1998. The opponents of the Governor’s proposal do not believe that a program can be established merely through budget language. While the details of the program are still sketchy, the actual framework is being constructed by Education Commissioner Chris Cerf. He has formed a small working group including the New Jersey Catholic Conference to work on the details. Apparently, the initial understanding was for 200 scholarships of $10,000.00 each to cover the “cost of education,” not merely tuition. We believe that, although the pilot is too small, it is a start and should not be ignored. Even Democratic supporters have argued that the program is too small, but we wish to convince them that we have to start somewhere. The Governor cannot modify his proposal at this point, and it is up to the Legislature to eliminate or modify the program when they submit their Appropriations Act in June. We believe that there are a number of issues to be determined including the following:

1. What district or districts would be involved? There is sound reasoning to

suggest that it would be a “Camden only” program – a situation which allows for better assessment possibilities and a more effective legal argument (Camden’s poor record with only 18% of the students who begin first grade graduating on time), although one district has political risks with Democratic supporters in the northern part of the state.

2. Size of the program. There are ways to increase the size of the program

a. Decrease the amount of the award to $7,500 or less.

b. Consider only elementary students.

c. Have the Democrats who are concerned about the size of the program increase the money in the Appropriations Act.

d. Permit recipients to pay a modest amount of tuition in addition to the

amount of the scholarship. The Opportunity Scholarship, which is languishing in the Legislature, does not permit award recipients to contribute anything towards their tuition.

Any or all of these could be part of modifications in the Legislature’s Appropriations Act.

Governor Christie’s Budget also retained the Nonpublic School Technology Initiative at $20.00 per pupil and provided a modest $1M increase to the nonpublic school nursing services program. Our strategy now will be to determine how we proceed with Budget testimony.

Determination of Textbook Allocations

Since its inception, the Nonpublic School Textbook Law has provided a per-pupil allocation for nonpublic school students, based upon the average per-pupil amounts spent by public school districts in the previous budget cycle. The nonpublic school community has discovered that, although electronic textbooks have been permitted under this legislation for the last 18 years, public school officials may not have counted them on the so-called “October Report” which generates the funding for the subsequent year. The New Jersey Department of Education is providing guidance to the public school districts on how and where to indicate the textbook count in this Report. Therefore, there should be an increase for the nonpublic school per-pupil amount in the subsequent school year (2014-2015) after this year’s “October Report” has been completed.

School Security The NJ CAPE has a seat on the Department of Homeland Security’s School Task Force. As a result, the nonpublic school community is fully aware of all initiatives that are taking place in the public sector. Shared Services Legislation A bill to create a single entity in each county to control a variety of services to both public and nonpublic schools has advanced through the Senate. The entity would be an Educational Services Commission or a Special Services School District. The problem for nonpublic schools is that these entities would have first opportunity to bid on nonpublic school services, thus eliminating critical competition which is always important for our students’ benefit. Most of our programs are based on a flat per-pupil amount, and thus the essential question is how much will that amount buy from each potential service provider. While the legislation has moved quickly in the Senate under the auspices of the Senate President (who wants no modifications to the bill), the Assembly has an amendment to remove all of our programs except transportation from the scope of the legislation. We have no objection to county-wide models for nonpublic school transportation because we think that such a program may provide more transportation and less of what we call “aid-in-lieu” payments to parents. Currently, the Speaker of the Assembly has no appetite for moving this bill forward, but the political landscape could change quickly.

I regret not being able to join you for the CAPE Meeting. If you have any questions on any of these issues, please feel free to call me. Respectfully submitted George V. Corwell, Ed.D. Treasurer, NJ CAPE Director: Office of Education; New Jersey Catholic Conference

New Mexico Association of Nonpublic Schools

P. O. Box 95726 Albuquerque, N.M.

87199-5726

The New Mexico Association of Nonpublic Schools had a busy 2012. Two items kept us busy and both of them concerned the instructional materials money allocated to students attending nonpublic schools. a. Two people in the state attempted to have the NM Supreme Court hear a suit that the money being given to our students was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court refused to hear it and kicked it down to a lower court. To date, we have had no further contact. We want to acknowledge the Becket Fund for providing NMANS an attorney pro-bono. Since we are a nonprofit association, this was most helpful. b. We work hand-in-hand with the Public Education Department in insuring that the instructional funds are received in a timely manner. Several years ago a large sum of money that had been allocated in the spring, was swept by the State over the summer. This, along with some accounting issues by all parties, had caused problems for the PED and the schools trying to purchase materials. As a result of a lot of effort, the money that had been swept was returned to the schools. We are also working with PED to tighten up the reporting process. The legislative session is going on in Santa Fe at this time and will end March 15. At the present time there are no bills that are of interest to NMANS. However, we remain diligent in our efforts to protect the children of New Mexico attending nonpublic schools. Respectfully submitted, Linda Honeyfield

465 State Street Albany, New York 12203 518-434-6195

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NEW YORK STATE REPORT TO CAPE MARCH, 2013 – Submitted by Jim Cultrara

AAgudath Israel of America

Association of Christian Schools International

Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York

Lutheran Schools Association

NYS Association of Independent Schools

NYS Catholic Conference

• 2013-14 State Budget Issues:

1) Mandate Reimbursement – An important agreement was enacted in the 2012-2013 State Budget to begin

to resolve the state’s liability under the Mandated Services Reimbursement (MSR) and Comprehensive

Attendance Policy (CAP) program for our schools. That agreement required the Commissioner of

Education to develop a plan to satisfy the state’s obligation under the program and required the restoration

of the original CAP reimbursement formula beginning in the 2013-14 state fiscal year. As a result, the

reimbursement formulas would drive approximately $150 million in annual reimbursement.

2) School Safety Grants – As part of the enacted gun control legislation, lawmakers included additional

funds for school safety measures for public schools only. A separate initiative for safety grants for

religious and independent schools is being advanced in state budget negotiations.

3) Extended Learning – Governor Cuomo has proposed an incentive to encourage public school districts to

extending their learning time by at least 25 percent, wherein the state would pay 100 percent of the

additional costs. In addition to the transportation problems that will result from greater disparity in school

calendars, the incentive will put greater pressure on religious and independent schools to extend their

learning time likely resulting in tuition increases. Extended days are already typical among charter

schools. We are advocating for inclusion in the Extended Learning incentive program.

• Parental Choice Update: Working with a broad-based coalition, including AFL-CIO affiliated unions

representing law enforcement, fire fighters, court officers, office workers, and building contractors, we are

advancing a $300 million Education Investment Tax Credit which provide $150 million in tuition scholarships

and $150 million of donations to the public school community. The bill has passed the State Senate each of

the last two years with very strong bipartisan support and now has more than half of the Assembly

membership co-sponsoring the Assembly version. More information on the bill can be found here. The

legislation has gained momentum, in part, because of the research on the impact of Charter schools on

Catholic school enrollment as first presented in the research of Abe Lackman and reported by CAPE here, as

well as the closing of nearly 60 Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of New York in the last three years.

▪ Pooling of Federal Funds: The NYS Coalition for Independent and Religious Schools, our NYS CAPE,

has established a protocol for and hired a Federal Funds Coordinator to facilitate the “pooling” of Title IIa

funds for several consortia of schools including the Lutheran Schools Association, the Archdiocese of New

York, and the Diocese of Syracuse. The practice has been well established in New York State for more than

20 years but this is the first year that NYSCIRS is offering the service. The State Education Department has

issued guidance on the practice. We are working with SED staff to correct inaccuracies in the document and

to offer additional helpful information.

• Hurricane Sandy Impact: Having to cancel our state-wide conference because of the storm was nothing

compared to the physical devastation and disruption of lives that continues to this day. To make matters

worse, displaced children still struggle to get to school because of an interpretation that the McKinney-Vento

Act does not apply to private school children. We’re working to fix that injustice.

OKLAHOMA PRIVATE SCHOOL ACCREDITATION COMMISSION

Serving 48 schools; 7 private school agencies Oklahoma has two private school choice programs:

1. The Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program Act

(special needs vouchers) became effective in August 2010; and

2. The Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act (tax credit for scholarships)

was enacted in 2011 and launched in 2013.

The state also has a charter school law and enables public virtual schooling.

The Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act, launched in 2013, allows

individuals and businesses to receive Oklahoma state income tax credits for donating to a

scholarship granting organization (SGO) recognized by the Oklahoma Tax Commission. The

SGO uses those contributions to provide scholarships for eligible students to attend a private

school. Individual taxpayers may give a maximum of $2,000 annually; married couples filing

jointly may give a maximum of $4,000 annually; and legal business entities (including limited

and general partnerships, corporations and limited liability companies) may give up to $200,000

annually.

The State of Oklahoma has allocated a total of $3.5 million in annual tax credits to the

Scholarship Act, so if the total of all contributions to the SGOs in the state exceed the amount for

which tax credits have been allocation, the amount of the tax credit will be diminished on a pro-

rata basis for each class of donor, so that each class of donor (individual or legal business

entities) receives the same percentage of tax credit for their donation.

The program is capped at $5 million, of which $3.5 million is dedicated to private school

scholarships, with a separate $1.5

12139

2012-13 Oregon Federation of Independent Schools (OFIS) Report A quieter year than most. Nothing works better than our positive approach of using established communication lines to make friends and prevent problems before they occur. Once again, the Governor declared February 7, 2013 as Oregon Private Schools Appreciation Day. The private school community uses the proclamation to talk about the private school world with their parents and students and they promote the day widely. Due to budget cuts, Oregon no longer has any special laws regarding private schools and the De-part of Education no longer has anyone relating to the private school community. All special rights and privileges that flowed from private school registration are now conferred to all private schools, because private school registration has been eliminated. The state has no official idea about what is happening in the private school community or anyone overseeing it in any way. OFIS worked with the health care community, including the Oregon Department of Health, to craft a new immunization bill that eliminates the religious exemption (that was widely abused and causing families to be dishonest) and replaces it with an exemption that requires parents to certify receipt of an “education module”. This follows a large measles epidemic and general concern about the increasing number of unimmunized students. Oregon private schools report steady or increased enrollment, despite some impact from the charter school movement. Some challenges have arisen due to the rise of virtual schools, as well as various public school reform initiatives. OFIS BACKGROUND The Oregon Federation of Independent Schools is the voice of private education in Oregon, rep-resenting private preschool and K-12 schools in Oregon. Governed by a board of directors re-flecting the diversity of Oregon's private schools, OFIS works to ensure that Oregon private schools are able to operate with a minimum of government influence or control so parents can choose from a wide range of educational options for their children. OFIS conducts programs and meetings throughout the year, publishes its Oregon View newsletter and e-mails notices to keep its members informed of developments and news affecting private schools. Subject to underwrit-er approval, member schools are offered preferred insurance rates based on lower client acquisi-tion costs. OFIS members receive a complimentary CAPE Outlook subscription. At OFIS’ request, Oregon Private Schools Appreciation Day has been proclaimed by the Gover-nor every year since 1991, often affirmed by the Board of Education and/or one or both houses of the Oregon Legislature. OFIS has received recognitions and commendations for its work from the U.S. Department of Education. Mark Siegel, Executive Director Oregon Federation of Independent Schools

Pennsylvania  State  Cape  Report  Spring  2013  

Organizational/Administrative Issues

PACAPE  has  continues  to  advance  and  move  forward  as  a  organization  within  the  Commonwealth.     Our  revenues  increased  significantly  this  year  as  a  direct  result  of  utilizing  corporate  sponsors.     We  have  made  the  decision  to  hire  some  paid  work  hours  at  both  the  administrative  and  support  staff  level.     Although  this  is  limited,  it  does  provide  for  us  to  get  some  things  done  that  were  not  feasible  from  a  volunteerism  standpoint.     This  is  significant.                  

Legislative  Initiatives  and  Responses  

              We  continue  to  sponsor  a  legislative  meeting  sessions  with  leaders  of  the  school  associations  and  key  legislators  in  the  Spring.     We  have  continued  to  be  an  important  part  of  an  aggressive  combination  voucher  and  tax  credit  initiative  which  ended  last  year  in  a  significant  increase  in  our  Tax  Credit  Program  which  doubled  our  program  from  75  million  to  150  million  dollars.     We  are  advancing  with  a  broad  coalition  currently  legislation  to  help  protect  the  religious  liberties  of  early  education  programs  in  the  Commonwealth.  

Current  Activities  

1. Established  and  Awarded  our  first  School  Choice  Champion  Award  to  Senator  Jeffrey  E.  Piccola  on  February  1st  as  a  part  of  the  School  Choice  Week  activities.        

2. Continuing  to  develop  vendor  relationships  at  the  State  level  that  could  provide  significant  resources  to  the  organization.      

3. Continuing  to  develop  a  pilot  program  for  PA  of  a  teacher  and  administrator  appreciation  program  which  is  intended  to  be  a  statewide  program  and  will  potentially  affiliate  with  any  National  programs  launched  by  CAPE.  

D.  Merle  Skinner,  PA  CAPE  Co-­‐Coordinator  724-­‐455-­‐2122  ext  103  merle_skinner@champion.org    

Sean  McAleer,  PA  CAPE  Co-­‐Coordinator    

PO Box 91359 ● Austin, Texas 78709 ● 512.499.8377 ● www.abouttans.org

The Public Voice of Private Schools in Texas Texas Association of Non-Public Schools

Board of Directors Officers

William D. McGee President

Dr. Larry Taylor Vice President Jay Ferguson

Secretary Connie Wootton

Treasurer

District Directors Dr. Penny Armstrong

Fort Worth Andy Broadus

Arlington Keith Currivean

Bryan Jay Ferguson

Tyler Ricki Komiss

Houston Eddie Lee Midland

Dr. Stephen Livingston Houston

William D. McGee Austin

Charles Raymer San Antonio

Walter Spencer Corpus Christi

Dr. William Summerhill Amarillo

Dr. Larry Taylor Plano

At-Large Directors

John Craig ACSI

Rhonda Durham ISAS

Rod Gilbert ACCS

Dr. William Hinz LSAC

Marquita Moss NCSA

Connie Wootton SAES

Executive Director Charles T. Evans

February 20, 2013 ANNUAL STATE CAPE REPORT Policy and Legislative 2012-2013 have been unexpectedly busy legislative years for Texas private schools. The main impetus for the increased activity is a major school reform initiative sponsored and pro-moted by the newly appointed State Senate Education Committee Chair Dan Patrick. For the first time in legislative history, private school choice, in the form of an educational scholar-ship tax credit program, will be included in a major omnibus bill that addresses school re-form, ranging from raising charter caps to revising the use of end-of-year tests. The major victory for TANS so far has been to help to convince Senator Patrick that a tax credit program is more reliable way forward than the highly toxic voucher proposals of the past. We are still waiting for the bill to be filed, but we are positioned with a strong coalition to make a major push to pass the legislation. With the re-ignition of private school choice, other bills and resolutions have been or will be filed addressing the spectrum from a constitutional ban on vouchers to universal voucher pro-grams. The result is a confusing mix of proposals all competing for attention, but we prefer this cacophony to the dead quiet on private school choice in the past several sessions. On other fronts, we still are harried by the efforts of the for-profit childcare trade association to require accredited private schools to redundantly license before and after-school childcare programs. And, as always, we are on the lookout for the random bill containing unintended negative consequences for accredited private schools. TANS also initiated a serious conversation with the state public school athletic league (UIL) to create a separate private school division. This was partly in response to a number of na-tionally reported embarrassing misjudgments on the part of the largest private school athletic league TAPPS. The proposal was taken up by the UIL’s policy committee, but it thus far has not been forwarded to the executive legislative committee for consideration. Association Over the past several years, TANS has strengthened financially to the point that the Board of Directors has decided that full-time leadership is necessary. The profile for this position is being developed, and the hope is to have the new Executive Director placed by the start of the 2013 academic year, if not before. After six years as a part-time ED, I will step aside in favor of a position within or associated with TANS focused on policy and legislative issues. TANS will continue its commitment to CAPE and the State Cape Network, with the goal of even greater involvement at the national level. Respectfully submitted, Chuck Evans

2013 CAPE Report Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE)

SCHOOL CHOICE STAYS ALIVE!

Modifications to the Education Improvement Scholarship legislation passed the House and Senate and the sunset was extended from five to 15 years. We expect the legislation to be signed into law by Governor McDonnell.

SCHOOL SAFETY INITIATIVES School safety has been a topic heavily discussed this year at the state and federal levels. In Virginia, per an executive order by Governor McDonnell, these issues have been under study and consideration by an appointed School Safety Task Force. Private schools were underrepresented but with great effort our small voice was heard and legislation passed that allows for private school access to current and future training and resources made available through the state funded Virginia Center for School Safety. We are seeking clarification of our inclusion in a code section that requires critical communication of credible danger to public schools. We also followed a bill that will allow private schools to hire armed security officers to carry firearms on their campuses. All bills are expected to be signed by the Governor

MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION Questions posed by private school nurses in response to a public school epinephrine bill last year revealed a gap in the Code that needed direct attention. An informal memo led to a department ruling that said that only licensed health professionals could administer medication during the school day. Legislation that would allow trained employees of private schools to administer medication passed quickly through the House and Senate and in the queue to be signed by the Governor.

REDISTRICTING: VIRGINIA’S “MOMENT” IN THE SUN Colbert names Virginia Senate Republicans’ Alphadogs of the week for January 24, 2013: http://politics.blogs.timesdispatch.com/2013/01/24/stephen-colbert-takes-surprise-gop-senate-redistricting/.

ACCREDITATION AND MEMBERSHIP

• VCPE developed a detailed guidance document for peer reviewers. • Standards for virtual schools and systems were adopted. • International League of Christian Schools welcomed as a new member

association. OTHER OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

• Continued Award Programs: Extra Mile Awards, Legislator of the Year and Child Advocate Award.

• Annual meetings with Superintendent of Public Instruction and Public School Policy Analysts, Secretary of Education, Department of Health and Department of Education School Health Liaisons and other State agencies.

• Annual presentation to the State Board of Education • Annual updated legal guide Virginia Law and Private Schools: A Guide to

Opening and Operating a Private School in Virginia

2012-­2013  CAPE  Annual  Report:  Washington  Federation  of  Independent  Schools    Washington  finishes  its  Legislative  Session  this  year  on  April  24,  2013.   Early  Learning:  The  Department  of  Early  Learning,  since  winning  the  Federal  Race  to  the  Top  Grant,  is  quickly  implementing  new  programs.    A  voluntary  rating  system  for  childcare  centers  and  a  Kindergarten  Readiness  Assessment  are  two  examples.    A  very  small  handful  of  our  schools  are  participating  in  the  rating  system,  to  mixed  reviews.  None  of  our  schools  are  presently  participating  in  the  Kindergarten  Readiness  Assessment.    K-­12:  Choice:  After  three  attempts,  Charter  Schools  were  finally  approved.  The  former  WFIS  Executive  Director,  Judy  Jennings,  is  currently  working  on  the  State  Board  of  Education,  and  signed  up  for  the  initial  Charter  School  Task  Force.    They  have  a  very  short  timeline—until  the  end  of  March—to  create  a  framework  for  approving  Charter  Schools.      Although  wary  of  the  potential  exodus  from  independent  schools  to  charters,  we  are  hopeful  that  the  State’s  support  of  charter  schools  indicates  the  beginning  of  an  openness  towards  other  forms  of  school  choice.        This  year,  WFIS  helped  form  a  coalition  that  created  a  Scholarship  Tax  Bill.      The  WFIS  Board  is  not  unanimously  supporting  Scholarship  Tax  Credits.    Independent  Schools  (specifically  PNAIS  schools)  worry  about  “gutting  the  public  schools”  or  encouraging  negative  feelings  about  private  schools.    They  also  are  concerned  that’s  State  money  going  to  private  schools  allows  for  strings  that  come  with  the  money  and  threaten  true  independence.      WFIS  continues  to  encourage  dialogue  among  our  leaders  and  among  the  legislators.    There  is  also  legislation  this  year  to  prohibit  half  days,  create  more  graduation  requirements  including  community  service,  and  change  the  compulsory  school  age  from  8  to  6.    Accreditation:  NWAC/AdvancED  continues  to  honor  our  third  party  accreditation  agreement.  The  fees  for  accrediting  a  multi-­‐campus  school  through  this  process  has  greatly  increased,  though;  for  some  by  $4,000.    One  school  in  Washington  has  left  NWAC,  gone  with  Middle  States  for  Accreditation  and  is  quite  please  with  the  option.      We  will  see  if  others  follow…      

                   

 

“Committed to a Higher Standard”

   CAPE:    State  update    Voucher  Expansion:  Governor  Walker  proposed  expanding  the  Milwaukee/Racine  voucher  program  to  nine  additional  school  districts  based  on  size  and  their  performance  on  the  recently  created  statewide  report  cards  released  last  December.    Districts  with  at  least  4,000  students  and  two  or  more  schools  which  received  a  “D”  or  “F”  on  the  report  card  are  eligible.    There  are  a  total  of  426  public  school  districts  in  WI.    A  similar  method  was  used  for  the  proposed  expansion  of  charter  school  authorizers.      The  Governor  also  proposed  increasing  the  maximum  amount  of  the  voucher  from  $6442/pupil  to  $7050/pupil  in  grades  K-­‐8  and  $7800/pupil  in  grades  9-­‐12.        Special  Needs  Scholarship:  Walker  proposed  a  SNS  program  based  on  the  draft  that  passed  the  State  Assembly  last  session.    The  scholarship,  based  on  the  value  of  services  for  the  student  in  a  public  school,  would  be  capped  at  approximately  $13,000.    Eligibility  would  be  limited  to  5%  of  the  previous  year’s  special  needs  population,  or  about  6,250  students/year.    The  proposal  is  funded  from  the  resident  district’s  general  aid  appropriation.      The  WI  Policy  Research  Institute  (WPRI)  recently  conducted  a  survey  of  245  private  school  administrators  highlighting  the  inconsistent  administration  of  Title  funds  to  students  in  private  schools.    Tuition  Tax  Credit:  Separate  legislation  was  introduced  to  provide  the  guardians  of  private  school  students  a  tax  credit  for  tuition  expenses.    The  credit  is  capped  at  $1,500  for  students  in  grades  K-­‐8  and  $2,500  in  grades  9-­‐12.      Athletics:  Separate  legislation  was  introduced  requiring  public  schools  to  accept  athletes  in  private  schools  and  homeschool  settings  which  do  not  offer  their  sport  of  choice.      Accountability:  As  previously  mentioned,  a  statewide  report  card  was  released  last  December  for  each  public  school  based  on  a  number  of  factors,  including  standardized  tests.    Students  receiving  a  voucher  are  required  to  take  the  same  tests,  but  private  schools  were  not  included  in  the  original  report  card  data  at  our  request.    The  Department  of  Public  Instruction  requested  our  inclusion  in  future  report  cards,  a  concept  we  cannot  support  at  this  point.    WI  is  moving  away  from  our  current  standardized  test,  possibly  mandating  every  student  take  the  ACT  in  10  or  11  grade.                  

222  State  Street,  Suite  201  Madison  WI  53711            608/287-­‐1224