State rule would add graduation standards and competency options; Laramie County SD#2 staff to draft IKF revisions

Justin (district superintendent) and Tracy (district assessment lead) briefed the Laramie County School District #2 Board of Trustees on proposed statewide rule changes that would add formal “graduation standards,” expand competency‑based options for demonstrating proficiency, and separate former Chapter 31 into Chapter 3 (graduation) and Chapter 4 (assessment).

Justin said the redlined draft is currently on the governor’s desk and that the governor has 75 days to act. “If he does sign it, then we have one year to really get this in place,” Justin said, adding that the cohort affected would include current seventh graders when they become high school freshmen under the new rule.

The draft places a set of graduate competencies—the district materials call them foundational skills plus six additional competencies—into rule language. Tracy described how Chapter 4 would emphasize multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate proficiency, expanded use of district formatives and summatives, and new options such as competency‑equivalency exams, portfolios or performance tasks that could allow students to “test out” of a course sequence.

District administrators told trustees that Laramie County SD#2’s current IKF local‑graduation policy is credit‑based and sits at 26 credits; they said the new rules would likely require the district to expand IKF language and add procedures to document how students can show mastery of the state’s graduation standards. “We will be coming to you with ideas and proposals about that,” Justin said, asking the board to provide guidance on policy vs. procedure (a short policy statement with flexible procedures was one option he recommended).

Administrators highlighted implementation questions the district will need to resolve if the rules are adopted: how learning progressions and formative assessments will be tracked, how competency‑based pathways would intersect with concurrent enrollment and technical education, implications for activity eligibility, and equity and resource issues for small districts. Tracy noted that while many of the district’s classroom practices map to the proposed learning progressions, the state will expect documentation that students had access to and opportunities to demonstrate the listed competencies.

Board members raised practical concerns: how small districts with limited staffing would provide options for students who test out of a course sequence, how concurrent enrollment or college access could be affected, and whether accountability/assessment pieces should be elevated into board policy rather than left solely in procedures. Administrators recommended a two‑part change to IKF: a concise policy statement with a procedural framework that could be revised as the district pilots new approaches.

The district also discussed the Hathaway Success Curriculum (scholarship levels) and a pending bill to raise Hathaway amounts; administrators suggested advocacy with legislators on several fronts related to graduation, endowments and access to trade programs.

Administrators said they will return to the board with specific proposals and draft language for IKF and supporting procedures if the state rules are adopted. The board did not take a formal vote on the district policy during the meeting.

The conversation covered both broad policy implications and concrete implementation tasks the district will need to undertake if the Wyoming State Board of Education’s Chapter 3/4 draft becomes final.

Ending: Trustees asked administrators to draft options and timeline recommendations for updating IKF and related procedures for board review; staff said they will bring proposals back for direction and potential policy changes.