2017 Idaho Legislature
Otter announces higher education task force
Modeled after Idaho’s K-12 task force, Otter hopes the 28-member higher education task force will help Idaho improve its stagnant college completion rates.
Will school choice bills gain traction at the Statehouse?
Nationally, many school choice advocates believe they have momentum on their side. But Idaho’s political landscape isn’t quite so straightforward.
Reading test contract could be worth $400,000 per year
The bids came in well below the $5.9 million state superintendent Sherri Ybarra has requested to revamp or replace the Idaho Reading Indicator.
State picks reading test contractor — unofficially
A Texas vendor could get the job of replacing the Idaho Reading Indicator. But it’s unclear how much money this will cost, or what a new test will look like.
Blaine County hires its own lobbyist
The district will pay $3,300 a month to Phil Homer, a former district superintendent who has lobbied for the Idaho Association of School Administrators.
Literacy initiative tests political patience, and political will
In 2017, lawmakers will have to decide whether to continue their commitment to the state’s reading initiative — in the absence of any hard numbers on student achievement. Third in a six-part series.
As Idaho revamps its literacy program, its reading test awaits a rewrite
Idaho is poised to change its literacy metric — just as the state’s politicians, parents and educators try to gauge the results from a new reading initiative. Fourth in a six-part series.
Idaho schools try to bridge a wide reading gap
Four of every 10 K-3 students show up for school each fall without grade-level reading skills. Idaho is putting $11.25 million into extra help for at-risk readers. First in a six-part series.
A close look at literacy dollars, and literacy demographics
Districts with more at-risk readers receive a bigger share of the state’s $11.25 literacy budget. And these districts tend to face some underlying demographic challenges. Second in a six-part series.
State Board survey: Schools need more money, and more flexibility
More than 2,100 Idahoans responded to the State Board of Education’s school funding survey — and most respondents have some direct connection to education.