Selection of student information system software vendors by the Department of Public Instruction

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Current law requires the state superintendent of public instruction (superintendent) to work with the Office of the Governor to establish a student information system (SIS) to be used to collect and maintain information about pupils enrolled in public schools. The superintendent may charge a fee to any person that uses the SIS.

This bill requires the state superintendent to develop request-for-proposal procedures and criteria for selecting vendors of the SIS software on a competitive basis (selected software) and, beginning in the 2014-15 school year, to select at least two preferred vendors whenever a selection of software is made. The bill permits the superintendent to charge a fee to any person that uses the selected software to participate in the SIS. The bill also permits a school district to use a software other than the selected software to participate in the SIS, provided the school district's student information system is compatible with the SIS on certain measures, including the following: 1) the ability to assign a unique student identification number to each student enrolled in the district; 2) the ability to satisfy current and future state and federal reporting requirements and deadlines; and 3) the ability to transfer electronic student transcripts, electronic data, and electronic records to the Department of Public Instruction in the same manner and on the same schedule as school districts using the selected software.

Who's behind it

8 senators are its authors⁠. 7 are Democrats and 1 is a Republican.

12 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.