Legislature(2005 - 2006)
2006-01-13 House Journal
Full Journal pdf2006-01-13 House Journal Page 2266 HB 364 HOUSE BILL NO. 364 by the House Rules Committee by request of the Governor, entitled: "An Act relating to a public school performance incentive program; and providing for an effective date." was read the first time and referred to the House Special Committee on Education and the Health, Education & Social Services and Finance Committees. The following fiscal note(s) apply: 1. Fiscal, Dept. of Education & Early Development The Governor's transmittal letter dated January 13, 2006, follows: "Dear Speaker Harris: Under the authority of art. III, sec. 18, of the Alaska Constitution, I am transmitting a bill that would provide for a public school performance 2006-01-13 House Journal Page 2267 incentive program. This program is an innovative approach to creating a learning environment in which students will improve more rapidly than would usually be expected. This program would inspire and empower Alaska's outstanding educators to use their expertise and innovative instructional practices to improve student growth and achievement. A performance incentive program would enhance Alaska's teacher recruitment efforts, raise accountability by linking the incentive payments directly to increased levels of student achievement, and promote effective instruction, staff collaboration, and shared responsibility. The program would encourage public schools to adjust schedules to maximize instructional time and align teacher skills to student needs. This bill would authorize a substantial performance incentive payment, subject to appropriation, to school personnel -- up to $5,500 for certificated personnel such as teachers, counselors, and administrators, and up to $2,500 for noncertificated personnel such as instructional aides, school nurses, and school secretaries. Public school personnel would be eligible for a performance incentive payment if the students in their school achieved substantial improvement on the statewide assessments. The program provided for in this bill is unique in two ways. First, it is intended that a performance incentive payment would be made when students achieve more than one year's academic growth. We expect learning growth in students each year, and public school personnel are paid to teach students a normal year's worth of information. This program, however, would reward public school personnel if students acquire more than one year's worth of growth. When students gain more than one year's worth of growth, they will advance one or more levels on the state's statewide achievement assessments, triggering a performance incentive payment. If students are already at the most advanced level, keeping them advanced would trigger a payment. Tying the performance incentive payment to growth would mean that all public schools would have an opportunity to earn the payment. Because the performance incentive payment would not be pegged at a set level of achievement, public schools that have high-achieving students would not have an advantage over schools with low- 2006-01-13 House Journal Page 2268 achieving students. All children can learn, and all can improve their achievement level. Schools would not be in competition with each other -- a school would be eligible for the performance incentive payment if its students achieve sufficient growth, even if some other schools show more growth or faster growth. The second unique aspect of this proposed program is that it is intended to apply to all public school employees. Even noninstructional personnel would be eligible for the performance incentive payment if the students at the public school achieved the requisite growth. This would create within the public school building a community in which all employees have a stake in the success of the students. Teachers who teach subjects that are not tested, administrators, paraprofessionals, and support staff all would have an incentive to encourage students to excel at all scholastic pursuits, and to keep students interested and engaged. The school community would have an incentive to work together for the greater good. The details of the performance incentive program would require mathematical formulae and the setting of eligibility requirements that are best left to regulation. The Department of Education and Early Development (department) would have to determine what level of growth is appropriate for the performance incentive payment -- if it is too easy or too difficult to obtain, it would not provide an incentive. The department also would provide in regulation for a mechanism to reward school district central office personnel -- such as a curriculum or special education director -- who have a significant influence on the achievement of the students in the eligible schools in that district. The bill provides that a payment under the program is not included in an employee's compensation for retirement purposes. Also, under the bill, whether an employee does or does not receive a performance incentive payment would have no bearing on the employee's evaluation, and a school district could not diminish or supplant an employee's regular salary because the employee received a payment. This program is not intended to have any effect on the current or future levels of foundation or other funding for public education. This program is intended to reward excellence by providing incentives for a public school community to work collaboratively to exceed the 2006-01-13 House Journal Page 2269 expected level of learning for all students in a single year. Foundation funding and this program are entirely separate and each stands on its own. This bill is good for children and good for Alaska. I urge your prompt and favorable action on it. Sincerely yours, /s/ Frank H. Murkowski Governor"