Legislature(2009 - 2010)CAPITOL 106
02/11/2009 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Overview(s): Department of Health and Social Services (dhss) and Mental Health Trust's "bring the Kids Home" Initiative, the Youth Recovery and Education Interface | |
| HB109 | |
| HB69 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| *+ | HB 69 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 109 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 69-EARLY CHILDHOOD ED: RATING & HOME VISITS 9:11:17 AM CHAIR SEATON announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 69, "An Act establishing in the Department of Education and Early Development a voluntary parent education home visiting program for pre-elementary aged children; and establishing a rating system for early childhood education." CHAIR SEATON noted that the committee packet includes a proposed committee substitute (CS), Version 26-LS0281\C, Mischel, 2/9/09. 9:11:57 AM REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS TUCK, Alaska State Legislature, speaking as one of the joint prime sponsors of HB 69, explained that in Version C the term "participating family" was used instead of "participant" throughout the legislation. On page 2, lines 15- 20, the legislation was amended such that educator parent visits are optional and allow parents to participate in more than one meeting per month and deletes references for cost considerations for reducing visits. On page 4, lines 9-10, the definition of "family" was added. On page 4, lines 12-14, the definition of "trained parent educator" was added. Representative Tuck informed the committee that Version C no longer has the pre-K program rating system that was included in Section 4(a)(18) of the original legislation, and therefore the title of the legislation was changed such that the language on page 1, line 3 of HB 69 stating "and establishing a rating system for early childhood education" was deleted. 9:14:23 AM CHAIR SEATON pointed out that on page 4, paragraph (18) remains. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK explained that some portions of paragraph (18) were deleted, though not all of it. 9:15:07 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER asked if paragraph (18) of the original legislation was removed because it refers to public and private pre-elementary programs. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK replied yes, adding his intention to introduce the subject of paragraph (18) as separate legislation. The desire, he explained, with Version C is to focus on the parents as teachers (PAT) program and not develop a system to oversee all types of pre-K education. 9:15:52 AM REPRESENTATIVE WILSON moved to adopt CSHB 69, Version 26- LS0281\C, Mischel, 2/9/09, as the working document. There being no objection, Version C was before the committee. The committee took a brief at-ease from 9:15 a.m. to 9:17 a.m. 9:17:28 AM REPRESENTATIVE TUCK reviewed his involvement in the education system, which ultimately led to his seat on the Anchorage School Board. One of the matters the Anchorage School Board has tried to address is in regard to how to introduce pre-K education without it being a large cost to the public and without having to provide more classrooms and the associated capital expenses. This legislation provides, through Department of Education and Early Development (EED), parents with voluntary support for teaching their pre-K children in ways to develop learning skills for success. He opined that early education by parents will save Alaskans money, develop a strong workforce, and make the neighborhoods safer. Representative Tuck explained that HB 69 allows local agencies to apply for grants administered by EED to prepare children under the age of five for school. The plan includes personalized meetings once a month as well as local group meetings once a month. He pointed out that having health and developmental screenings earlier on are helpful to identify/forecast any developmental learning problems. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK highlighted the short title of HB 69 and emphasized that the ultimate responsibility of educating children lies with the parent. This legislation merely attempts to provide services to the parents in order to empower them such that they are better prepared and more effective. The visits aren't necessarily home visits and thus the language on page 2, line 15, reflects that the visits can be at a mutually agreed upon location. Early education, he opined, is one of the best investments that can be made in the state. In fact, studies show that pre-K education increases school readiness, earning power as adults, high school graduation rates, and college enrollment. He then related that early education saves the state money, makes neighborhoods safer, reduces the likelihood of later criminal behavior, and instances of abuse. Therefore, the benefits of early education are lower criminal justice system costs, reduced welfare costs, savings for crime victims, and savings on school remedial services. In fact, every dollar spent on pre-K education saves the state approximately $7. Furthermore, preschool programs for at-risk children save much more than the program costs by reducing future crimes. Early screening for disabilities or developmental delays and their resolution also result in cost savings due to fewer children being placed in special education or remedial classes or being retained in their grade. "Research has clearly shown that the early years are critical in a child's development and lay the foundations for success in school and in life. So, to invest in our future we need to give parents the education and support they need to promote their young children's health and development," he related. He then noted that PAT has been utilized in 47 communities in Alaska, serving about 3,000 children statewide. Although it's a private-public partnership, the program is funded mainly through federal grants. This legislation would make the program available statewide to any child or parent interested. 9:24:04 AM REPRESENTATIVE TUCK, in response to Representative Gardner, reiterated that about 3,000 students are served statewide in 47 communities through federal funds. In further response to Representative Gardner, Representative Tuck confirmed that the committee packet should include a map specifying which communities utilize the program. 9:24:43 AM REPRESENTATIVE TUCK told the committee that these programs have been in the state for 14 years. 9:25:03 AM REPRESENTATIVE MUNOZ inquired as to the eligibility requirements. She also inquired as to the details of training. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK specified that any parent with a child under the age of 5 qualifies. The specifics of how the agencies receive the grants are stipulated on page 3, lines 6-28. To instruct children up to age 3 requires 37 hours of training. An additional 15 hours of training is required for those who want to instruct children age 3-5. The aforementioned hours of training are for the existing PAT program. This legislation will allow EED to determine the [training requirements]. 9:26:35 AM CHAIR SEATON, referring to page 2, line 9, of Version C, asked how the implementation plan to be submitted by a local agency will work in a community. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK said that the local agency could be a Native Corporation or a school district. The local agency will announce when and where parent [training] meetings will be held, the number of children that can be served, who the staff will be, and how they will be trained. The local agency will then enter into an agreement with EED and after the grants have been awarded, the entity will enter into a collaborative agreement with EED. In further response to Chair Seaton, Representative Tuck clarified that the term trained parent educators refers to the individual who is training the parents. He then confirmed that the training to which he referred earlier is the training for those who are training the parents. 9:28:59 AM REPRESENTATIVE WILSON inquired as to the meaning of the term "indentified" on page 2, line 18. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK related his belief that the term should be "identified," although the term "indentified" didn't come up as a misspelled term. 9:30:11 AM REPRESENTATIVE MUNOZ inquired then as to what the parent receives during the once a month visit. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK explained that the visits begin by educating the parent regarding how the brain functions and learns as well as the developmental stages of children. After the education of the parent, the parent chooses the curriculum for his or her child. He informed the committee that studies have shown that children who are introduced to another language early on are able to grasp the language. 9:31:31 AM CHAIR SEATON related his understanding that this legislation specifies that any child under 5 is qualified for the program proposed in HB 69. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK replied yes, adding that there are pre- screenings and the parent educators can recommend further developmental tests if a possible learning disability is identified. In such a case, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) comes into play as there is a requirement for children to receive other services. 9:32:46 AM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER, referring to the PAT Alaska newsletter, pointed out that it seems the data being used is from Missouri to relate what the program does in general. She then inquired as to the percentage of parents who participate in the program. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK expressed the need to review the communities in which PAT is being implemented such that there is knowledge as to how many children are between which age groups and the percentage being served. The aforementioned hasn't been done yet. 9:34:48 AM REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON directed attention to EED's indeterminate fiscal note that specifies there is no way to estimate the number of additional children that might be referred as a result of passage of HB 69. He then asked if there is a way to estimate the number of children. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK replied no, adding that this program will have to be a line item in the budget that EED will have to introduce. The program will serve the children it can based on the budget. As reports come in from the agencies, the budget for the next year can be adjusted to ensure the needs are met. This program, he opined, really needs seed money in order to get started. REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON related his understanding that part of the difficulty identifying prospective participants is related to the fact that it's a voluntary program. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK replied yes. 9:36:52 AM REPRESENTATIVE BUCH opined that the fiscal note should also include mention of interagency cooperation, such as public- private partnerships and other available mechanisms to reduce the costs. 9:37:29 AM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER asked if all of the existing sites implementing PAT use the same definitions or program specifications or have they developed their own versions. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK answered that the sites are all using the national PAT program and curriculum. 9:38:02 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER inquired as to what the $7 in savings for every $1 spent is based upon. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK responded that those statistics are from Head Start surveys. In further response to Representative Keller, Representative Tuck informed the committee that the legislation doesn't include daycare. He highlighted that this program utilizes agencies within communities to provide the services, which dovetails with the philosophy that it takes a community to raise a child. 9:40:27 AM JOY LYON, Representative, Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC), said she would first address why the PAT program would improve high school graduation rates and how it will fit into the state's early education system. [This program] will lead to every child being more prepared for success in school, which leads to success in life. Ms. Lyon th informed the committee that there is a correlation between 4 grade reading scores and high school dropout rates and that same correlation exists with the kindergarten readiness program. When a student begins behind, they don't tend to catch up. She further informed the committee that some children arrive at school with minimal literacy experiences, perhaps 20 hours of reading versus the average of 600 hours of reading. The aforementioned information is based on research from Dr. Reisling (ph) and Hart (ph). When the gap is so vast, say 600 hours, it's difficult to catch up because the kindergarten year alone is 600 hours of reading. Furthermore, such a gap makes it difficult to communicate with peers, which leads to social problems. Moreover, such a gap means that the child doesn't have the vocabulary to be able to understand the teacher or the books to which she refers. The gap in vocabulary is really significant at age 3. Based on research some children are hearing 10 million words by age three, whereas others are hearing 40 million words by age three. Therefore, by slightly increasing the numbers of conversations the parents are having with their children and the number of books they are reading, it tends to strengthen the family as more nurturing time is occurring. Having additional conversations means the children are hearing more than directives in their early years. The PAT program is the gold standard for curriculum to strengthen families and work on literacy and social emotional development. She noted that the PAT program has been heavily evaluated and is a really strong program. 9:44:15 AM MS. LYON directed the committee's attention to a handout entitled "Investing in Alaska's Young Children," dated January 2009, which underscores that the PAT program works with many programs, such as Head Start and quality child care. Furthermore, the PAT program works for children whose parents are working and for children whose parents are at home. Ms. Lyon then highlighted the need to identify children with special needs early on, which occur for those children in childcare. The PAT program could be one of the referrals for those children identified as having special needs. Ms. Lyon reiterated that the PAT program fits in the various settings in which children are served with early care and education. She noted her support [for the PAT program] as well as the support of the Alaska Child Care Resource and Referral Network, Best Beginnings, Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children, Alaska Head Start Association, Alaska Infant Learning Program Association, and Alaska AEYC. 9:45:59 AM CHAIR SEATON inquired as to which parents are taking advantage of the PAT program, specifically are the parents of at-risk children taking advantage of the program. MS. LYON explained that the intent is to target those children who are at most risk; the PAT program can be adapted to achieve the aforementioned. She noted that the PAT program is delivered through Head Start programs and other early intervention programs. She suggested that Ms. Pickle could provide further information. 9:47:09 AM REPRESENTATIVE WILSON asked if the PAT program is the same as the existing eight programs in the state or is it different. She questioned whether it would be better to provide more support to the eight existing programs rather than create a new program. MS. LYON clarified that all the programs are working together to achieve the vision of early care and education. No matter where the funds come from, all the programs are working together. In fact, all eight programs are working more closely than ever before. 9:48:52 AM REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON observed that HB 69 is placing definitions in statute for important terms such as "family," "local agency," and "trained parent educator." MS. LYON answered that she believes that's correct. [Placing these definitions in statute] create more consistency throughout the state such that the same standards, evaluations, and needs assessments are used. 9:50:02 AM MELISSA PICKLE, State Coordinator, Alaska Parents as Teachers, clarified that she is not a state employee as her position is funded by the Alaska Parent Information and Resource Center, which is funded through a federal grant. Furthermore, the position is located within the Child Development Division of the Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RuralCAP). She explained that her role is to work with all of the programs in Alaska that utilize the PAT model. The PAT program is a voluntary personal visiting program for families with prenatal to kindergarten- entry age children. The vision of the program, as specified on the first slide says, "All children will learn, grow and develop to realize their full potential." The second slide illustrates that the PAT program is an international program that operates in all 50 states as well as China, Australia, and Great Britain. She characterized the program as a well established and very culturally sensitive and appropriate program. The PAT program has been in Alaska for nearly 15 years. Those parents who choose to enroll in the PAT program work with certified parent educators or family visitors who have been trained and certified in the PAT's Born to Learn curriculum. She noted that there are two national trainers in the state who can provide the training. 9:53:58 AM MS. PICKLE, continuing with slide 4, reviewed the four components of the program: personal visits, parent group meetings, screenings, and resource referrals. The personal visits are offered at least monthly, although some programs choose to meet more frequently. The visits occur wherever the family chooses and the focus of the meeting is to support parents, to learn about child development, and to help parents engage in activities that promote the child's learning. The parent group meetings occur at least once a month to provide parents the opportunity to network with other parents and for children to gain social skills through interactions with peers. Again, these are voluntary meetings and thus no parent is denied access to these services if the parent doesn't want to attend these groups. The program also offers screenings for health, hearing, vision, and developmental delays, which ensures the child's development is on track. If there are concerns regarding the child's development, the program can assist families. Therefore, the PAT staff works closely with school districts and infant learning programs. In fact, PAT staff are often members of the individual family service plan or the individual education plan (IEP) team because PAT's parent educators live in the communities in which the families reside and actually see families on a regular basis, perhaps even more often than an itinerate therapist. Ms. Pickle then turned to the resource referrals, which allows the family to connect with other services, as appropriate. The PAT program is there to help parents know what other resources are available. 9:56:02 AM MS. PICKLE directed the committee's attention to slide 5, which relates the mission of PAT as the following: "To provide the information, support and encouragement parents need to help their children develop optimally during the crucial early years of life." The aforementioned is often heard, particularly now that the most recent brain research specifies that the first three years of a child's life is critical in terms of development. Slide 6 entitled "Development of the Human Cerebral Cortex" illustrates the importance of the first few years of life. The number of connections formed in the cerebral cortex during the first two years of life never occurs again. Therefore, it's important that the first three years of life go well and [the PAT program] can help provide families with the ability to reach their full potential. The next slide entitled "Parents as Teachers Program Goals" relates the following goals: 1. Increase parent knowledge of early childhood development and improve parenting practices. 2. Provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues. 3. Prevent child abuse and neglect. 4. Increase children's school readiness and school success. MS. PICKLE said that the PAT program is really dedicated to meeting the aforementioned goals and research has shown that the program is meeting all those goals. She then mentioned that the committee packet should contain a document entitled "Parents as Teachers in Evidenced-Based Home Visiting Programs," which illustrates how effective the program is. 9:57:45 AM MS. PICKLE then directed attention to the slide entitled "Proven Outcomes for Parents," which highlights a few of the proven results of the PAT program for parents. The reason there is interest in the impact of an early childhood program on parents is because parents spend more time with their children and are the first and most influential teacher. The PAT program is there to support families in the aforementioned role, if the parents choose that support. As the slide relates, parents who receive services from PAT have been shown to have an increased knowledge of child development and child rearing practices, engage in more language and literacy promoting activities with their children, increased involvement in children's schooling, and have fewer documented cases of child abuse and neglect. Therefore, PAT helps parents prepare their children for their next educational setting, whatever that may be. The PAT program, as related on slide 9, has positive outcomes for children. Those children who receive PAT services exhibit higher levels of kindergarten readiness with these gains rd maintained through the 3 grade and fewer special education and rd remedial education placements in Kindergarten through 3 grade. The aforementioned saves schools money. Those children receiving PAT services are also more likely to display positive social and self-help behaviors and be four to five months ahead in language development at age 3. Ms. Pickle characterized the PAT program as providing children a good start in life. 10:00:11 AM MS. PICKLE, referring to the slide entitled "Alaska's Children," informed the committee that there are approximately 65,000 children 0 to 5 years of age in Alaska. She further informed the committee of the following: Nearly half of Alaskan children entering school are unprepared to read or learn; Among the highest rates of child abuse and neglect, with approximately 50 percent of reports of harm are for children 0 to 5 years of age; Highest high school drop out rates in the country. MS. PICKLE opined that the aforementioned is unacceptable. The next slide entitled "A Call to Action" highlights three major movements in the state that have made recommendations regarding young children and their families. The Ready to Read Task Force, which is now Best Beginnings, recommended in-home support in order to increase the engagement of parents in their child's learning. The Governor's Summit on Early Learning recommended that all parents have access to home-based education and support. The Alaska Education Plan recommended preschool programs and an increase in parent involvement. The PAT program can help meet the aforementioned recommendations for an annual average cost of $3,000 per family. Furthermore, this investment can save many thousands of dollars in the future. 10:01:42 AM MS. PICKLE noted that the committee packet should include the "Parents as Teachers Alaska 2008 Fact Sheet." The aforementioned document relates that 31 communities, 809 families, and 963 children were served. These numbers include children who will enter the public school system as well as children who will be home schooled. Nearly 80 percent of the children served by the PAT program in 2007-2008 were in programs run by nonprofits. About 19 percent of the programs were run by school districts and 1.5 percent were run by military programs. Ms. Pickle reminded the committee that all of the PAT programs in Alaska are funded through federal grants, which come and go. Therefore, every year there are PAT programs in the state that aren't funded. She related that she receives phone calls from other early education programs that want to refer children to the PAT program. However, the PAT program may not be in the area or there is a wait list. The PAT program is extremely popular and one loved by families. Therefore, the program needs the legislature's help in establishing a stable funding stream to allow access services that build a better future. Ms. Pickle said that the question isn't whether the state can afford to implement the PAT program but rather can it afford not to implement it. 10:04:33 AM CHAIR SEATON announced that HB 69 would be held over with public testimony open. The discussion will continue at Friday's [February 13, 2009] meeting.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| AK PAT 09 Legislature.ppt |
HEDC 2/11/2009 8:00:00 AM HEDC 2/13/2009 8:00:00 AM |
|
| BTKH EDUC Leg Presentation FINAL 0209.ppt |
HEDC 2/11/2009 8:00:00 AM |
|
| hb 109 MATERIALS.pdf |
HEDC 2/9/2009 8:00:00 AM HEDC 2/11/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 109 |
| HB 69 Materials I.pdf |
HEDC 2/11/2009 8:00:00 AM HEDC 2/13/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 69 |
| HB 69 Materials II.pdf |
HEDC 2/11/2009 8:00:00 AM HEDC 2/13/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 69 |
| Workdraft CS HB 69.pdf |
HEDC 2/11/2009 8:00:00 AM HEDC 2/13/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 69 |