04/10/2009 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

HB 130-STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRES AND SURVEYS                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:17:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON announced  that the next order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO.  130  "An Act  relating  to  questionnaires  and                                                               
surveys administered in the public schools."                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:17:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON introduced the  CS for HB 130, paraphrasing                                                               
from  a  prepared  statement, which  read  as  follows  [original                                                               
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     To  refresh  your  memory,  HB   130  will  change  the                                                                    
     parental  consent requirements  for surveys  in schools                                                                    
     from active to passive for anonymous surveys.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     During the  first hearing of  HB 130 in  this committee                                                                    
     there were a couple of  questions about the language in                                                                    
     section  1  and section  2  of  the  bill.   There  was                                                                    
     further  discussion on  the necessity  of the  language                                                                    
     "or an employee of a school district" in Section 1.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     The  committee substitute  before you  has standardized                                                                    
     language in  Section 1 and  Section 2.  The  CS retains                                                                    
     the  language "or  an employee  of  a school  district"                                                                    
     because  the  drafter  didn't want  to  unintentionally                                                                    
     exclude employees of the district.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     This change  in the  bill language  did not  change the                                                                    
     meaning of the bill in any way.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:18:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   WILSON   moved   to    adopt   CSHB   130,   26-                                                               
LS0405\S,Mischel,4/7/09.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON objected for discussion.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:18:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GARDNER  questioned   the  effectiveness  of  the                                                               
language [page 1,  line 4] "a school district  may not administer                                                               
...", when the school district  is comprised of individuals.  She                                                               
expressed concern  for excluding potential volunteers,  perhaps a                                                               
retired teacher, who would administer a survey.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON pointed out that  the language continues as [page 1,                                                               
line  5] "or  permits the  administration of  a questionnaire  or                                                               
survey ...".   The intent  appears to be providing  teachers with                                                               
clarity that  they are not allowed  to conduct a survey  in their                                                               
own classroom.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:21:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SEATON removed  his  objection.   There  being no  further                                                               
objection, CSHB 130, Version S, was before the committee.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:21:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON opened public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:21:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CARL  ROSE,  Executive  Director, Association  of  Alaska  School                                                               
Boards  (AASB), stated  support for  HB 130,  and explained  that                                                               
active  consent is  a  high  standard, which  yields  a very  low                                                               
return  regarding  "vital  information  that we  need  to  have."                                                               
Passive  consent still  allows  parents to  object  or deny  that                                                               
their children  take advantage of  the opportunity, but  it still                                                               
provides  the possibility  for  obtaining  information.   Another                                                               
issue  regards evaluation  of  the results.    Districts rely  on                                                               
survey  results  for  planning  purposes.     In  order  to  have                                                               
meaningful  analysis a  substantial percent  of participation  is                                                               
required.   Sufficient  sampling  allows  districts to  determine                                                               
effectiveness  of   programs,  identify  needs,   and  strategize                                                               
accordingly.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON closed public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:24:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MUNOZ  moved  to report  CSHB  130,  26-LS0405\S,                                                               
Mischel,    4/7/09,   out    of    committee   with    individual                                                               
recommendations and  the accompanying fiscal notes.   There being                                                               
no objection,  CSHB 130 (EDC),  Version S, was reported  from the                                                               
House Education Standing Committee.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at ease from 9:25 to 9:27.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:27:17 AM