Legislature(2011 - 2012)CAPITOL 106
03/21/2012 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
Audio | Topic |
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Start | |
Presentation: Kuspuk School District | |
SB8 | |
HB330 | |
HJR39 | |
Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ | TELECONFERENCED | ||
+= | SB 8 | TELECONFERENCED | |
*+ | HJR 39 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+= | HB 330 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+ | TELECONFERENCED |
HJR 39-URGING THE STATE TO OPT OUT OF NCLB 9:49:52 AM CHAIR DICK announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 39, Urging the Governor to direct the Department of Education and Early Development to prepare and submit a request for flexibility under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to obtain a waiver of select requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and to direct the commissioner of education and early development to provide a comprehensive improvement plan that will guarantee that students in the state will be adequately prepared for academic and vocational success. 9:50:15 AM REPRESENTATIVE BOB MILLER, Alaska State Legislature, presented HJR 39, paraphrasing from a prepared statement, which read as follows: I sincerely hope this committee and others will allow due diligence when considering this critical, national and statewide issue. Without doubt, the United States enjoys international recognition for having the best universities and colleges in the world. Regardless of any indicator or statistic, America remains the Great Land of Opportunity in no small part because of our exceptional structure of higher education. Aspiring students from all over the world know the value of learning in our institutions. With that, much of the focus on K-12 education must be pointed at practical and successful approaches to college- AND career-ready requirements within a structured time and with limited resources. Lawmakers and professionals responsible for our children's education should have a centralized priority; to prepare our children with the knowledge and ability to pursue a higher education if they so choose, or to be ready to transition directly into careers and/or technical training and trade schools. Alaska will always have unique challenges and potential unlike any other state. This includes a continuous discussion on how best to provide Alaska's kids with the best and most comprehensive learning opportunities. Each impact potentially shaping the personal future of our children requires our deepest consideration. House Joint Resolution 39 encourages the Governor to provide his guidance and leadership in order to seek a federal waiver and options that will effectively relieve the state from the problematic No Child Left Behind (or NCLB) law. The US Secretary of Education has projected that nearly 90% of the schools nationwide will fail to meet Adequate Yearly Progress under the current NCLB mandated standards. By the end of this year, more than 40 other states will be granted waivers with no negative impact on federal education funds, along with opportunities to develop an Alaskan designed, rigorous and effective education system. Of primary concern though, if Alaska fails to apply before the 2014 deadline, the state could face unnecessary fiscal and administrative difficulties. One particular feature motivating so many states to apply for a waiver involves the ability to design and implement what is known as "student growth models." With this capability, communities and school districts will be able to incorporate value-added, socio- economic factors to customize their local academic curriculum and performance standards. As a provision related to Adequate Yearly Progress, Alaska's Department of Education and Early Development would be allowed to request a measure of student growth in its definition. This would be applied to the reporting performance against the Annual Measureable Objectives or AMO's. (College-ready and common core standards are just two facets of a complex system though.) While standards are an integral component, much more is involved in development of a powerful, effective state instructional system. For nations with the most successful educational systems in the world, complete integration is the only known approach that has enabled them to produce their leading results. As Marc Tucker, the president of the National Center on Education and the Economy stated last month, "if we want to have standards that have an important effect on student performance, then they have to be operational, not aspirational." In closing, NCLB was an honest attempt to address educational needs in America, but the extraordinary dynamics of teaching and learning continues to demand an unending refinement of approaches. There is widespread movement in almost every state towards getting relief from NCLB mandates. At the same time, states are jumping at the opportunities offered by the waivers, which will further empower an entire network of educators. With so many states eagerly working towards this new opportunity, I'm very confident that this valuable prospect will work for all of Alaska. With the majority of states aggressively pursuing this unprecedented education reform, Alaska is bound to benefit from the contribution of every education leader, including the members of this committee. We are being handed a great opportunity here; the chance to exit from a system that sets us up to fail, the chance to dodge the stigma and financial penalties of that failure, as well as increased federal oversight. But most importantly, the chance for us to design, create and customize Alaska's education system by Alaskans for Alaskans. Who knows what Alaska needs better than the people who live, work, play and learn here? I hope you will join me in supporting this resolution 9:56:02 AM REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE referred to the resolution, page 3, line 7, and asked for clarification of the date specified and the penalties that may be incurred. REPRESENTATIVE MILLER deferred. TROY BOUFFARD, Staff, Representative Bob Miller, Alaska State Legislature, responded that the September deadline is the third deadline set by the U.S. Secretary of Education. 9:57:15 AM CHAIR DICK confirmed that the September date is one point in a number of rolling deadlines, and asked about any consequences if a waiver is not granted. REPRESENTATIVE MILLER responded that it is speculative, but all states that have applied have been granted a waiver. REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE inquired about any financial penalties. REPRESENTATIVE MILLER reported that approximately $430 million is received from the federal government, and if AYP (annual yearly progress) is not attained, some of those funds will be in jeopardy, and as well as other possible consequences. 9:59:06 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON opined that a positive outcome of NCLB has been to cause each state to assess existing educational systems, discover shortcomings, and strategize improvements. Referring to the sponsor statement, she paraphrased an excerpt which read [original punctuation provided]: "No Child Left Behind does not account for the geographic conditions, cultural considerations or economic challenges unique to Alaska." Prior to NCLB prompting, she opined, Alaska didn't do a particularly good job of addressing these points. The federal act has not been an easy mandate to comply with, and there will be some relief in receiving a waiver for opting out; however, she maintained, it has not been without some benefit for bringing focus to bear in areas that might otherwise have remained in the shadows. 10:01:05 AM REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT asked why a resolution is being submitted versus a statute. REPRESENTATIVE MILLER indicated that this is a strategic, coordinated effort being put forward in conjunction with Alaska's delegation to Washington, D.C. [HJR 39 was held over.]
Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
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SB 8 Sectional 27-LS0084A-revised 2-23-2013.pdf |
HEDC 3/21/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 8 |
SB 8 2011 AK Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results.pdf |
HEDC 3/21/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 8 |
SB 8 Sponsor Statement rev 4-4-2011.pdf |
HEDC 3/21/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 8 |
HJR039 Version A.pdf |
HEDC 3/21/2012 8:00:00 AM |
HJR 39 |
HJR039 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HEDC 3/21/2012 8:00:00 AM |
HJR 39 |
HJR 39 States Requesting Flexibility NCLB.pdf |
HEDC 3/21/2012 8:00:00 AM |
HJR 39 |
HJR 39 Education Brief Common Core Standards 032112.pdf |
HEDC 3/21/2012 8:00:00 AM |
HJR 39 |
CS HB 330 Version E.pdf |
HEDC 3/21/2012 8:00:00 AM |
HB 330 |
CS HB 330 Version E sponsor statement 032012.pdf |
HEDC 3/21/2012 8:00:00 AM |
HB 330 |
CS HB 330 Version E sectional analysis 032012.pdf |
HEDC 3/21/2012 8:00:00 AM |
HB 330 |