Legislature(2013 - 2014)CAPITOL 106
02/07/2014 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB278 | |
| HB220 | |
| HJR1 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 278 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 245 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HJR 1 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | HB 220 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 278-EDUCATION: FUNDING/TAX CREDITS/PROGRAMS
[Testimony for both HB 278 and HB 220 were taken simultaneously,
during the hearing on HB 220; the second agenda item.]
8:06:03 AM
CHAIR GATTIS announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 278, "An Act increasing the base student
allocation used in the formula for state funding of public
education; repealing the secondary student competency
examination and related requirements; relating to high school
course credit earned through assessment; relating to a college
and career readiness assessment for secondary students; relating
to charter school application appeals and program budgets;
relating to residential school applications; increasing the
stipend for boarding school students; extending unemployment
contributions for the Alaska technical and vocational education
program; relating to earning high school credit for completion
of vocational education courses offered by institutions
receiving technical and vocational education program funding;
relating to education tax credits; making conforming amendments;
and providing for an effective date."
CHAIR GATTIS established that today's hearing would deal
exclusively with the bill sections addressing the repeal of the
High School Graduation Qualifying Exam (HSGQE); in concert with
HB 220 to be heard sequentially.
8:06:34 AM
MIKE HANLEY, Commissioner, Department of Education and Early
Development (EED), described the original intent of the exam,
and testified with official support for the repeal of the HSGQE
requirement, as addressed through the pertinent sections
contained in HB 278.
8:08:10 AM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked whether the HSGQE has been used to
track accountability regarding school performance or student
attainment of proficiency standards.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY clarified that a high stakes assessment is a
tool for the student to prove competency; however, all
assessment are a reflection of school performance, as well, due
to the integral nature of the educational system.
8:09:32 AM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX noted that the standards may have changed,
since the inception of the HSGQE, as a minimal proficiency
indicator, but stressed the need for continued testing to
measure the knowledge a student has garnered during their school
career. She suggested the elimination of all school exams, if
the concern is that some students may fail.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY said the HSGQE is unique in that it is a
high stakes exam; failure to pass this exam precludes a student
from receiving a diploma. Other assessment tests remain
available to indicate student achievement levels, such as the
Standards Based Assessments (SBAs), administered in grades three
through ten. He said employers will still be able to review a
student's transcript scores but this legislation will remove the
practice of having a test requirement connected directly to the
receipt of a high school diploma.
8:11:19 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked how necessary it is for the exit
exam to be aligned with education standards. He conjectured
that there is naturally some overlap in reading, writing, and
other studies.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY said, "We assess what we teach." It would
be erroneous to assess something that has not been taught;
however, currently the HSGQE is geared to assess what is now
taught in middle school rather than the high school curriculum;
in that respect it is important for the test to be aligned with
what is being taught.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER questioned whether it stands as an
indictment of the student or the test standards, if there is
failure to pass.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY established that concern is raised if, by
the twelfth grade, a student is unable to pass the HSGQE
considering it is targeted to test skills that are expected to
be learned in the eighth, ninth, and tenth grade levels. He
added that student failure can result in scrutiny of a school's
practices, along with other factors.
8:13:14 AM
COMMISSIONER HANLEY moved onto the other two components of the
Alaska Education Opportunity Act pertinent to repealing the
HSGQE. A critical aspect is the transitional language, intended
to address students who have graduated without passing the exam
and instead of a diploma received a Certificate of Achievement;
having achieved all other graduation requirements. Under this
component, those specific students may retest and earn a diploma
within a three year window; through 2017. The second component
is the inclusion of assessments that best meet the needs of
students and will provide them with an opportunity to qualify
for the Alaska Performance Scholarship. It also includes the
necessary information for other potential career steps beyond
high school. The assessments would be taken during the last two
years of school, eleventh or twelfth grade, and allows options
for taking the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT), American
College Testing (ACT), or WorkKeys. He noted that employers are
using the WorkKeys assessment on a greater scale, and colleges
and universities continue to refer to the SAT and ACT scores for
entrance criteria. He said this section intentionally shifts
the requirement from the need to pass a high stakes exam to
taking a readiness/competency assessment that will act as an
informative tool for students, parents, colleges, and employers.
It's a shift of focus from state accountability to providing
useful information to the student.
8:16:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX said it appears that administering a high
stakes examination to a high school student is inappropriate,
and asked if that impression is correct.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY said high stakes exams are not necessarily
inappropriate, and eight other states have implemented the
practice. However, by tying the test to earning a diploma it is
imperative that it be done intentionally, correctly and
administered with a sense of fairness for the students. He said
the HSGQE is not providing what the department desires, and is
no longer warranted.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked whether the test could be revised
for applicability to what is being taught; what would be wrong
with making that adjustment.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY stated his belief that, with the new
standards and new assessments, the educational system has the
ability to measure proficiency, engage and meet the needs of
students, without a high stakes exam.
8:17:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON noted that HB 278 proposes to repeal
existing statute that requires the WorkKeys assessment be taken
by every student in the eleventh grade, with the option to
retake in the twelfth for an improved score, and the results
become part of the student's transcript. Thus, employers can
evaluate the skill status of a potential hire via access to the
transcripts. He pointed out that this measure was a policy
established through this committee, and received support of the
full legislature, and opined that eliminating this assessment
would prove problematic. Through a series of theoretical
situations, he illustrated how a student without the WorkKeys
score on their transcript might be disadvantaged, to wit: if
college is not pursued or completed and the young person seeks
work, someone with an assessment score could be considered a
more desirable applicant for hire than someone whose transcripts
did not contain the WorkKeys ranking information. Further, he
pointed out that SAT and ACT scores are not available or used in
the same manner by potential employers as the WorkKeys
assessment information. He requested:
I want your frank opinion on whether exempting all
kids that are going to college from taking, and having
WorkKeys on their transcripts, actually degrades in
the minds of high school students, the value of the
WorkKeys test and also what employers are going to do
with kids that think they're going to go to college
and then don't complete [their degree].
COMMISSIONER HANLEY said the WorkKeys assessment would not be
eliminated, but it would no longer be a requirement of every
student. The transmittal and content of transcript information
is not expected to change under the proposed section of HB 278,
and he offered to review the language for further assurance. He
said the intent is to provide students access to tools that will
assist them in pursuits beyond high school. Some students may
not take the WorkKeys assessment seriously, he opined, if they
don't feel it is applicable to the direction they have chosen,
particularly a definite postsecondary path; however, any student
would still have the option to take the WorkKeys assessment.
8:23:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON recalled that the original act required
the WorkKeys score to be included on the transcript and HB 278
does not delete the language from statute. Thus, if employers
across the state, who have begun to rely on the WorkKeys
information as a hiring tool, notice it not being on a
transcript, it would cause question and put a student without a
score at a distinct disadvantage. He maintained concern for not
having all eleventh grade students complete the WorkKeys
assessment and opined that junior year students are typically
incentivized to apply themselves to their remaining semesters of
high school study in order to achieve higher, final, WorkKeys
scores that become a permanent part of their high school
transcripts. Removal of the requirement will cause the loss of
this incentivizing effort for continued rigorous study. Current
law requires a WorkKeys score as part of a student's
transcripts, and HB 278 does not indicate that SAT or ACT
information will be required. He acknowledged that a well-
crafted resume could satisfy an employer, but the information
would not be verifiable without this information on a
transcript.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY pointed out that the WorkKeys assessment can
be taken at any time by anyone through the state work placement
centers. He pointed out that HB 278 proposes to have the state
fund the cost for the administration of two assessment exams of
the student's choice. Thus, a student might choose the WorkKeys
one year and the SAT, or ACT, for another year, scores that
could prove personally useful, without additional expense. He
said this provides an opportunity to receive scores to support
either choice of technical/workforce or college pursuit, rather
than an elimination of an option.
8:25:49 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER acknowledged that the HSGQE is no longer
considered a good assessment tool and should be eliminated. He
opined that clarity of the terminology is important, and stated
his understanding: a test indicates a pass or failure of a
minimum score, with appropriate consequences attached, in this
case a diploma versus a Certificate of Attendance; the term
assessment indicatives a student's standing on a continuum
ranging from absolute perfection to utter failure; and a
standard provides the benchmark against which a student is
tested. He asked if there are standards and minimum performance
levels attached to the achievement of a diploma that would
provide useful, measurable information; beyond warming a chair
for four years.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY named many of the requirements that are
necessary to graduate and receive a diploma, which include
attendance, designated courses of study with specific credit
requirements, achievement of total credits, and completion of
the state SBA examinations. He reviewed how HB 278 removes the
high stakes test score requirement for receiving a diploma,
while leaving in place specific requirements and formative
assessments to track student proficiency. He assured that
testing still occurs in order to receive credit in required
classes.
8:28:33 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND noted the previous mention that the
WorkKeys assessment can be taken by a job seeker at any time, at
a local job center, and asked about the cost to the individual
to have it administered.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY deferred.
8:29:20 AM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX agree with the previous members statements
regarding the need for testing as a means to establish student
standing, and added that it acts as a guard to the general
public; the bar exam for example.
8:30:02 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON recalled that at the time WorkKeys was
made a requirement there was consideration given to eliminating
the HSGQE, with the expectation for removing the high stakes
exam while providing employers with a useable reference for the
skill sets that an applicant would have achieved. He opined
that HB 278 represents a retreat from the principle of the
statute that was established to provide this meaningful,
universal skillset indicator, as a reference for employers.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY responded that, if it is the intent of the
legislature to maintain the WorkKeys assessment requirement and
also have the state pay for an SAT/ACT exam, the goal to provide
students an opportunity to test for vocational as well as
college careers, would still be intact.
8:34:30 AM
LES MORSE, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Education and
Early Development (EED), clarified that the State School Board
oversaw the WorkKeys assessment requirement written into the
department regulations, 4 AAC 06.717, but it does not appear in
state statute.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON maintained that the mission was to ensure
that a student would leave high school with something more than
a disparate graduation diploma. As proposed, HB 278 would
eliminate the HSGQE, and WorkKeys would remain as the only
assessment information on the transcript. He opined that two
actions occur: uniformity of knowledge regarding what a diploma
represents is lost; and a two tiered system is delineated in
which anyone planning to attend college would not be required to
take the WorkKeys assessment, with resulting unintended
consequences.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY said the bill allows the student to choose
the appropriate tool for their future use, and does not alter
teaching standards, or student preparation, expectations and
requirements.
8:37:13 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER noted the $500,000 savings by not
administering the HSGQE, and inquired about the cost to proctor
the SAT, ACT, or WorkKeys per time, per student; what will the
cost difference be for eliminating the HSGQE and administering
one other three exams.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY said the department anticipates a cost of
$52.50 per person for the SAT, and given the cohort of 10,000
students across the state, the cost in one year should be
approximately $525,000. The WorkKeys cost is about $2.7
million. A contractual obligation also exists with the vendor
who provides the HSGQE assessment and, thus, the cost cannot be
entirely removed from the fiscal note. Additionally, the
department is negotiating with the contractor to continue to
provide the HSGQE, on a smaller scale, over the next three
years. He finished, explaining the details of the negative
$900,000 fiscal note. To a follow-up he estimated that it could
cost $1.3 million, per year, to exit the contract and continue
administration to a handful of students over a three year
period. He further clarified that the HSGQE is administered at
a cost of roughly $2.7 million, and the WorkKeys carries a cost
of $411,000 to the mentioned cohort.
8:41:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND agreed with needing to repeal the HSGQE,
and cautioned that the move away from administering too many
exams may result in requiring too few.
8:43:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked how many students receive a
certificate of attendance versus a diploma, each year. He said
spending money to maintain a routine for proctoring an
examination, when a student has not fulfilled other graduation
requirements would be difficult to justify.
MR. MORSE responded that numbers range from a high of 410 to a
low of 265, with a total of 2,963 overall who have received a
certificate of achievement since the exam has been in place. To
a follow-up question, he clarified that the statistics represent
the number of individuals who received a certificate of
achievement, since 2004. The number who have achieved the goal
of receiving a diploma is about 160 in recent years, and some
will be proctored multiple times in order to pass all parts of
the test. He offered to provide additional, specific data.
8:47:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked for an explanation of the GED.
MR. MORSE said it is a general education diploma, which was
introduced following World War II to allow veterans who had not
completed high school a means to attain a diploma equivalency
and enter the workforce on an equal footing with peers who were
graduates. It has changed over time and is administered by the
Department of Labor and Work Force Development.
CHAIR GATTIS announced HB 278 was held over.