Legislature(2021 - 2022)DAVIS 106

04/26/2021 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= HB 164 EARLY ED PROGRAMS; READING; VIRTUAL ED TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
*+ HB 21 ADD FACULTY MEMBER UNIV BOARD OF REGENTS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
         HB 164-EARLY ED PROGRAMS; READING; VIRTUAL ED                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
[Contains discussion of companion bill SB 111.]                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  DRUMMOND announced  that  the first  order of  business                                                               
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 164,  "An Act relating to early education                                                               
programs  provided by  school districts;  relating to  school age                                                               
eligibility; relating  to early education  programs; establishing                                                               
a  parents as  teachers program;  relating to  the duties  of the                                                               
Department  of  Education  and  Early  Development;  relating  to                                                               
certification  of teachers;  establishing a  reading intervention                                                               
program   for  public   school   students   enrolled  in   grades                                                               
kindergarten  through three;  establishing a  reading program  in                                                               
the Department of Education and  Early Development; relating to a                                                               
virtual  education consortium;  and  providing  for an  effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
[Before the committee,  adopted as a working  document during the                                                               
4/23/21  House  Education  Standing Committee  meeting,  was  the                                                               
proposed  committee  substitute  (CS)  for HB  164,  Version  32-                                                               
LS0731\I, Klein, 4/20/21, ("Version I").]                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:04:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CHRIS TUCK,  Alaska State  Legislature, as  prime                                                               
sponsor,  presented  HB  164.    He  thanked  the  committee  and                                                               
introduced the invited testimony.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:05:53 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TOM KLAAMEYER,  President, National  Education Association-Alaska                                                               
(NEA-Alaska), testified in support of HB  164.  He shared that he                                                               
has been  a teacher for 25  years and is testifying  on behalf of                                                               
almost  12,000  educators across  the  state.    He said  HB  164                                                               
represents  what's  possible  when legislators  and  stakeholders                                                               
work together  to craft evidence-based policy  that puts learning                                                               
first,  expressing that  this is  how government  is supposed  to                                                               
work.    He said  HB  164  would  close  the achievement  gap  by                                                               
ensuring equitable  educational rigor and resources,  improve the                                                               
safety and  well-being of students,  and support all  students in                                                               
the goal  of reading at  grade-level by  the end of  third grade.                                                               
He  quoted from  the Alaska  Education Challenge  document, which                                                               
read, "Research  suggests that school  readiness at an  early age                                                               
is one  critical strategy for  improving future  student outcomes                                                               
and  closing racial/ethnic  and socioeconomic  achievement gaps."                                                               
He said  that a  culturally-relevant reading program,  along with                                                               
sound  pedagogy,  best  practices for  reading  instruction,  and                                                               
culturally-appropriate  intervention  and support  for  students,                                                               
are essential to the program.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:11:36 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. KLAAMEYER  pointed out that Alaska  is one of only  a handful                                                               
of  states   that  does  not  offer   voluntary,  statewide  pre-                                                               
kindergarten education,  while states that do  have such programs                                                               
are often  recognized as "reading  successes."   He characterized                                                               
students  in  Alaska as  "the  most  unique  and diverse  in  the                                                               
country," with 21 official languages  and many cultural norms and                                                               
traditions; however, 36  percent of children zero  to eight years                                                               
old  live in  poverty, Alaska  has the  nation's highest  rate of                                                               
child  maltreatment, and  children in  Alaska are  one-third more                                                               
likely than their counterparts in  other states to die before the                                                               
age  of  eight.     Only  one-third  of   Alaska's  children  are                                                               
kindergarten-ready,  he   said,  and  children   from  low-income                                                               
families  are even  less likely  to  be equipped  to start  their                                                               
education.   He said  that expanding  access to  voluntary, high-                                                               
quality  pre-kindergarten  education  is essential  to  achieving                                                               
grade-appropriate  reading proficiency;  this education  has been                                                               
demonstrated  to be  the most  effective way  to increase  school                                                               
readiness in  both academic and social-emotional  skills, even as                                                               
the  students grow  into adulthood.   He  said that,  even though                                                               
Alaska  spends more  per-capita  on students  than other  states,                                                               
Alaska's students don't compare to  those in other states in many                                                               
ways.    Distance,   climate,  and  the  high   cost  of  energy,                                                               
transportation,  and food  make Alaska  unique, and  standardized                                                               
testing  along can't  capture the  comprehension of  students who                                                               
speak indigenous languages or who are just learning English.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  KLAAMEYER expressed  that while  tests are  important, their                                                               
ability to  measure success is  complex and varied,  and students                                                               
are more  than just a  test score.   Regarding teachers,  he said                                                               
that after  years of flat  funding, inflation-related  strains on                                                               
the system, and  a broken retirement system,  it's not surprising                                                               
that there are  1,000 fewer certified teachers  working in Alaska                                                               
than  there were  only a  decade ago.   Legislative  cuts to  the                                                               
system have  led to many teacher  layoffs, he said, and  it's the                                                               
same  mentality  about  education  funding  that  calls  for  the                                                               
inclusion of a  sunset clause in HB 164.   He asked the committee                                                               
to   help  provide   enduring   stability  for   pre-kindergarten                                                               
education  in  the  coming  years, and  he  said  students  would                                                               
benefit  far more  from ongoing  program  review, reporting,  and                                                               
engagement with  stakeholders rather than sunset  provisions.  He                                                               
expressed that the proposed legislation  could be a turning point                                                               
for education in Alaska.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:18:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ZULKOSKY asked  how specialized  assessment would                                                               
relate to standardized tests in the classroom.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. KLAAMEYER  replied that  tools like  the Measure  of Academic                                                               
Progress  (MAP) test,  which is  currently being  used by  almost                                                               
every school  district, could be  incorporated into  the proposed                                                               
process.  He said information from  the MAP test goes directly to                                                               
the teacher  instead of having  to wait until the  following year                                                               
for results.  In addition,  he said, professional development and                                                               
allowing teachers  the freedom  to teach what  they know,  in the                                                               
ways  they  know  best,  should  provide  an  overall  structure,                                                               
resources, and  support for students and  educators without being                                                               
so dogmatic that it becomes a hinderance to the goal.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ZULKOSKY asked  whether NEA-Alaska  has consulted                                                               
with  teachers on  the reporting  requirements and  the classroom                                                               
time demands for the assessments.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. KLAAMEYER  replied that a  broad survey of  NEA-Alaska member                                                               
teachers hasn't been done, but  the previous NEA-Alaska president                                                               
convened  a team,  consisting of  members  throughout the  state,                                                               
that looked closely at the proposed policies.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ZULKOSKY asked  whether it  would be  possible to                                                               
question  a representative  from  the Department  of Education  &                                                               
Early Development (DEED).                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:23:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KAREN  MELIN, Deputy  Commissioner, Department  of Education  and                                                               
Early Development,  asked Representative Zulkosky to  clarify her                                                               
question.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   ZULKOSKY   pointed    out   that   the   reading                                                               
intervention  section  of  HB  164   is  mandatory,  while  other                                                               
sections  are voluntary.   She  asked what  type of  support DEED                                                               
would  provide   for  teachers  conducting  assessments   in  the                                                               
classroom.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS. MELIN  responded that most  school districts already  have an                                                               
assessment  process   in  place  that  includes   early  literacy                                                               
screening.  She  said DEED is hoping for  classroom uniformity on                                                               
how the assessments  are being administered, so  DEED can support                                                               
the entire state  with a common tool, of which  there are several                                                               
currently being  used throughout the  state.  The  early literacy                                                               
screening  tools  currently  being  used address  the  five  main                                                               
components  of reading,  which have  been  shown to  be the  main                                                               
indicators  for  student  success  in reading.    She  said  most                                                               
classroom  teachers  view  assessment and  instruction  as  being                                                               
"very intricately woven" into their  practice, and most educators                                                               
are  constantly assessing  students; assessment  and instruction,                                                               
she said, are two sides of the same coin.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:27:53 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TUCK pointed  out  that, while  the  goal of  the                                                               
proposed  legislation is  to  establish  statewide standards  for                                                               
pre-K, enrollment  is still voluntary.   Reading intervention for                                                               
grades K-12 would be mandatory.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:28:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TOM  BEGICH, Alaska State  Legislature, on behalf  of the                                                               
Senate Education  Standing Committee,  sponsor of  companion bill                                                               
SB 111,  stressed that, while  every school district  has reading                                                               
programs,  the   proposed  legislation  would  set   a  universal                                                               
standard with evidence-based processes.   He pointed out that not                                                               
every child currently  gets assessed, and the  concept behind the                                                               
program is  to assess  every child to  identify struggles  so the                                                               
process can be retooled to work for the student.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:30:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX asked  whether the  standards are  developed                                                               
and published, and if so, where they can be found.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BEGICH  explained that  there are  a number  of different                                                               
standards, and each school district  could indicate which testing                                                               
and   assessment   tools  it's   using.      He  expressed   that                                                               
Representative  Prax'   question  emphasizes   the  inconsistency                                                               
throughout the  state, which would  be addressed by  the proposed                                                               
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. MELIN  said that  there are math  standards and  language art                                                               
standards that have  gone through a rigorous  process to identify                                                               
certain skills  that all  Alaska students should  be able  to do;                                                               
those standards  are published  and widely  supported by  DEED as                                                               
the knowledge a  well-educated student in Alaska would  have.  At                                                               
this  point,  she said,  there  have  been some  recently-adopted                                                               
early childhood  standards, the Early Learning  Guidelines, which                                                               
is published  and posted on the  DEED website.  When  it comes to                                                               
setting  a standard  at  the  department, she  said,  there is  a                                                               
process;  for  assessment  tools, however,  whoever  creates  the                                                               
assessment  uses accepted  standards  of what  a  child that  age                                                               
should know.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:34:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX  asked  whether there  exist  any  currently                                                               
published standards.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS.  MELIN  replied  that  there are  pre-K  and  K-12  standards                                                               
published on the DEED website.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX   asked  for  the  link   to  the  published                                                               
standards.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:36:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HOPKINS  commented that  underperforming  schools                                                               
and  districts already  have more  individual  reading plans  for                                                               
students, and  they may experience  a cumulative buildup  of such                                                               
plans.   He  asked Mr.  Klaameyer  about any  concerns about  the                                                               
existence of "too many" individual  reading plans in a classroom,                                                               
and any  support necessary for the  teacher to be able  to handle                                                               
the workload.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. KLAAMEYER responded that the  questions of workload and class                                                               
size affect  the support  needed to meet  the needs  of students.                                                               
He said guidance  from the school or detailed  policy should make                                                               
sure  students' needs  are  met while  providing  support to  the                                                               
teachers.  He  discussed that local school  districts should make                                                               
the  decisions that  would  best serve  their  students, such  as                                                               
making  sure there  aren't too  many students  in one  class with                                                               
individual reading plans, as well  as limiting overall class size                                                               
and providing professional development  and support for teachers.                                                               
He  said  individual  teachers  should   also  have  a  voice  in                                                               
developing processes, since the teachers know the students.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HOPKINS asked  what  specific support  structures                                                               
are in place.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:40:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BEGICH elaborated  on three  components of  the proposed                                                               
legislation:  early education, reading,  and support of the early                                                               
education  and   reading  components.    The   support  component                                                               
provides for a number of new  positions within DEED that would be                                                               
focused on reading,  and that are designed to  work directly with                                                               
school  districts; it  also includes  an  integrated program  for                                                               
teacher training.   The support  component also  includes reading                                                               
specialists  specific to  local  or rural  communities funded  by                                                               
DEED,   he   said,  and   the   reading   specialists  could   be                                                               
paraprofessionals  drawn  from  the   community  and  trained  as                                                               
reading  specialists.   He pointed  out that  the support  system                                                               
currently in place is nowhere near the level proposed in HB 164.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:43:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK interjected to  acknowledge that the up-front                                                               
support  would  be difficult  in  the  beginning, but  the  early                                                               
interventions should  make it easier  in the  long run.   He said                                                               
when  parents  are  involved in  their  child's  education,  it's                                                               
easier for the teacher as well, so support is important.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS  pointed out  that previous  iterations of                                                               
the proposed  legislation included more support  than the current                                                               
iteration,  and he  alluded to  support positions  "going out  to                                                               
school  districts."   He then  asked whether  the support  person                                                               
would be required to remain in the school district.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BEGICH replied  that DEED  would pay  for an  individual                                                               
already  in the  district,  instead of  one who  flies  in for  a                                                               
couple of days' work and then leaves.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS  asked Senator  Begich to  clarify whether                                                               
he was  expressing that the level  of support in HB  164 would be                                                               
an increase  from that  which was  proposed in SB  111.   He also                                                               
asked    whether   HB    164   includes    funding   for    local                                                               
paraprofessionals  in  school  districts,  and  if  not,  how  to                                                               
bolster such funding.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BEGICH responded  that not all of  those propositions are                                                               
in HB 164.   He said the reading support  specialist position, as                                                               
well as  paraprofessional training,  are no  longer in  the bill.                                                               
He commented that  he has "strong" feelings about  the absence of                                                               
those components.  He said, "The  short answer is ... it's in the                                                               
bill, but nowhere near  as robustly as I think it  could be."  He                                                               
said  the fiscal  notes of  earlier iterations  of the  bill were                                                               
approximately 40 percent support  and 60 percent early education,                                                               
and the support section is now slightly declined.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:48:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JAMIE BURGESS,  Superintendent of  Schools, Nome  Public Schools,                                                               
testified  in support  of HB  164  and presented  an overview  of                                                               
early education in Nome Public  Schools with a PowerPoint titled,                                                               
"Pre-K and Student  Achievement Impact."  She  presented slides 2                                                               
through  4,  "Brief History,"  which  read  as follows  [original                                                               
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     club Nome Public Schools  has partnered  with  the  two                                                                    
     existing preschool providers from 2009-2019                                                                                
     club Two preschool providers                                                                                               
          club Nome   Preschool    -   private    non-profit                                                                    
          organization  founded   in  1970,   mainly  parent                                                                    
          driven                                                                                                                
          club Head Start - administered by local tribal non-                                                                   
          profit organization                                                                                                   
     club These providers   have  the   capacity  to   serve                                                                    
     approximately  2/3 of  the  average kindergarten  class                                                                    
     each year (40 out of 60)                                                                                                   
     club The State  of   Alaska  Preschool   Grant  allowed                                                                    
     placement of  certified teachers  in the  classrooms of                                                                    
     the partner organizations                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     club The grant originally funded up to 3 teachers   two                                                                    
     at Head Start and 1  at Nome Preschool   not consistent                                                                    
     at filling  all 3 slots  with a certified  teacher over                                                                    
     10 years                                                                                                                   
     club We had 3 cycles of 3 year grants; the  final cycle                                                                    
     was  a  "sunset" period  of  decreasing  funds, with  a                                                                    
     final year funded with carryovers                                                                                          
     club During the sunset period, uncertainty of funding the                                                                  
     grant program by the Alaska  Legislature which ran well                                                                    
     into the late spring months meant increased difficulty                                                                     
     in hiring/retaining preschool teachers                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
    club The last year with preschool teachers was the 2018-                                                                    
     2019 school year                                                                                                           
     club Unable to hire any teachers in the spring of 2019                                                                     
      due to ongoing uncertainty around Governor's Veto of                                                                      
     Pre-K grant funds                                                                                                          
     club Had to decline grant in the fall of 2019  ongoing                                                                     
        attempts to find teachers throughout the summer                                                                         
     produced no results                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS.  BURGESS presented  slide 5,  "Class of  2029 Kinder,"  which                                                               
displayed a bar graph showing  data of the fall administration of                                                               
the Dynamic  Indicators of Basic  Early Literacy  Skills (DIBELS)                                                               
assessment  for all  Nome  kindergarten children  in  2016.   She                                                               
stressed that the DIBELS  assessment is nationally-recognized for                                                               
determining   whether   children  are   developing   foundational                                                               
literacy  skills, which  eventually lead  to reading  fluency and                                                               
comprehension.   Two  of the  earliest assessments  are given  in                                                               
kindergarten,  she   said;  the   Letter  Naming   Fluency  (LNF)                                                               
assessment ask children  to identify as many letters  as they can                                                               
in the  space of one  minute, and  the First Sound  Fluency (FSF)                                                               
assessment asks children to identify  the first sound in a short,                                                               
three-letter  word that  is read  to them.   The  graph showed  a                                                               
significant difference in assessment  scores between children who                                                               
attended pre-K and those who did  not.  On slide 6, titled "Class                                                               
of  2029 2nd  Grade,"  the  same children  were  assessed in  the                                                               
second  grade,  taking the  Measure  For  Progress (MAP)  reading                                                               
assessment,   another   nationally-recognized  assessment   which                                                               
compares children across the country,  taking the same assessment                                                               
at the same time, to each  other.  She said the typical benchmark                                                               
for   grade-level   performance   on  the   MAP   assessment   is                                                               
approximately 40 percent; Nome elementary  looks at children that                                                               
fall  below 25  percent as  candidates for  reading intervention.                                                               
The  slide, which  displayed a  bar graph  of test  scores of  25                                                               
percent or  higher, 11 to  24 percent,  and 10 percent  or lower,                                                               
showed  that children  who did  not attend  pre-K were  much more                                                               
likely to be  identified as needing enrollment  in the district's                                                               
reading intervention program.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  BURGESS presented  slide 7,  "Class of  2031 Kinder,"  which                                                               
displayed   kindergartners'    2018   scores   on    the   Alaska                                                               
Developmental  Profile,  an   assessment  given  by  kindergarten                                                               
teachers after four weeks of  observing students' performance and                                                               
scoring students  on their  proficiency at meeting  11 out  of 13                                                               
goals such as .  She said students  are scored with a "2" if they                                                               
consistently demonstrate the desired skill  or behavior; a "1" if                                                               
they sometimes demonstrate  the skill; and "0" if  they seldom or                                                               
never demonstrate  the skill or  behavior.   A score of  "2," she                                                               
said,  is needed  to  meet  the goal,  and  the  State of  Alaska                                                               
defines "kindergarten-ready" as a child  receiving a score of "2"                                                               
on  at least  11 of  the 13  goals.   The slide  demonstrated the                                                               
scoring  differences between  children who  did and  who did  not                                                               
attend  preschool,  and  also between  children  who  attended  a                                                               
preschool classroom  led by a  teacher certified by the  State of                                                               
Alaska  in early  education.   Only  17 percent  of all  children                                                               
assessed  that year  met at  least 11  out of  the 13  goals, she                                                               
said; when  the group of 17  was split up according  to preschool                                                               
status, the group that attended  preschool had higher scores than                                                               
the group  that did  not, and the  group that  attended preschool                                                               
with a certified teacher was the largest group.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS.  BURGESS presented  slide 8,  "Class of  2031 Kinder,"  which                                                               
showed  the MAP  scores for  the same  cohort of  children.   The                                                               
slide  displayed a  bar  chart  showing that  70  percent of  the                                                               
children who  attended preschool  scored in the  40th percentile,                                                               
indicating that the children were  reading close to, or at, grade                                                               
level; 55  percent of the  students who did not  attend preschool                                                               
met the same benchmark.  On  slide 9, "Class of 2031 Kinder," the                                                               
previous slide's MAP  scores were further broken  out by students                                                               
who attended preschool led by  a certified teacher, and those who                                                               
did not.   In that  group, she said,  75 percent of  the children                                                               
who  met the  benchmark  attended preschool  led  by a  certified                                                               
teacher.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. BURGESS pointed out that one of  the aspects of HB 164 is the                                                               
requirement for a  funded preschool program to be led  by a high-                                                               
quality  teacher.     She  then  presented   slide  10,  "Current                                                               
Situation,"   which  read   as   follows  [original   punctuation                                                               
provided]:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
       club Preschool partner organizations fill teaching                                                                       
     positions with staff of varying educational background                                                                     
     and experience                                                                                                             
          club None are certified Alaska Teachers                                                                               
       club None hold Bachelor's Degrees in any subject;                                                                        
          some may have some college experience                                                                                 
        club Some hold Child Development Associate (CDA)                                                                        
     certificates; others may be working towards completion                                                                     
     club Formal training on best practices in early literacy                                                                   
     development may be lacking                                                                                                 
     club COVID-19 pandemic has curtailed  any  professional                                                                    
     development    collaborative   opportunities    between                                                                    
     district and partner organizations                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. BURGESS  said that  while the individuals  do their  best and                                                               
may receive some  training, their knowledge of  best practices in                                                               
early education,  and especially  in early  literacy development,                                                               
are often  lacking.  She  said her most  experienced kindergarten                                                               
teacher, who  has been teaching  for 15 years at  Nome Elementary                                                               
School, said  she has  noticed a  significant change  in incoming                                                               
kindergartners in  2019 and  2020, which  were the  last students                                                               
who had the benefit of certified  teachers.  The teacher said she                                                               
had to  rethink her  learning centers  to meet  the needs  of her                                                               
students.   Another kindergarten teacher,  who had worked  in the                                                               
preschool program the  prior year, had some of  the same children                                                               
in her class;  her class had the highest assessment  scores.  Due                                                               
to a  lack of  teachers, she said,  preschool classes  were being                                                               
rotated even before the COVID-19  pandemic shutdown.  She pointed                                                               
commented that the lack of  consistent preschool was demonstrated                                                               
in   the   social   and   emotional   learning   (SEL)   of   the                                                               
kindergartners, who needed  to learn how to behave  in school and                                                               
interact with each other.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS.  BURGESS presented  slide 11,  "Conclusions,"  which read  as                                                               
follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     club While the data set is small, the pattern represented                                                                  
     here is one we see repeatedly over the years:                                                                              
          club Students who participate in a Pre-K program are                                                                  
          better prepared for  kindergarten, score better on                                                                    
          kinder   reading   assessments,  and   the   trend                                                                    
          continues into later grades                                                                                           
          club When we have certified teachers in  the Pre-K                                                                    
          classrooms, the student gains are higher                                                                              
     club Work still needs to  be done  in  our District  to                                                                    
     improve the  ability of  our early  elementary teachers                                                                    
     to be  good reading  teachers   we  are a  recipient of                                                                    
     the  State  Literacy  Grant  with   a  total  focus  on                                                                    
     increasing expertise in this area                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS.  BURGESS  expressed  that  HB  164  would  provide  a  unique                                                               
opportunity for  stakeholders in education to  have a significant                                                               
impact on legislation in Alaska.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:01:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX, referencing  slide  2,  asked whether  Nome                                                               
Preschool went out of business.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS.  BURGESS replied  that both  preschools are  still operating,                                                               
but that  Nome Preschool,  as a private  school, and  Head Start,                                                               
administered  by the  local tribal  non-profit,  do not  formally                                                               
work with Nome School District.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX  asked, "You  were  providing  a service  in                                                               
addition to what Nome Preschool  and Head Start was providing, is                                                               
that understanding correct?"                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. BURGESS  explained that both  programs were  operational, but                                                               
when  Nome School  District  had the  State  of Alaska  Preschool                                                               
Grant, the school  district was able to  place certified teachers                                                               
in   the  classrooms   of  the   preschools.     She  said   both                                                               
organizations tend to hire locals  who are not certified teachers                                                               
and who are  of limited background or knowledge  in teaching best                                                               
practices.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX stated  his understanding  that Nome  School                                                               
District was  providing certified teachers to  the Nome Preschool                                                               
and Head Start programs.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. BURGESS replied yes.  She  said the positions were all funded                                                               
by  the  grant,  but  because grant  funding  was  so  uncertain,                                                               
finding  certified  teachers  was   difficult.    She  said  both                                                               
certified teachers  had already resigned or  transferred to other                                                               
positions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:05:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BEGICH pointed  out that the goal is  to ensure education                                                               
grants  are  cross-supportive,  instead  of  causing  schools  to                                                               
compete with one another.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:06:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS  asked whether Nome School  District would                                                               
apply for the three-year education grants provided under HB 164.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. BURGESS  replied yes.   She stressed  that it's  difficult to                                                               
hire  certified  preschool  teachers  when the  funding  for  the                                                               
position from year to year is not clear.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS  asked where  Nome School  District stands                                                               
in performance as it relates to grant funding hierarchy.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS.  BURGESS  estimated  that  Nome  School  District  is  likely                                                               
towards  the  bottom  of  assessments.     Because  there  is  no                                                               
statewide assessment  for children  in grades  K-2, she  said she                                                               
assumes  the school  district's  place in  the funding  hierarchy                                                               
would  be based  on Performance  Evaluation for  Alaska's Schools                                                               
(PEAKS) scores.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS asked why funding  would be based on PEAKS                                                               
instead of MAP.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. BURGESS  replied that MAP  could possibly replace  PEAKS, and                                                               
that  it  would  be  easy to  access  information  on  individual                                                               
students, schools, and districts with MAP tests.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:11:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TUCK directed  the committee's  attention to  the                                                               
text  of  committee  substitute  (CS)  of  HB  164,  Version  LS-                                                               
320731\I, Klein,  4/20/21, Section 14, subsection  (c), beginning                                                               
on page  9, line 2.   He asked Representative Hopkins  to clarify                                                               
whether he  was referring to  a previous version of  the proposed                                                               
legislation in  the discussion of  performance ranking  for grant                                                               
purposes.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HOPKINS   asked  for  clarification   on  ranking                                                               
schools for the early education grant.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK deferred to Ms. Melin.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  MELIN   explained  that  the  early   education  grants  are                                                               
administered through  an application  process, separate  from how                                                               
individual school  support needs  are identified.   She  said the                                                               
only  assessment  data  collected  statewide  is  on  PEAKS,  but                                                               
several other  indicators on the state  accountability system are                                                               
considered  when assessing  school performance  for grants.   She                                                               
said there  is no  single assessment used  statewide as  an early                                                               
literacy screener; she pointed out  that the Nome School District                                                               
uses  DIBELS,  while  other  school districts  use  a  number  of                                                               
different  assessment  tools.   She  said  one of  the  important                                                               
potential results of  the proposed legislation is  the ability to                                                               
collect consistent statewide data.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:15:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
NORM WOOTEN,  Director of Advocacy, Association  of Alaska School                                                               
Boards, testified  in support of  HB 164, sharing  his experience                                                               
as an  educator and his  involvement in policy.   He said  HB 164                                                               
and  its   companion  bill,  SB   111,  is  the   most  important                                                               
legislation  he's   seen  in  36   years  of  working   with  the                                                               
legislature  on  educational issues,  and  he  expressed that  it                                                               
would  be  a  "game  changer"   for  students  in  Alaska.    The                                                               
accountability  provisions within  the  bill  are reasonable,  he                                                               
said, and the strong elements  for professional development would                                                               
help educators  meet students' needs.   The assurance  that early                                                               
education  programs are  appropriate  and utilize  research-based                                                               
strategies would prepare the  students for successful educational                                                               
experiences throughout the system.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. WOOTEN discussed  the virtues of defining the  elements of an                                                               
evidence-based reading  education system,  and stressed  that the                                                               
ability to read well, as emphasized  in HB 164, is the foundation                                                               
of all  future education.  He  pointed out that rapid  and timely                                                               
interventions for students in need  is critical, and the emphasis                                                               
on increasing parental  engagement, as well as  the assistance of                                                               
DEED, would  be helpful.  He  expressed that some type  of hybrid                                                               
instruction  that   includes  virtual  delivery   will  certainly                                                               
continue   after   the   COVID-19  pandemic,   and   professional                                                               
development  for  the  instructors  will  improve  that  learning                                                               
model.   The  phrase  "culturally responsive,"  he said,  ensures                                                               
that  districts can  serve  students in  ways  acceptable to  the                                                               
community.     He  expressed  disappointment  that   funding  for                                                               
universal pre-K isn't  possible due to the  state's fiscal cliff,                                                               
but  he  hopes  the  results  of  the  program  in  the  proposed                                                               
legislation  will  show  the  results   of  early  education  and                                                               
demonstrate its importance.   He expressed that  he isn't opposed                                                               
to  the  requirement  to  report  the  number  of  administrators                                                               
compared to students, but that  it's "sometimes too easy" to find                                                               
additional   funding   merely   by   reducing   the   number   of                                                               
administrators, as  they are  the educational  leaders.   He said                                                               
that making the repeal clauses  within HB 164 consistent with one                                                               
date  would  avoid  confusion.    He  expressed  confidence  that                                                               
teachers  and  administrators   would  utilize  early  education,                                                               
evidence-based  reading instruction,  interventions for  students                                                               
not  meeting proficiency,  and family  partnerships would  make a                                                               
difference in the  lives of students, and that  annual reports to                                                               
the legislature would show improvements in standardized tests.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:21:53 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND commended Mr. Wooten for his long service.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY  asked Mr. Wooten to  clarify his current                                                               
position.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR.  WOOTEN  replied  that  he held  the  position  of  executive                                                               
director at  the Association of  Alaska School Boards  until last                                                               
April, when he stepped down and moved into his current position.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ZULKOSKY   asked  Mr.  Wooten   about  indigenous                                                               
language immersion programs and any  overlap in standards set out                                                               
in the proposed legislation.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. WOOTEN  stated that the  Association of Alaska  School Boards                                                               
is  in "strong  support" of  indigenous language  instruction and                                                               
recovery  within school  districts, including  language immersion                                                               
programs.   He  expressed that  the term  "culturally responsive"                                                               
means  that  local school  districts  are  able to  address  many                                                               
issues with regard to customs and language programs.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:24:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY commented  that HB 164 seems  to focus on                                                               
English  literacy,  and  she   asked  Representative  Tuck  about                                                               
literacy in multiple languages.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK  pointed out that the  bill stresses "reading                                                               
literacy," and  does not  refer to  English, specifically  due to                                                               
the  diversity within  the state.    He commended  Representative                                                               
Kreiss-Tomkins  for his  efforts  to  support language  immersion                                                               
programs for native  languages, pointing out that  there are over                                                               
100 languages  in the Anchorage  School District.  The  best time                                                               
to introduce a new  language is by age 3, he  said, which is part                                                               
of why  it's good to include  the Parents As Teachers  program in                                                               
the proposed legislation.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:27:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY  proposed to  send questions to  DEED later,                                                               
in the interest of time.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that HB 164 was held over.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB 21 Backup Faculty Alliance Support Letter.pdf HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM
HB 21
HB 21 Backup Intro Presentation.pdf HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM
HB 21
HB 21 Committee Packet 4.26.2021.pdf HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM
HB 21
HB 21 Bill.PDF HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM
HB 21
HB 21 Sectional.pdf HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM
HB 21
HB 21 Sponsor.pdf HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM
HB 21
CS for HB 164 Sectional Analysis for Sections 14 and 35 4.23.2021.pdf HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM
HB 164
CS for HB 164 Version I Sectional Analysis 4.23.2021.pdf HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM
HB 164
HB 164 Supporting Document - Educational Opportunity Timeline for the past 25 years 4.23.2021.pdf HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM
HB 164
HB 164 Supporting Document Nome Public Schools Pre-K Information 4.23.2021.pdf HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM
HB 164
HB 21 FN UA.SS 4.26.2021.pdf HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM
HB 21