Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205
04/03/2017 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SCR5 | |
| HB64|| SB27 | |
| SB96 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 64 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SCR 5 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 96 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 64-READING PROFICIENCY TASK FORCE; DYSLEXIA
[Contains discussion of SB 27]
8:15:28 AM
VICE CHAIR GIESSEL announced that the next order of business
would be HB 64 [CSHB 64 (EDC) was before the committee].
8:15:40 AM
KRISTIN KRANENDONK, Staff, Representative Harriet Drummond,
Alaska State Legislature, presented HB 64 on behalf of the
sponsor. She thanked Senator Dunleavy for bringing this issue to
their attention. She read from the sponsor statement:
HB 64 establishes a fifteen member task force on
reading proficiency and instruction with the goal of
making recommendations regarding reading practices for
students across the state. The task force will examine
how current regulations affect reading proficiency
outcomes with the goal of increasing statewide reading
proficiency scores within three years.
Approximately 47,000 students in Alaska did not meet
state standards in 2015. Students who cannot read by
third grade are four times more likely to drop out of
school than those who can read. More than $60 billion
is lost annually in American business productivity due
to a lack of basic reading skills. The statistics are
staggering and we must identify evidence-based
approaches to instructing students affected by
dyslexia.
The fifteen member task force will consist of six
members, three from the House and three from the
Senate, the Commissioner of Department of Education
and Early Development (DEED) (non-voting member), an
active or retired K-3 teacher with significant
experience teaching reading, a member from either the
Association of Alaska School Boards or the Alaska
Council of School Administrators, a member
representing the Alaska Association of Elementary
School Principals, a member representing the
University of Alaska, and four member representing
non-profit organizations that focus on issues related
to reading, including one member who is a parent with
a child who has a reading disability.
8:16:42 AM
MS. KRANENDONK said the task force will meet between six and ten
times a year and will submit a report to the governor and DEED
by January 1, 2018. All meetings will be done electronically and
there will be no travel reimbursements; there is a zero fiscal
note.
8:17:41 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked how the task force will know if the
regulations will affect outcomes.
8:18:03 AM
MS. KRANENDONK replied that the goal of the task force is to get
educators at the table with legislators to discuss what is
working now and seek ways to use those successes with more kids.
There is no tracking mechanism in the bill because it would add
a fiscal note.
SENATOR STEVENS opined that tracking outcomes is key.
8:18:44 AM
SENATOR COGHILL suggested talking to stakeholders about whether
or not there have been reports or efforts that have looked at
reading proficiency scores.
8:19:31 AM
MS. KRANENDONK believed there was a lot of information
available. The task force will bring that information together
to find ways of helping teachers in the classroom.
8:20:24 AM
VICE CHAIR GIESSEL suggested that Ms. Boggs may be able to
address Senator Coghill's question.
SENATOR COGHILL restated his question.
POSEY BOGGS, Member, Alaska Reading Coalition, answered
questions related to SB 64. She responded that they do know a
lot about reading proficiency in Alaska and have looked at it
through the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP),
Standards Based Assessment (SBA), and the Alaska Measures of
Progress (AMP), which all showed that Alaska's reading
proficiency has been stagnant going back decades. Results showed
that some of the best students require remedial reading when
starting college.
She stated that children who are incarcerated have trouble with
reading. People have worked hard on this issue, but it is not
improving. Some districts are still very low, or average.
8:24:02 AM
MS. BOGGS said the issues in Alaska mirror other states. One
issue is, if teachers in K-3 do not have foundational knowledge
about teaching reading, students will not be successful at
reading. Skilled teachers of reading do matter regarding
outcomes.
She sees the task force as recommending what can be done to
increase and fix the reading problem in the state.
SENATOR COGHILL said it lends itself to a debate on the
methodology of teaching reading. He asked if the task force will
be able to address the philosophical and political issues in
this area.
8:25:53 AM
MS. BOGGS hoped that they would consider the scientific
evidence. She emphasized that it is not just about phonics.
SENATOR COGHILL thought it would be interesting to see what the
university thinks about it.
8:27:30 AM
SENATOR BEGICH sees the task force as a group that will assemble
all the data, look at all the issues, and have a goal to create
a systemic view of how to teach reading in Alaska.
MS. KRANENDONK said yes. The task force is the starting place
and the report will not be the conclusion of the task force. The
process will continue through 2018 to ensure that the
recommendations are working and having an impact on reading
scores for all readers in the state, but not just dyslexic
students. Changing the way to look at dyslexia is a good place
to start.
8:29:22 AM
SENATOR BEGICH called all the information about reading "a mess
of information." He saw an advantage of a systemic approach to
reading, the compilation of a report or road map, and following
up on the recommendations. He stated that HB 64 merits support.
8:30:54 AM
VICE CHAIR GIESSEL referred to a document of AMP results from
the spring of 2015. She asked if it comes from Representative
Drummond's office.
MS. KRANENDONK said yes. She explained that they got the
information from NAACP who pulled it off the DEED website.
VICE CHAIR GIESSEL noted the document is from DEED and includes
grades 3-10). It shows, in meeting the standards in English
language skills, that the scores go from 35 percent at grade 3
to 28 percent at grade 10. For the category, partially meets
standards, the scores go from 65 percent at grade 3 and it
improves somewhat by grade 10. These scores substantiate the
problem.
She requested a comparison between Representative Drummond's
bill, which adds dyslexia, and Senator Dunleavy's bill.
MS. KRANENDONK related that Representative Drummond made several
changes and they worked with Senator Dunleavy's office regarding
all of them. She compared Representative Drummond's bill, HB 64,
and Senator Dunleavy's bill, SB 27:
Page 1: lines 11-12 Language was changed to recognize
the work the state is doing for students while still
acknowledging that it could be improved
Page 2, line 27 Section C was added to examine what
education reforms have already been implemented and to
look at why those changes have worked or not
Page 2, line 27 - Page 3, line 2 Language was changed
in this section to clear up the scope of the task
force
Page 4, line 1 Allows one member to represent either
the Association of Alaska School Boards or Alaska
Council of School Administrators
Page 4, lines 4-5 Removed language having a nonvoting
judge as a member of the task force and replaced that
member representing the Alaska Association of
Elementary School Principals
Page 4, line 13 Changed language to recognize all
nonprofit organizations focused on reading and
education issues and included language to ensure at
least one of those members is also a parent of a child
with a reading disability
Page 4, line 31 A definition of dyslexia was added
MS. KRANENDONK explained that they worked with a number of
organizations that deal with dyslexia in order to come up with a
definition. They chose not to do the DSM definition that is put
on IEPs because of the way it is worded. They know that there
are some undiagnosed students with dyslexia and the DSM
definition requires an IEP first, before a student can be termed
dyslexic.
She understood that Senator Dunleavy was ok with all the
changes.
8:35:59 AM
VICE CHAIR GIESSEL asked Ms. Boggs to elaborate on the
definition of dyslexia.
8:36:17 AM
MS. BOGGS agreed with the definition in HB 64 because most
dyslexic children are not diagnosed. The DSM definition leaves
out the majority of those children who are undiagnosed and are
in the regular classroom. The definition in HB 54 comes from the
Arkansas dyslexia bill.
8:37:24 AM
VICE CHAIR GIESSEL asked how long the Alaska Reading Coalition
(ARC) has been in place.
MS. BOGGS explained that ARC, which is made up of the NAACP, the
Alaska branch of the International Dyslexia Association,
Decoding Dyslexia Alaska, Literate Nation Alaska, and the Alaska
Literacy Program, as well as a dozen private tutors, have been
in existence for about 24 months. Their depth of knowledge goes
back a long way. The Alaska International Dyslexia Association
has been in Alaska since 2009.
8:39:02 AM
VICE CHAIR GIESSEL said the Senate bill spells out that the
Alaska Reading Coalition is also a member.
8:39:44 AM
MS. KRANENDONK responded that they worked with Legislative Legal
on this section. The Alaska Reading Coalition is not an official
member of the coalition because they are not a recognized
501(c)(3). They are working closely with all members of the
Alaska Reading Coalition.
8:40:47 AM
VICE CHAIR GIESSEL appreciated the inclusion of a parent.
8:41:03 AM
SENATOR COGHILL referred to a document from December 2015. There
was no mention about who wrote it.
He wished to become more informed on dyslexia and suggested
hearing more about it before moving the bill.
8:42:18 AM
MS. KRANENDONK said she would provide that and there will also
be further information on dyslexia during public testimony.
8:42:48 AM
VICE CHAIR GIESSEL noted the state is behind in reading in
Alaska. The founders identified three reasons for education,
reading, mathematics, and the basic understanding of religion.
VICE CHAIR GIESSEL held HB 64 in committee.