04/02/2010 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Overview(s): Update on Education in Rural Alaska by Phyllis Carlson, Alaska Director of Rural Education and Mr. Moller Moller, Alaska Rural Advisor | |
| HB206 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| = | HB 206 | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
April 2, 2010
8:06 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Paul Seaton, Chair
Representative Cathy Engstrom Munoz, Vice Chair
Representative Wes Keller
Representative Peggy Wilson
Representative Robert L. "Bob" Buch
Representative Berta Gardner
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Bryce Edgmon
OTHER MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Bill Stoltze
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW(S): UPDATE ON EDUCATION IN RURAL ALASKA BY PHYLLIS
CARLSON~ ALASKA DIRECTOR OF RURAL EDUCATION AND MR. JOHN MOLLER~
ALASKA RURAL ADVISOR
- HEARD
HOUSE BILL NO. 206
"An Act establishing a career assessment requirement in public
schools; and relating to postsecondary courses for secondary
school students."
- HEARD AND HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 206
SHORT TITLE: HIGH SCHOOL ASSESSM'T/POSTSECONDARY CLASS
SPONSOR(s): EDUCATION
03/25/09 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/25/09 (H) EDC, FIN
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WITNESS REGISTER
PHYLLIS CARLSON, Director
Rural Education
Office of the Commissioner
Department of Education and Early Development (EED)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented an overview on education in rural
Alaska.
JOHN MOLLER, Rural Advisor
Office of the Governor
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Commented and answered questions during the
presentation on education in rural Alaska.
JIM SMITH, Superintendant
Galena City School District
Galena, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the presentation
on rural education in Alaska.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:06:43 AM
CHAIR PAUL SEATON called the House Education Standing Committee
meeting to order at 8:06 a.m. Representatives Seaton, Gardner,
Buch, and Keller were present at the call to order.
Representatives Wilson and Munoz arrived as the meeting was in
progress. Also in attendance was Representative Stoltze.
^OVERVIEW(S): Update on Education in Rural Alaska by Phyllis
Carlson, Alaska Director of Rural Education and MR. MOLLER
Moller, Alaska Rural Advisor
OVERVIEW(S): Update on Education in Rural Alaska by Phyllis
Carlson, Alaska Director of Rural Education and Mr. John Moller,
Alaska Rural Advisor
8:06:53 AM
CHAIR SEATON announced that the first order of business would be
an overview and discussion on rural education by Phyllis
Carlson, director, Rural Education, Department of Education and
Early Development, and Mr. John Moller, rural advisor, Office of
the Governor.
8:08:48 AM
PHYLLIS CARLSON, Director, Rural Education, Office of the
Commissioner, Department of Education and Early Development
(EED), provided her background as a lifelong Alaskan and her
experience in a rural school setting.
8:10:10 AM
CHAIR SEATON asked for the size and diversity of the school Ms.
Carlson attended in Chignik Bay.
MS. CARLSON said that currently there are 15 students; however,
when she attended there were 30 students in first grade through
eighth grade. When she reached high school age, her family
moved to Kodiak and she attended high school there.
8:10:20 AM
MS. CARLSON turned to the subject of her role as director of
rural education at EED. This is a new position created in part
due to the size and social and cultural diversity of the state.
The focus of her position during the first year is to work with
the State System of Support (SSOS) teams of 30 to 40 content
specialists that interact directly with school districts,
coaching new teachers and lending support to rural districts.
Ms. Carlson will also work with districts to help them implement
the state cultural standards that were adopted in 1998 by the
State Board of Education & Early Development (state board). The
expectation is to provide direction for districts and teachers
in their interpretation and use of the cultural standards.
8:13:08 AM
CHAIR SEATON asked whether the state or the individual districts
will have a major role in the decisions for integrating the
standards into the curriculum.
MS. CARLSON advised that each community is unique; in fact, the
cultural standards are not in content area, but allow teachers
to teach content through the local knowledge and perspective.
In response to Chair Seaton, she said she will provide the
committee with information on the cultural standards that were
adopted.
CHAIR SEATON asked whether the cultural standards are the basis
for the orientation classes for teachers who are new to Alaska.
MS. CARLSON indicated yes, although other information is
included.
8:15:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH asked when the standards were developed.
MS. CARLSON said the middle or late '90s.
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH observed that this curriculum may be due for
revision.
CHAIR SEATON pointed out that the cultural standards were not
adopted not by the legislature, but by the state board.
8:15:53 AM
MS. CARLSON indicated yes, and added that she will also be
advising the commissioner on the creation of a rural education
advisory board to provide guidance to the department on rural
education issues. Her final task is to represent the department
on the suicide prevention council and build partnerships between
schools and informed organizations in rural communities.
8:17:16 AM
MS. CARLSON related that she has visited the following school
districts: Yukon Flats, Yupiit District, Lower Kuskokwim,
Yukon/Kuskokwim, and North Slope. She further described her
upcoming work with the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council,
Division of Behavioral Health, Department of Health and Social
Services (DHSS), the Bilingual Multicultural Education Equity
Conference (BMEEC), and the Alaska Native Educator Associations.
8:19:13 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER suggested the chair of the education
committee for each legislative body should be a member of the
proposed rural education advisory board.
MS. CARLSON noted that legislative seats on the board will be
included. She listed the following additional upcoming tasks:
continued work with SSOS teams and other EED divisions; work
with the Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB) regarding
community leadership in the schools; work with the Division of
Juvenile Justice, Department of Health and Social Services; and
research of related materials.
8:22:47 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER asked for a response to the recent
decision regarding Moore v. State.
CHAIR SEATON advised that topic will be discussed in detail at a
subsequent meeting.
8:24:15 AM
JOHN MOLLER, Rural Advisor, Office of the Governor, informed the
committee he was from Unalaska and attended a school with about
100 students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade, subsequently
graduating from high school in Salem, Oregon. Mr. Moller stated
that in his capacity he works with all of the governor's
commissioners and agencies, including Larry LeDoux, the
commissioner of the EED. He said he treasured his relationship
with Commissioner LeDoux and that they communicate on a regular
basis, sharing thoughts and observations; in fact, he welcomed
the creation of a rural education board as a vehicle to explore
ideas and issues, and noted he will participate on the proposed
board. Mr. Moller noted that in the course of his
responsibilities regarding education, he is frequently contacted
by residents and legislators throughout the state on issues from
funding to building conditions. Calls from rural areas are
often to get direction on where to go for assistance from state
government, and he anticipated a natural increase in his
participation in educational issues. He paraphrased from
prepared comments on the Governor's Performance Scholarship
(GPS), which read [original punctuation provided]:
Providing hope by providing our youth with the option
and opportunity to go to college or to a job training
course is a great thing.
As you know, over one-third of Alaska's high school
students who start 9th grade don't complete 12th
grade. But if we give them something to work for,
give them something to fight for, something to hope
for - that can change.
This Program offers every Alaska high school student
the opportunity to work hard and earn their way to an
Alaska trade school or an in-state university.
I believe in Setting the Bar Higher. I have four
children of my own and it works for them.
If every 8th grader heard that if they do well in
school they could qualify for a tuition scholarship,
it not only helps them do better, it drives us as
parents to demand more of our school system and our
school district.
If there is a school district in Alaska that is only
offering three math courses, and not four - This
Program will encourage our school districts to improve
what they offer.
The Governor's Performance Scholarship will help our
economy and local businesses by providing a more
highly trained workforce and creating jobs.
This administration is committed to increasing
educational opportunities for ALL Alaska's students;
I have heard from a number of parents and Educators
from rural Alaska hoping this program happens soon.
This week alone, I had folks from St. Mary's and
yesterday I was in Gakona where I heard from parents
and educators who expressed their gratitude for its
introduction. The list is longer but I wanted to
mention the most recent.
SCHOOLS:
And we're committed to improving their learning
environment,
Every Alaskan has the right to attend school in a
well-lit, safe, and warm environment that is conducive
to learning.
About a month ago, I traveled to three western Alaska
communities with the Governor, Ms. Carlson and some of
your colleagues to look at the condition of our rural
schools.
These three schools were in the top four on our Rural
School Construction and Renovation list. We found
crowded schools, schools that were in poor repair and
energy inefficient.
This Administration is committed to investing in
Alaska's children and in their future, by giving them
a safe and productive learning environment.
Health and Social Services has also asked me to
participate as a member of the Strategic Prevention
Advisory Council. The purpose of this Council is to
reduce substance use, abuse and dependency in Alaska.
I know this is not necessarily an educational item but
it is an issue and it is holding our kids back...at
best. And contributes to some of the challenges.
8:34:10 AM
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH asked for information regarding the Parents
as Teachers program.
MS. CARLSON said this program is funded outside of the
department. Although she said she is not personally familiar
with the program, she agreed with the idea to encourage parental
involvement in education.
MR. MOLLER had no comment.
8:36:57 AM
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH provided information about the program's
success in Hoonah, and noted that a program has been started in
Galena to instruct very young parents on parenting.
Representative Buch pointed out that there is pending
legislation that endorses the Parents as Teachers program, and
he encouraged the department to acquaint itself with the program
and to consider the use of state and federal funds.
MS. CARLSON said every school district exerts local control and
different programs are chosen for implementation.
8:39:28 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER referred to testimony informing the
committee that the Parents as Teachers program for preschool
children eliminated the urban/rural test score gap by third
grade for students in Galena.
8:40:00 AM
CHAIR SEATON requested that Ms. Carlson and Mr. Moller schedule
a visit to Hoonah in order to gather information on the program.
As 75 percent of the students have been part of that program, it
is an important influence in that community. On the other hand,
participation in Fairbanks is 4 percent. He stressed that the
committee has heard compelling testimony of the program's
effectiveness, and suggested it may work in other rural
communities.
MR. MOLLER surmised that the proposed advisory board could
address the merits of the Parents as Teachers program. He added
that he has heard of the successes of the program.
8:42:32 AM
CHAIR SEATON observed that the superintendent of the Galena City
School District is present.
8:43:57 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON noted that the committee has delved
deeply into many educational issues; however, other legislators
are not as informed on these topics. She pointed out that the
legislature has been "putting quite a bit of money in education
every year," so it is hard to find money to do extra things.
Representative Wilson opined a rural education advisory group
can add validity to the educational needs that are raised by the
committee.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON suggested the presenters distribute a
"mini white paper" to inform all legislators on a subject, in
addition to testifying before a single committee.
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER agreed that members of the legislature
should be included on the rural education advisory board.
8:47:30 AM
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH discussed the value of bringing up ideas
from all areas of the state.
8:49:09 AM
JIM SMITH, Superintendant, Galena City School District, informed
the committee he has been working in the Galena school system
for 11 years. Mr. Smith said the Parents as Teachers program
has been a active program for four years. He pointed out that
funding determines the activity level of a program, as does the
involvement and enthusiasm of those involved. Although the
Galena schools provide volumes of guidance for classroom
teachers, he stated that the success in Galena has come through
context; in fact, the Parents as Teachers program supports
context by its effect on the child's learning environment and
frame of mind. These factors of context also include the
comfort of the classroom, whether the parent is engaged, and
other influences that ready a student for learning. Mr. Smith
affirmed that Galena has had great success in changing
education.
8:52:17 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER asked about the general level of parent
involvement in the Galena schools.
MR. SMITH said the Galena school population is diverse and
includes a residential school of 165 students from 50
communities. Thus, there are children from all cultures in his
community. Although there is not an emphasis on culture,
students embrace and share their cultures with others. Parental
involvement is possible because students in the residential
program keep in close communication with families by email and
through regional advisory committees, but a few do not stay.
Through the enrollment process at the residential school, 260
students were processed and 165 remain enrolled. Mr. Smith
acknowledged the transition to living away from home is
difficult and a connection between students, parents or
guardians, and school, is essential. The Galena district also
has 3,400 students in a correspondence school, and the level of
parental involvement there is obvious as the parents have chosen
to guide their children's education. The local schools also
have involved parents, although the Parents as Teachers program
probably will decline as Galena's school population declines.
He stressed that the early childhood learning center will
continue due to the positive influence of learning that begins
at infancy. Furthermore, the Parents as Teachers grant funding
is depleted and funding must now come from the community.
8:56:40 AM
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH surmised that as federal funding declines,
community support for worthwhile programs is necessary. He said
it is also helpful for the committee to know what programs are
valued by the community and the local districts.
8:58:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON observed that a parenting class in high
school could replace the Parents as Teachers program. She said,
"If we can't have the money to do it at one level, can we do it
at another level in different way?"
MR. SMITH agreed. He opined there is time in the school day for
instruction on family life and personal accounting.
9:00:39 AM
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH asked for details on the success of the
Galena residential program.
MR. SMITH explained that Galena became the location for a
residential school because of the availability of the former
military facility. There is also tremendous support from the
community for the schools that, in turn, maintain the life of
the community. However, the need for a residential school is
evident as the state has closed many schools in small villages
due to the lack of enrollment. Regional learning centers may
take the place of small village schools, and he expressed his
belief that the geography of the state determines that more
residential schools will be needed too. On the other hand, Mr.
Smith pointed out the success of distance learning programs and
said "anything is possible, we just shackle ourselves by saying
everything should look this way."
9:03:58 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER asked Mr. Smith to comment on the
Governor's Performance Scholarship (GPS) program.
MR. SMITH described the GPS program as one tool for education.
The program will be valuable for students who need a
scholarship, and will motivate their performance. Educators
need a variety of choices in order to serve all of their
students.
9:05:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON recalled a long history of rural
legislative support for rural hub residential schools.
Attending a residential school for short periods of time may
prevent culture shock or homesickness when students leave home
for college. She expressed her support for building a rural hub
residential school.
CHAIR SEATON related the four residential schools in Alaska are
Mt. Edgecumbe, Galena, Nenana, and Chugach Voyage to Excellence.
He explained that the Chugach school is a short term residence
facility where students from one of four school districts can
come to stay at the school for three days to six weeks for
concentrated study of a single subject. Recent data on the
school showed that 98 percent of the students graduate. He
asked whether Ms. Carlson or Mr. Moller were familiar with the
Chugach School District and the Voyage to Excellence school.
MS. CARLSON said no.
MR. MOLLER said no.
CHAIR SEATON encouraged them to familiarize themselves with the
Chugach School District in light of its success with this
educational model.
9:11:36 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON cited the military academy, Alaska
Military Youth Academy (AMYA), and said Chugiak High School in
the Anchorage School District is planning a partnership with
AMYA to help students earn a high school diploma. She pointed
out the value of early intervention for at-risk students and
provided information about how schools were improved in North
Carolina. One specific problem has been the disparity between
grading systems in every class or school. Representative P.
Wilson supported having an in-service for teachers to establish
strict grading standards throughout the state.
9:15:54 AM
CHAIR SEATON turned to a question from Representative Buch
regarding the feasibility of having traveling teachers for rural
areas.
9:16:10 AM
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH said this idea has been brought to the
committee and asked for a response from the Galena
superintendent of schools. He also asked Mr. Moller to comment
on the possibility of an experienced group of teachers traveling
around the state to instruct intense courses in rural areas.
9:17:30 AM
MR. MOLLER stated this plan could be more successful in some
areas of the state, because of the diversity of the state.
There are concerns from students about the turnover of educators
without sufficient time to build trust. He suggested this would
be another topic for discussion by the proposed rural education
advisory board.
MS. CARLSON advised that some school boards and school districts
have made the choice to bring in expert teachers. This is a
local decision, similar to the choice of attending a regional or
local school. In fact, the department and school districts
value choice as all families and communities are not alike.
However, although many worthy programs and models have come and
gone, systemic change is needed to reach the goal which is local
ownership of educational programs, parental ownership of their
children's education, and children's ownership of their
educational goals.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON agreed, except that the state must not
require that every district "reinvent the wheel." It is
important that the state provide successful models to different
communities, and develop a base for the educational system from
which districts can draw expertise and share experiences.
MS. CARLSON clarified her statement. She said she felt each
school district should study the models available and make the
best choice for its community. In further response to Chair
Seaton, she pointed out that each school district has its own
school board with the authority to choose curricula and allocate
resources.
9:25:10 AM
CHAIR SEATON acknowledged that the state has allowed local
authority over curricula and resources; however, a recent court
ruling indicates it is the legislature's responsibility to
ensure the education of the children of the state. He remarked:
There's many of us that have been proceeding under the
assumption that it is the district's responsibility.
Well, it turns out that legally, the constitution
rests that on us, and we have been defaulting through
the Department of Education and to district plans.
But, ... by the court order, districts are
implementing for us...
9:27:47 AM
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH asked for the Galena superintendent's
opinion on how traveling teachers might be received locally.
MR. SMITH stated that all relationships in rural communities are
fragile. In fact, the Galena school district has used Peak
Education & Consulting (Peak) for the last ten years and it has
been a slow process for staff to accept outside presenters for a
five-day workshop at the beginning of each school year. In
addition, every new teacher attends a ten-day immersion workshop
on how to develop a learning environment. Mr. Smith cautioned
that Galena schools are not comparable to most rural schools
because they benefit from school improvement funds generated by
3,400 homeschoolers, and other rural schools do not have
sufficient funding to support a similar consulting program.
Returning to the question, he said the local teachers have
evolved a state of trust that allows them to benefit from
presentations by Peak consultants. He related that the
residential school has achieved adequate yearly progress (AYP)
for the last two years, due to the excellent instructional
program.
9:31:50 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON asked about the cost of the Peak
consulting contract.
MR. SMITH advised the contract costs about $150,000 per year for
staff development. In further response to Representative P.
Wilson, he said there are 30 certified staff in the village at
Galena and about 30 certified staff serving the homeschool
program.
CHAIR SEATON asked how many attend the summer program.
MR. SMITH estimated 12. He noted that the greatest expense was
travel and suggested that larger school districts could develop
a similar staff development program using local highly
experienced teachers. Rural school districts are generally at a
disadvantage and are unable to hire highly experienced teachers.
9:34:43 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER returned attention to the GPS bill. She
explained that the proposed GPS legislation is not a scholarship
program, but is an effort to fundamentally change education by
using the scholarship as the "carrot". She pointed out that the
Galena City School District has a successful correspondence
course, teacher mentoring, and a resident program; however, she
said it is difficult to have confidence that the GPS legislation
will be helpful to rural and small school districts. While
students in larger school districts have access to a fourth year
of math and science classes with labs and proper equipment, she
expressed doubt that these classes are possible everywhere.
MR. SMITH agreed that rural and small school districts probably
cannot reach an extremely high standard. He was unsure of the
standards required of the bill; however, the measure of a
student's progress will not be determined by intellect but
through effort and citizenship. A valued student is one who is
engaged and who will chase an opportunity, even if he/she is not
an academic scholar. Mr. Smith acknowledged that "my calculus
in Galena, Alaska, isn't going to look like a calculus class in
Anchorage ... but that doesn't discredit the kind of citizen
they're probably going to turn out to be ..."
9:39:04 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER said Mr. Smith's statements have
confirmed her misgivings. To qualify for a GPS, a student must
complete a rigorous curriculum with high grades, maintain a high
grade point average, and reach high standardized test scores.
These goals may not be realistic for students throughout the
state.
MR. SMITH clarified that many students are brilliant and given
the right environment would achieve the standards to earn a GPS,
but not every student will have that environment available. He
said students in rural areas who have potential will catch up
when they have access to a rigorous curriculum during their
postsecondary education. He said, "We can't place that same
instructional profile curriculum."
9:41:51 AM
CHAIR SEATON observed it is not necessary to be in an urban
setting to receive a good calculus course. He then asked the
superintendent to comment on the skills of homeschooled
students.
MR. SMITH said test scores of the homeschooled students indicate
lower math abilities. In fact, the school district has
conducted parent and family in-services on teaching algebra;
calculus is even more of a challenge. The proposed legislation
would require the district to find ways to provide more access
to teachers for homeschooled students.
9:44:38 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER recalled his experiences traveling to
North Slope area schools as a construction worker. He said he
found that rural parents were eager to have opportunities for
their students. Raising the bar for education in rural Alaska
is exciting, because the students will respond when given the
challenge and opportunity.
MR. MOLLER said that when he visits communities he asks whether
school standards can be raised and he routinely hears the answer
yes.
9:49:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MUNOZ opined the GPS bill should help many
students attend postsecondary institutions and should also
reform rural education standards. She asked Ms. Carlson to
respond to those who believe that rural school districts will
not be able to meet the demands of the program.
MS. CARLSON said she also has heard rural students and educators
welcome the challenge of higher educational standards, even
though reaching the new standards may take some time.
Additionally, she expressed the possibility that the suicide
rate for young people may be lowered by providing students with
hope and vision for the future. The state can provide support
to rural families through technology because young people are
very adept at using technology as a vehicle for access.
9:52:14 AM
CHAIR SEATON observed that along with hope, students must be
adequately prepared during high school for success in college.
It is known that two years of math is rarely enough for success
in postsecondary studies. The GPS legislation will inform
students of the rigorous curriculum necessary to succeed in
college.
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON opined that suicides occur because of
the lack of hope, and arriving at college unprepared will
continue that feeling. She described how the recent court
decision may affect local control over educational systems in
the state.
9:53:49 AM
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH noted that a new fiber optic cable will link
Alaska's west coast and provide real-time distance delivery to
rural areas. Additionally, the broadband network may soon be
enhanced with financial help from the federal government. He
expressed hope that in the next few years, new technological
opportunities will be available to students in remote areas.
MS. CARLSON also noted the state's investments in pilot
technology programs are on-going, and she reported success in
the areas of equity and access for students.
REPRESENTATIVE MUNOZ agreed that the expansion of broadband will
present an opportunity for students "hand-in-hand with the GPS."
Additionally, she said bringing local experts in each community
into the schools to mentor students is especially important in
smaller communities.
10:00:15 AM
CHAIR SEATON observed that school districts and residents are
not communicating their positions on the GPS legislation to
legislators. He encouraged rural Alaskans and school districts
to show their support of the proposed legislation at this time.
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH, addressing the GPS legislation, said there
may be a component where the "unmet needs attachments" require
more money; in fact, the governor offered a merit-based
scholarship, and has not been enthused that there is an
attachment for students who need financial assistance. This
issue may have caused a "waning of enthusiasm" for the
legislation. Representative Buch opined that support must be
shown for the unmet needs addition, as some legislators do not
support the additional cost. He then asked whether senior
volunteers are involved in rural schools.
10:04:02 AM
MR. MOLLER said some school districts have more involvement from
elders than others, although bringing elders into the schools is
always a topic of discussion.
10:04:35 AM
MR. SMITH stated Galena has a fair amount of that support,
especially in the residential school, where elders become
"adoptive grandparents." One of their senior volunteers is 94
years old and he comes every day. The senior volunteers are a
big component at school because Native cultures are very
supportive of engagement with elders.
10:06:27 AM
HB 206-HIGH SCHOOL ASSESSM'T/POSTSECONDARY CLASS
10:06:37 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON announced that the final order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 206, "An Act establishing a career
assessment requirement in public schools; and relating to
postsecondary courses for secondary school students."
10:06:43 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON made a motion to adopt Committee
Substitute (CS) for HB 206, 26-LS0765\C. There being no
objection, Version C was before the committee.
10:07:10 AM
CHAIR SEATON drew attention to the document in the committee
packet titled "Questions from (H)EDC from 3/19/2010 Regarding
Workkeys and the HSGQE." He pointed out that the response to
question 2 from the Department of Education and Early
Development (EED) was that the grade 11 requirement for the
WorkKeys assessment is that it is to be included on the
cumulative file, but not shown on the transcript or diploma.
Thus the directive in the bill should remain.
10:07:53 AM
CHAIR SEATON then referred to page 1, line 6, and offered
Amendment 1 which would change grade 12 to grade 11.
10:08:13 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER objected for the purpose of discussion.
10:08:33 AM
CHAIR SEATON said this is in response to the State Board of
Education & Early Development (state board) comments that
indicated grade 12 was too late. Furthermore, regulations allow
for students to retake the exam in grade 12, and if their scores
improve, there is no cost.
10:09:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH added that moving the assessment to grade 11
will allow students time to take corrective measures during the
summer prior to graduation.
10:09:32 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER explained her objection with the
following description of the two requirements: administration
of the test in grade 11 is in order to improve scores;
administration of the test in grade 12 is to demonstrate the
student's final level of skills. She said her preference was to
require a student to take the test in grade 12, knowing that a
student may take the test in grade 11, if desired.
10:10:37 AM
CHAIR SEATON cautioned that the department would not pay for the
test twice.
10:11:46 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON recalled that a student can take the
test as many times as he/she likes, but the state will pay to
have it certified just once.
10:12:17 AM
CHAIR SEATON clarified that the Worldwide Interactive Network
Inc., (WIN) test can be taken multiple times at no cost;
however, the WorkKeys assessment includes certification and will
be provided once.
10:12:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER concluded that if the intent of the test
is to replace the HSGQE, in the terms of informing employers and
postsecondary educators the level of skills a student has
achieved, then it needs to be administered in grade 12.
10:13:26 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON said she would like to have further
discussion, as the committee's action may be influenced by the
Moore v. State legal decision. She also requested legal advice
from outside counsel on whether the HSGQE is unconstitutional.
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER said he would also appreciate more time to
study the bill. He expressed his understanding that removing
the HSGQE will be perceived as "taking away the bar" for the
education system, in spite of the failure of the HSGQE to serve
its purpose.
10:16:10 AM
CHAIR SEATON withdrew Amendment 1, and said HB 206, Version C,
was held for further consideration of its two elements, the
WorkKeys assessment, and the removal of the "high stakes" aspect
of the HSGQE.
[HB 206 was held over.]
10:17:16 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 10:17 a.m.
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