Legislature(2023 - 2024)DAVIS 106
04/03/2023 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Professional Teaching Practices Commission | |
| Presentation: Alaska Performance Scholarship | |
| HB148 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| *+ | HB 148 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
April 3, 2023
8:04 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Justin Ruffridge, Co-Chair
Representative Mike Prax
Representative CJ McCormick
Representative Tom McKay
Representative Rebecca Himschoot
Representative Andi Story
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Jamie Allard, Co-Chair
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARINGS(S):
PROFESSIONAL TEACHING PRACTICES COMMISSION
Mary Carlson - Salcha
- CONFIRMATION (S) ADVANCED
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
James Fields - Glennallen
- CONFIRMATION (S) ADVANCED
PRESENTATION: ALASKA PERFORMANCE SCHOLARSHIP
- HEARD
HOUSE BILL NO. 148
"An Act relating to the Alaska performance scholarship program."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 148
SHORT TITLE: AK PERFORMANCE SCHOLARSHIP; ELIGIBILITY
SPONSOR(s): EDUCATION
03/29/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/29/23 (H) EDC, FIN
04/03/23 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
WITNESS REGISTER
MARY CARLSON, Appointee
Professional Teaching Practices Commission
Salcha, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as an appointee to the
Professional Teaching Practices Commission.
JAMES FIELDS, Appointee
State Board of Education and Early Development
Glennallen, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as an appointee to the State
Board of Education and Early Development.
SANA EFRID, Executive Director
Commission on Postsecondary Education
Department of Education and Early Development
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a presentation, titled "Alaska
Performance Scholarship," and answered questions during the
hearing on HB 148.
BUD SEXTON, Staff
Representative Justin Ruffridge
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: On behalf of the sponsor, the House
Education Standing Committee, of which Representative Ruffridge
served as co-chair, introduced HB 148 with a PowerPoint
presentation.
BRAEDEN GARRETT, Staff
Representative Justin Ruffridge
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: On behalf of the sponsor, the House
Education Standing Committee, of which Representative Ruffridge
served as co-chair, gave the sectional analysis on HB 148.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:04:50 AM
CO-CHAIR JUSTIN RUFFRIDGE called the House Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:04 a.m. Representatives Prax,
McKay, Himschoot, and Ruffridge were present at the call to
order. Representatives McCormick and Story arrived as the
meeting was in progress.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
^State Board of Education
State Board of Education and Early Development
^Professional Teaching Practices Commission
Professional Teaching Practices Commission
8:05:34 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE announced that the first order of business
would be the consideration of the governor's appointees for the
Professional Teaching Practices Commission and the State Board
of Education and Early Development.
8:06:54 AM
MARY CARLSON, Appointee, Professional Teaching Practices
Commission, testified as an appointee to the Professional
Teaching Practices Commission. She stated she would be serving
the higher education role in the commission. She shared that
currently she is an assistant professor at the University of
Alaska Fairbanks School of Education in the elementary program.
She stated that she has worked for 20 years in education, in and
outside of Alaska, as a teacher, principal, professional
development coordinator, and now as an assistant professor. She
stated that these experiences equate to a depth of knowledge in
education. She expressed an obligation to give back; therefore,
she is pursuing this type of position for the first time.
8:08:18 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX questioned whether there are any teaching
standards, other than statutes, in school systems in other
states.
MS. CARLSON replied that many states have adopted the common
core standards, but Alaska has not. She stated that she has
worked with teachers who have aligned with culturally oriented,
rigorous standards. She advised that it is important to do
this.
8:10:17 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE questioned whether there are any issues with
the K-3 reading programs.
MS. CARLSON expressed the understanding that this is mandated,
important work. She stated that the bottom line is to make sure
every child has access to the highest level of reading
instruction. Concerning the new mandates, she expressed the
opinion that this will be a transition for teachers who have
been teaching reading for a long time. At the university level,
she stated that she has been researching pathways to help
student teachers acquire this new knowledge base. She expressed
the opinion that there needs to be more pathways for a smooth
transition.
8:12:59 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY pointed out the course, titled "Teaching
with Poverty in Mind," and she questioned its main principles.
MS. CARLSON explained she had been a principal at a Title I
school. She related that because of poverty these schools
receive additional funding to help remove barriers to education.
She continued that this course addresses literacy at a very
early age in these schools. She pointed out that some students
do not progress in reading because their parents are always
working. In response to a follow-up question concerning how
this relates to the commission, she shared that at a young age
she had experienced poverty. She related how this has
influenced her perspective on education, and from this
understanding, she expressed the desire to raise awareness in
teachers on how poverty influences all types of issues with
students.
8:18:02 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE opened public testimony. After ascertaining
that there was no one who wished to testify, he closed public
testimony.
8:18:58 AM
JAMES FIELDS, Appointee, State Board of Education and Early
Development, testified as an appointee to the State Board of
Education and Early Development. He stated that he is the
representative for the rural education attendance areas on the
Board of Education, and he represents the Copper River School
District. He stated that he has six children, who have attended
both brick-and-mortar and correspondence schools, so he has
experience in both types of these education systems. Pointing
out some other qualifications, he stated that he had been on a
local school board for 12 years and has been on the Board of
Education for 10 years. He expressed the desire to continue to
serve the board and help direct the initiatives, including
Tribal compacting of education and initiatives concerning
reading.
8:21:46 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY questioned the role of the Board of
Education in regard to networking with school boards and
educator associations.
MR. FIELDS stated that he serves in a leadership role for the
[Alaska Science of Reading Symposium], where he spends time with
the leadership from the Alaska Superintendents' Association and
the Association of Alaska School Boards. He expressed the
opinion that these associations are critical for moving
initiatives; however, he cautioned against mandates. In
response to a follow-up question on the goal of having students
reading by third grade, he stated that relationships with the
Alaska Superintendents' Association and the Association of
Alaska School Boards have been made, and he would go to the
board with the issue of requesting annual updates from them.
8:25:38 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY, with a follow-up on the linkages between
different education associations, suggested that teaching
programs should involve more communication between the
University of Alaska, the Board of Education, and other
education associations, so the skills needed in the schools are
being taught for the science of reading and the statewide
assessments. She questioned the level of this communication.
MR. FIELDS explained that some of these connections are
difficult to make. He stated that at one time there was a joint
committee with the Board of Regents and the Board of Education.
He added that there is a new attempt at recreating this
relationship. He advised that some deans in the University of
Alaska system have expressed concerns on the methodology of
teaching reading; therefore, behind the scenes some work in this
direction is needed. He reiterated that the joint committee
needs to be reestablished, as this would be a more formal
approach.
8:29:22 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked how the Board of Education interfaces
with the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED)
for establishing annual, long-range goals and objectives.
MR. FIELDS replied that originally, there was a strategic plan
that created the priorities, but now the priorities are
arranged, and these come to the committees for discussion and
direction to DEED.
8:30:59 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT questioned whether there should be an
increase to the base student allocation (BSA) this year.
MR. FIELDS responded that considering inflation, more funding is
needed, whether it is through BSA or not. He referenced that
local school board members would know better how this relates to
the priority in reading. In response to a question concerning
the location of the board's meetings, he stated that meetings
are held in Kenai. He continued that meetings in the past had
moved around so the members could interact with districts. He
discussed the funding for this.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT suggested that it would be beneficial
for the Board of Education to be able to move around the state.
In regard to his third term, she questioned what he would still
like to accomplish.
MR. FIELDS responded that "plenty" needs to be accomplished. He
expressed the opinion that the education system needs to be more
"nimble" and more representative of the state. He expressed
difficulty in getting change to happen, and he referenced the
perspective change concerning Tribal compacting of education.
He expressed the desire to see this through and make it "right."
He reiterated that there are many issues to be addressed in
educating students in Alaska.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT expressed the understanding that
according to Robert's Rules of Order, public testimony would
need to be taken on each item brought before the board. She
questioned whether he has ever used these rules.
MR. FIELDS responded that, concerning each motion, public
comment would be allowed at each meeting. He stated that
locally the board offers an opportunity for public testimony on
both agenda and non-agenda items, as these items are separated.
He stated that none of the boards he has been on has done this
on a per-item basis. In response to a follow-up question, he
stated that the best way to get the public to testify is to make
sure there is widespread knowledge of the proceedings. If there
were a specific for-or-against issue, DEED would relate to the
board how it would affect the regulation. He stated that public
testimony is important because of this, and he spoke about its
variability.
8:38:47 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT pointed out that, as chair of the
board, he has the duty of setting the agenda. She questioned
whether setting the agenda has a way of influencing public
testimony.
MR. FIELDS responded in the affirmative and said that having the
agenda available is important so the public will know well in
advance.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT noted it was observed that during a
recent board meeting a resolution was brought forward on the day
of the meeting without a chance for public testimony. She
questioned this process.
MR. FIELDS responded that a board member with two-thirds of a
vote had brought the resolution forth. He advised that this be
within the guidelines. He stated that as the chair he could not
stop this, as the board can amend the agenda with the votes. In
response to whether public testimony was invited on this item,
he stated, "It wasn't not an option." He stated that a listener
could have easily testified, but the notice was short. He noted
that he would check on if public testimony could have been added
to the meeting before the resolution.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT expressed surprise that an item was
added to the agenda with very little notice and no opportunity
for public testimony.
8:42:10 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE questioned what goals and objections would
translate to the definition of a "nimble" education system.
MR. FIELDS answered that as a small business owner, he looks at
the districts as small businesses. He referenced allowing each
district the ability to make a change, such as in the classroom
structure or in the instructional plan. He reiterated that the
drivers of the districts are the school boards and
superintendents, and they should be given the latitude through
either regulation, or other avenues, to be nimble. He expressed
the opinion that this as "a mindset," and leadership needs to
learn to have the mindset of a small business and make a change,
if it is needed. He suggested that highlighting the successes
in some districts could help other districts make the same
changes. He stated that Representative Story's suggestion to
link the education entities was good but not easy. In response
to a follow-up question on the changes that would produce more
successful results, he stated that it could be a matter of
reassessing the classroom structure; however, the questions are
not easy, as there are different levels of learning. He
continued that this would require asking some tough questions,
whether it is a matter of how to use the teacher aids or how the
funding is used. He suggested it could be a matter of trying
something new, even if it fails.
8:47:28 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE pointed out that the Board of Education is
regulatory in nature. Concerning the districts' ability to work
with individual items, he questioned whether there are barriers
in the regulations for this.
MR. FIELDS acknowledged that there could be barriers. He added
that statute allows districts the ability to share services, and
there is funding which encourages this. He said this is a
matter of awareness and making sure the districts know. He
expressed the opinion that, from a personal perspective, there
needs to be more shared services between districts, especially
those that do not directly influence the classroom. Concerning
the regulations, he expressed the opinion that some are
considered barriers and need to be reevaluated.
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE, in regard to shared services and
efficiencies, questioned how shared services would blend with
the idea of local control.
MR. FIELDS expressed his personal opinion that there are ways to
share services between close districts, such as superintendent
services. He stated that some districts have done this in the
past. He opined that this could save on administrative costs.
8:50:27 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY, in response to the question concerning the
resolution appearing before the board without a public comment
period, expressed the understanding that, following Robert's
Rules of Order, there would have to be another hearing on the
item before an action could be taken.
MR. FIELDS responded with the opinion that, per the Board of
Education's bylaws, it depends on whether it is a regulation.
He explained that a resolution only holds a stance, and until it
becomes a regulatory concern, it would not require two hearings.
8:52:06 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE opened public testimony. After ascertaining
that there was no one who wished to testify, he closed public
testimony.
8:52:34 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE stated that the House Education Standing
Committee has reviewed the qualifications for the appointees and
recommends that the following names be forwarded to a joint
session for consideration: Mary Carlson, appointee to the
Professional Teaching Practices Commission; and James Fields,
appointee to the State Board of Education and Early Development.
He reminded the committee that this does not reflect the intent
of any of the members to vote for or against these individuals
during any further sessions for the purposes of confirmation.
8:53:13 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 8:53 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
^Presentation: Alaska Performance Scholarship
Presentation: Alaska Performance Scholarship
9:00:18 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE announced that the next order of business
would be the presentation on the Alaska Performance Scholarship.
9:00:38 AM
SANA EFRID, Executive Director, Commission on Postsecondary
Education (ACPE), Department of Education and Early Development
(DEED), provided a presentation, titled "Alaska Performance
Scholarship" [hard copy included in the committee packet]. She
stated that the presentation would cover how the commission
communicates to Alaska students and parents on the Alaska
Performance Scholarship (APS). She moved to slide 3 and slide 4
and gave an overview of APS. She stated that ACPE, DEED, and
the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) all
have statutes regarding APS. She listed ACPE's role, as seen on
slide 4, which includes setting up the application process and
awarding the distributions. She stated that DEED's
responsibility includes setting up course work to meet the
requirements, while DOLWD oversees the eligible career and
technical education programs. She continued that school
districts make the determination for the eligibility. They
report this to DEED, and then it reports to ACPE.
MS. EFRID stated that statute does not designate any one
department to be the sole source of communication for the
scholarship program; however, the school districts would be the
initial point of contact. She continued that the school
districts work closely with DEED, as DEED provides resources and
information to districts on how students can meet the
requirements. She noted that the brochures passed out to
committee members are examples of resources provided by DEED.
In addition, she noted that the committee members have received
ACPE's reports on APS, as required by statute.
9:08:47 AM
MS. EFRID stated that ACPE does not have staff in school
districts, and she discussed its outreach agenda. She
summarized each bullet point as seen on slide 7, highlighting
the Alaska Career Information System, of which ACPE provides
free to every school district. This system helps students
create a personal learning plan as early as middle and
elementary school to prepare for APS. She noted that there is a
guide on the system for parents. She continued discussing
ACPE's outreach for educating and guiding students on APS. She
proceeded to slide 8, which listed resource links for APS on
ACPE's website. She highlighted the link to the student aid
portal and provided an explanation. She concluded by welcoming
questions.
9:15:58 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY noted that there had been funding for ACPS
representatives to go into the districts.
MS. EFRID replied the ACPS had a program at one time made up of
college and career counselors and advisors. She stated that
staff went into targeted districts; however, this program ended
around 2016. She commented on the success of the program. In
response to a follow-up question on the success of the program,
she offered to supply to the committee the program's final
report. She expressed the understanding that originally a
federal grant supported the program; however, once this ended
the state did not continue with the funding.
9:19:06 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX expressed the understanding that recently
only 17 percent of scholarship money was used. He questioned
whether there is a goal in the program that defines success.
MS. EFRID responded that since the inception of the program,
this past year had the lowest number of students who were
eligible for APS. She stated that this was the 17 percent
referenced. She continued that 2016, 2017, and 2018 were the
highest years of eligibility and usage of the program. She
pointed out that to use the program, students must stay in the
state, and these students represent a high number of people who
remain in the state and participate in the state's workforce.
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX expressed the understanding that the goal of
APS was to give an advantage to students who are likely to be
successful, attend UA, and stay in Alaska. He advised that this
would "raise the prestige of the university system." He argued
that lowering these standards would be missing the original
objective. He questioned what has changed regarding APS.
MS. EFRID clarified that APS is not only for UA, but also for
all the eligible institutions within the state for postsecondary
education, and this totals around 24 institutions. She stated
that the 10-year review addresses why students are not pursuing
APS. She suggested that the amount of the scholarship is no
longer an incentive for students to stay in the state, and she
expressed the understanding that the requirement of standardized
testing is also a barrier, as taking the tests pose
difficulties, such as the necessity to travel. She pointed out
that the next committee agenda item will be HB 148. She stated
that the presentation on this bill would address this issue.
She offered to be available for questions during the hearing.
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX expressed the opinion that there is not
enough outreach on APS, and parents should be targeted with
direct marketing. He questioned whether ACPE is reaching out to
parents.
MS. EFRID reiterated that the school districts are the frontline
for contact. In naming some outreach, she said that ACPE
provides training to school counselors, a website, and career
fairs. She continued that the schools have contact information
for the parents, not ACPE. She expressed agreement that parents
should be included in the communication. She reiterated that
every teacher has access to ACPE's Alaska Career Information
System, as well as the parents and students.
9:29:57 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 9:29 a.m. to 9:32 a.m.
HB 148-AK PERFORMANCE SCHOLARSHIP; ELIGIBILITY
9:32:52 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE announced that the final order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 148, "An Act relating to the Alaska
performance scholarship program."
9:33:18 AM
BUD SEXTON, Staff, Representative Justin Ruffridge, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of the sponsor, the House Education
Standing Committee, of which Representative Ruffridge served as
co-chair, introduced HB 148 via a PowerPoint presentation [hard
copy included in the committee packet]. He provided an overview
of the number of students who have been involved in the Alaska
Performance Scholarship (APS) program. He pointed out the
discrepancy that around 30,000 students have been granted APS
while only around 11,000 students have used it. He noted that
$100 million has been awarded to students. He moved to slide 3,
which listed the topics which would be discussed during the
presentation. The list included notification, financial
barriers, and eligibility. He stated that the provisions in HB
148 would address such topics as the step-up provision and the
new pathways for career and technical education.
9:36:07 AM
MR. SEXTON moved to slide 4 which addressed the notification
issue with APS. He stated that currently students are not
notified of their eligibility early enough. He explained once
students were notified that they had received the scholarship,
44 percent had already committed to another school outside of
Alaska; in response to this issue, the proposed legislation
would add new dates to APS. He moved from slide 5 to slide 7
which addressed the following new proposed dates: APS would be
awarded 18 months before graduation, as opposed to 16 months; on
December 31 of their junior year, students would be notified of
the requirements needed to be awarded APS; and final
verification that all requirements have been met would be on
August 15, as opposed to September 30.
9:39:37 AM
MR. SEXTON moved to the next slide, which listed the change from
2010 to 2022 in the cost of tuition in several of Alaska's
postsecondary schools. He stated that most schools have
increased tuition dramatically, while the amount of the APS
award has not changed. He moved to slide 9 which listed the
current award amounts for APS, in comparison with the proposed
amounts in HB 148. He moved to the next slide and pointed out
the steady decline in the number of students using APS. He
discussed the contributing factors concerning the decrease in
students using APS. He explained that 2016 was the last year
the state paid for standardized testing. He continued that in
2018 APS's funding was vetoed. Even though this was overturned,
he opined that the attempted veto created uncertainty for
students. In addition, he added that access to standardized
testing has been difficult for rural students. On slide 11, he
continued discussing the issue of standardized testing, pointing
out that once the state stopped paying for the test in 2016, and
the number of students taking the tests dropped by 1,100 the
next year. He mentioned that colleges in the Lower 48 are
moving away from the standardized testing requirement.
9:44:52 AM
MR. SEXTON discussed barriers to eligibility, with the graph on
slide 12 showing that test scores are the biggest barrier. He
stated that during the COVID-19 pandemic testing requirements
were waived, and there was a surge of eligible students across
Alaska.
MR. SEXTON moved to slide 13, which addressed the "step-up
provision" in the proposed legislation. He explained that some
students do not excel in high school, but once in college they
find their "path." He continued that the step-up provision
would recognize a student's efforts once he/she is in college,
as every year a student's efforts would be reevaluated, and APS
increases would be made accordingly. He argued that this would
reward hard work and effort.
9:47:51 AM
MR. SEXTON moved to the next slide and expressed the opinion
that APS encourages students to graduate college. He pointed
out those students who receive APS, versus those that do not,
graduate at markedly higher rates.
MR. SEXTON moved to slide 17 and pointed out that students who
receive APS will stay in the state more often and become part of
the workforce. He moved to the next slide and stated that 24
postsecondary schools in Alaska offer APS, with the University
of Alaska having the highest percentage of students. He
addressed a Department of Labor and Workforce Development study
of the graduating classes from 2014 and 2015. He pointed out
that the data shows a high percentage of APS students stay in
Alaska. On the final slide, he pointed out the links to the
reports that were created in response to the goal of the
committee concerning HB 148. He expressed the understanding
that this goal is to look at the issues and barriers for APS.
9:51:16 AM
BRAEDEN GARRETT, Staff, Representative Justin Ruffridge, Alaska
State Legislature, on behalf of the sponsor, the House Education
Standing Committee, of which Representative Ruffridge served as
co-chair, gave the sectional analysis on HB 148, which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
Section 1 AS 14.43.820(a) amends:
AS 14.43.820(a)(2) Changes to eighteen months, the
date when the commission shall determine an award for
the Alaska Performance Scholarship.
AS 14.43.820(a)(3) Adds language to include a student
"who is enrolled in or plans to enroll in" the
curriculum required to earn an Alaska Performance
Scholarship.
AS 14.43.820(A) Adds "or career and technical
education" to the coursework under the Alaska
Performance Scholarship Program.
AS 14.43.820(B)(ii) Adds "career and technical
education, one year of which includes two semesters of
sequentially more rigorous content within a career
cluster; or
AS 14.43.820(C) Adds "three years of mathematics, four
years of language arts, three years of science, four
years of social studies, one year of which may be
career and technical education, and two years of a
foreign language or an Alaska Native language; and"
AS 14.43.820(a)(5) and (a)(6) removes these
subsections that required minimum scores for either a
college entrance examination, or standardized
examinations, or is currently enrolled in good
standing in a course of study at a qualified
postsecondary institution in Alaska.
Section 2 AS 14.43.820(g)(1) amends:
Added the definition of "career cluster" to mean a
group of jobs and industries that are related by
skills or products;
Section 3 AS 14.43.820 is amended by adding new
subsections:
Subsection (h) establishes a date of December 31 for
students in grade 11 to be notified of remaining
academic requirements in order to be awarded an Alaska
performance scholarship, and (i) establishes August 15
of every year as the date the commission shall notify
students that they have been awarded an Alaska
performance scholarship, and what level scholarship
that student has received.
Subsection (j) requires the district to provide
information about the requirements to increase an
award level whenever they communicate with a student
regarding the Alaska performance scholarship.
Subsection (k) states that the applicant award level
will reflect their GPA level upon graduation from high
school.
Subsection (l) confirms an award will be given only if
a student completes all of the necessary requirements.
Section 4 AS 14.13.825(a) amends:
AS 14.43.825(a)(1) changes the first award level
amount from $4,755 to $7,000 and removes the very high
minimum score on a college entrance examination
requirement.
AS 14.43.825(a)(2) changes the second award level
amount from $3,566 to $5,250 and removes the high
minimum score on a college entrance examination
requirement.
AS 14.43.825(a)(3) changes the third award level
amount from $2,378 to $3,500 and removes the
moderately high minimum score on a college entrance
examination requirement.
Section 5 AS 14.43825(b) amends:
AS 14.43.825(b) changes the timeframe of eligibility
for students from six years to eight years after the
date the student graduates unless the student
qualifies for an extension.
Section 6 AS 14.43.825 is amended by adding new
subsections:
Subsection (g) states that on an annual basis the
qualified university or college shall review the
students Grade Point Average. If the students' grades
qualify under the GPA levels under (h) of the section,
the student will qualify for an increase in the APS
scholarship they receive.
(h) If an award recipient's university or college
grade-point average is
(h)(1) 3.5 or above, the commission shall increase the
student's award level to the amount described in
(a)(1) of this section;
(h)(2) 3.0 or above, the commission shall increase the
student's award level to the amount described in
(a)(2) of this section.
(i) In this section
(i)(1) "award recipient" means a student who has
received an Alaska performance scholarship at the
second or third award level;
(i)(2) "university or college grade-point average"
means the average of all grades on a four-point scale
obtained by a student at a qualified university or
college in this state.
9:54:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX, in regard to looking for a return on
investments, compared the APS process with oil taxes in the
state. He suggested that the legislature should "think about"
what the state would be "getting back" from this investment.
Concerning APS, he questioned whether the return would be worth
the funding. He suggested that performance measures be set so
future success can be determined.
9:56:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY expressed agreement with Representative
Prax's comments. She reflected on the usefulness of the
statistics in the presentation.
9:56:49 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY said, "It goes against my instincts to
lower standards and give more money." He expressed confusion
because APS has funding, but students are being denied.
MR. SEXTON replied that the money is there, but there are
barriers related to standardize testing. He reiterated that the
schools in the Lower 48 are dropping requirements for these
tests, as a student's grade point average is a better metric.
9:59:22 AM
SANA EFRID, Executive Director, Commission on Postsecondary
Education, Department of Education and Early Development, in
response to question concerning whether the left-over APS funds
are swept, replied that the funding comes through the higher
education investment account and is appropriated to APS. She
clarified that any money not used goes back to the higher
education fund.
9:59:45 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE commented that when APS funding was vetoed in
[2018], students received letters that stated they would not
receive the scholarship.
10:00:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCORMICK expressed appreciation for the
acknowledgement of the struggles of young rural Alaskans. He
stated that often it is not even an option for these students to
travel in order to take the required assessment exams.
10:00:56 AM
MR. SEXTON expressed excitement at the opportunity to
reinvigorate the APS program and to encourage students to stay
in Alaska once they have graduated, as this would enhance the
workforce.
10:01:23 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE announced that HB 148 was held over.
10:01:41 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 10:02 a.m.