Legislature(1993 - 1994)
03/10/1993 03:00 PM House HES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES
STANDING COMMITTEE
March 10, 1993
3:00 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Rep. Cynthia Toohey, Co-Chair
Rep. Con Bunde, Co-Chair
Rep. Gary Davis, Vice Chair
Rep. Al Vezey
Rep. Pete Kott
Rep. Harley Olberg
Rep. Bettye Davis
Rep. Irene Nicholia
Rep. Tom Brice
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
*HB 106: "An Act establishing the Alaska education
technology program; and providing for an effective
date."
HEARD AND HELD
*HB 107: "An Act providing for the issuance of general
obligation bonds in the amount of $40,000,000 for
the acquisition of classroom instructional
equipment and materials and library computer
automation and resource sharing systems; and
providing for an effective date."
HEARD AND HELD
Student presentation on computers in education.
(* First public hearing.)
WITNESS REGISTER
REP. KAY BROWN
Alaska State Legislature
State Capitol, Room 517
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Phone: (907) 465-4998
Position Statement: Sponsor of HB 106 and HB 107
PAT HUNT
P.O. Box 888
Tok, Alaska 99780
Phone: (907) 883-5161
Position Statement: Testified in favor of HB 106 and HB 107
RICHARD M. SWARNER
Executive Director, Business Management
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
44955 Ptarmigan Place
Soldotna, Alaska 99699
Phone: (907) 262-4056
Position Statement: Testified in favor of HB 106 and HB 107
BOB MEDINGER, Director
Educational Technology and Distance Delivery
Lower Kuskokwim School District
P.O. Box 1063
Bethel, Alaska 99559
Phone: (907) 543-4876
Position Statement: Testified in favor of HB 106 and HB 107
SHARON MACKLIN, Lobbyist
Anchorage School District
4600 DeBarr Road
Anchorage, Alaska 99508-3195
Phone: (907) 269-2255
Position Statement: Testified in favor of HB 106 and HB 107
KAREN CRANE, Director
Archives, Libraries, Museums
Department of Education
P.O. Box 110571
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0571
Phone: (907) 465-2910
Position Statement: Testified in favor of HB 106 and HB 107
KAREN JORDAN, Technology Coordinator
Juneau Public Schools
S.E. Alaska Representative
Alaska Society for Technology in Education
11575 Mendenhall Loop Road
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Phone: (907) 463-1967 work
Phone: (907) 789-1803 home
Position Statement: Testified in favor of HB 106 and HB 107
JASON OHLER, Director
Education and Technology Program
University of Alaska-Southeast
1120 Glacier Highway
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Phone: (907) 789-4417 work
Phone: (907) 463-5685 home
Position Statement: Testified in favor of HB 106 and HB 107
JIM KELLY
Research and Liaison Officer
Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation
P.O. Box 25500
Juneau, Alaska 99802-5500
Phone: (907) 465-2047
Position Statement: Introduced student presentation on
computers in education
JACK DETZEL
Delta/Greely School District
Pouch 1
Delta Junction, Alaska 99737
Phone: (907) 895-4696 work
Phone: (907) 895-4939 home
Position Statement: Led student presentation on computers
in education
PAM RULE
Delta/Greely School District
Pouch 597
Delta Junction, Alaska 99737
Phone: (907) 895-4657 work
Phone: (907) 895-4766 home
Position Statement: Assisted in student presentation on
computers in education
CHRISTOPHER JARMAN
JEREMY FLOYD
CANDICE ROGERS
JOSH MESCH
Delta High School
Delta Junction, Alaska 99737
Position statement: Gave presentation on uses of computers
in education
PREVIOUS ACTION
BILL: HB 106
SHORT TITLE: EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
BILL VERSION:
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S)BROWN,Ulmer,Davidson,Bunde,
B.Davis,Carney,Nordlund,Brice,Nicholia,Davies,Willis
TITLE: "An Act establishing the Alaska education technology
program; and providing for an effective date."
JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION
01/29/93 180 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME/REFERRAL(S)
01/29/93 180 (H) HES, FINANCE
03/10/93 (H) HES AT 03:00 PM CAPITOL 106
BILL: HB 107
SHORT TITLE: APPROP: EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS
BILL VERSION:
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S)BROWN,Ulmer,Davidson,Bunde,
B.Davis,Carney,Nordlund,Brice,Nicholia,Davies,Willis
TITLE: "An Act providing for the issuance of general
obligation bonds in the amount of $40,000,000 for the
acquisition of classroom instructional equipment and
materials and library computer automation and resource
sharing systems; and providing for an effective date."
JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION
01/29/93 180 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME/REFERRAL(S)
01/29/93 180 (H) HES, FINANCE
03/10/93 (H) HES AT 03:00 PM CAPITOL 106
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 93-32, SIDE A
Number 000
CHAIR BUNDE called the meeting to order at 3:09 p.m., noted
members present, announced the calendar, and announced that
the meeting was being teleconferenced to Anchorage, Barrow,
Soldotna, and Tok. He brought HB 106 to the table and
invited Rep. Kay Brown to testify.
(Rep. Nicholia arrived at 3:10 p.m.)
HB 106 - EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION
HB 107 - APPROP: EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION
Number 030
REP. KAY BROWN testified as PRIME SPONSOR of HB 106 and
HB 107. She said most Alaska students do not have access to
computers in school because schools have had problems
securing state funding for the equipment and training. She
and others have worked on the two bills to establish a way
to fund computers in schools to help students learn more,
she said. Computers help underachieving students best and
can help disseminate information and educational programs
all across the state, she said. Technology has not taken
hold in schools because it is expensive, it is not
integrated into the teaching process, and training is
insufficient. Rep. Brown noted that these problems are
addressed by her bills.
Number 146
REP. BROWN made several points about her bills contained in
her sponsor statement, which is on file in the committee
room. The statement said that the bills would: establish
the Alaska Education Technology Program in the Department of
Education to provide assistance, training and coordinating
services; establish the Alaska Education Technology Fund to
offer matching grants for computer purchases and training;
establish an Education Technology Committee to develop
guidelines for a five-year fund distribution plan; require
reports on school use of technology; require a survey of
educational technology in state schools and libraries; and
make grant-writing seminars available throughout the state.
Rep. Brown said the state cost of the program would be $50
million over five years, $40 million from general obligation
bonds to be considered by voters in 1994, and $10 million
from the general fund. She supported funding the bills
through bonds because of public support for technology and
because of the coming reduction in bonded indebtedness. She
said the fiscal notes call for about $200,000 to increase
library support and in the Department of Education, which
has less than one position dealing with technology. She
said the bills would pay off in the long-run by improving
the ability of state students to compete in the world
economy while remaining in Alaska.
Number 255
REP. BUNDE said he did not expect the committee to make a
decision on the bills that day, as they had just then
received new information on the bills.
Number 260
CHAIR TOOHEY asked Alaska's national ranking in the use of
computers in schools.
Number 272
REP. BROWN answered that she did not know, but rural schools
were further ahead than urban schools. She observed that
the lack of information on computer usage in Alaska schools
would be addressed by the bills' requirement for a statewide
survey.
Number 280
REP. B. DAVIS said that most states have developed plans for
use of computers in schools as a result of the America 2000
plan. She said Alaska was not as bad off or well off as
other states and had been trying since before the America
2000 program to improve the use of computers in schools.
She said Alaska was behind other states in training, an
important element in using computers already present in the
schools.
Number 305
REP. BRICE said the state's older schools in the Fairbanks
area did not have as many computers as the newer schools,
some of which were equipped with computers through capital
appropriations when built. He said the bills would help
address that disparity.
REP. NICHOLIA said the Tanana School District had computers,
and her niece in kindergarten would hurry through her
homework so she could work with the computers. She noted
that the Yukon School district also had computers and a
staffer to program them with educational material. She said
HB 106 and HB 107 would enhance those programs.
(Rep. Kott arrived at 3:28 p.m.)
Number 337
PAT HUNT testified via teleconference from Tok in support of
HB 106. He said there was a need to have people who
understood library conversion and educational technology in
classrooms. He said teachers would use their computers if
they knew how. He expressed concern about the makeup of the
Education Technology Grant Committee and whether it would
represent vocational education as well as academic
education. He asked if the state would make the many
existing educational databases available through the
University of Alaska Computer Network (UACN).
REP. BROWN answered that the bill directed the Department of
Education to recommend training methods. She said the
Education Technology Grant Committee would be appointed by
the governor, and she detailed the membership requirements
in the bill. She said the bill would facilitate
establishment of networked data bases.
Number 396
RICHARD M. SWARNER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT FOR THE KENAI PENINSULA BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT,
testified via teleconference from Soldotna in support of
HB 106 and HB 107. He encouraged the legislature to improve
educational efficiency through technology by making a
capital investment in computers. He approved the matching
funding requirement, but said he believed the local
contribution should be no greater than 30 percent.
Number 424
REP. BUNDE asked if Mr. Swarner would consider technical
limits on education computers to ensure they could not be
used for playing games.
MR. SWARNER said his district's business office would share
its expertise with other districts and that technology could
improve educational efficiency. He said his business
staffers do not play games on their computers.
Number 445
BOB MEDINGER, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND
DISTANCE DELIVERY FOR THE LOWER KUSKOKWIM SCHOOL DISTRICT,
and CHAIR OF THE DISTANCE DELIVERY CONSORTIUM, testified via
teleconference from Bethel in support of HB 106 and HB 107.
He said the bill had been revised several times and they
were solid bills addressing many implementation concerns.
He said they would help Bush schools, which have aging
computers, but lack funds for training and upgrading. He
said many rural school sites do not have access to statewide
networks, satellite systems and other distance delivery
systems, and he hoped the bills would address those needs.
Number 475
REP. BROWN said those needs were addressed, though those
elements might be made more explicit.
Number 500
SHARON MACKLIN, LOBBYIST FOR THE ANCHORAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT,
testified in Juneau in support of HB 106 and HB 107. She
said the district supported the bills in 1992 and supported
them now. She said the WISE (Winning With Stronger
Education) program, an area-wide study of the Anchorage
school district, recommended spending $1,000 per student on
technology. A 1992 poll of residents showed 66 percent
supported a $7 million bond package for technology for
schools.
REP. BUNDE asked what level of match the district would feel
comfortable with.
Number 530
MS. MACKLIN said the district had not decided on what
percentage it would support, but it did believe in the need
for local contributions for computers and construction
funds. The district believes it needs $20 million to $25
million in technology funding for computers, training and
software in the next few years, she said.
REP. BUNDE asked if the $25 million represented the total
investment, or just the district's matching share.
MS. MACKLIN indicated she meant the $25 million was the
total amount needed, not just the district's share.
Number 541
KAREN CRANE, DIRECTOR OF ARCHIVES, LIBRARIES, MUSEUMS IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, testified in Juneau supporting
HB 106. She said she was glad the bill had been changed
since 1992 to include public libraries, as some small
village libraries doubled as school libraries. She said the
library network would help the Department of Education
achieve its goal of disseminating information throughout the
state.
Number 558
KAREN JORDAN, TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR FOR JUNEAU PUBLIC
SCHOOLS, AND SOUTHEAST ALASKA REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE SOCIETY
FOR TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION, testified in Juneau supporting
HB 106 and HB 107. She said the bills were necessary if the
school system wanted to emulate the improved efficiency
brought by computers in business. She noted that technology
in Alaska schools had heretofore been funded through capital
improvements, and some schools have none. Urban schools are
worse off than rural schools and have different needs, she
said. Rural teachers deal with distance education, teach
subjects in which they are not specialists, and teach
students in many different grades, tasks that can be made
easier through technology, she said. Technical support in
education is good, but the Department of Education has only
half a position for technological support. She encouraged
the committee not to change the bills much, as they had gone
through much work and revision in 1992. She expressed
support for matching funding, for training, and for
accountability. She said there was a need for networks and
systems instead of stand-alone computers, and
interconnectivity was becoming more and more important.
TAPE 93-32, SIDE B
Number 028
JASON OHLER, DIRECTOR OF THE EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY
PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA-SOUTHEAST, testified in
support of HB 106. He said providing computers to
schoolchildren today is analogous to providing them pencils
in the past - an advance in technology to which resistance
is understandable, if short-sighted. Without government
guidance, public schools cannot fully prepare students for
the challenges they will face, he said. He stated technical
proficiency is the best preparation for children, and there
is a need, especially in rural areas, for electronic
highways and networks to allow connectivity of computerized
systems.
Number 087
REP. G. DAVIS asked if computer networks listed on page 3 of
HB 106 already existed.
REP. BROWN replied that they did.
Number 138
REP. NICHOLIA asked how a computerized network funded by the
bill would interact with an existing University of Alaska
Rural Education program providing classes via
teleconference.
REP. BROWN said she could not answer the question
specifically, but a network would coordinate many isolated
programs.
Number 160
REP. BUNDE called a brief at-ease at 4:00 p.m. and called
the meeting back to order at 4:07 p.m. He invited the
students from Delta High School to make their presentation
on the use of computers in education.
STUDENT PRESENTATION ON COMPUTERS IN EDUCATION
Number 175
JIM KELLY, RESEARCH AND LIAISON OFFICER FOR THE ALASKA
PERMANENT FUND CORPORATION, said the corporation has
agreements with students at Delta High School in Delta
Junction and West High School in Anchorage to convert the
corporation's print-based public education materials into
computer-based material. He suggested the presentation as a
demonstration of the benefits of integrating technology into
schools, as had been discussed earlier in the meeting during
consideration of HB 106 and HB 107. He introduced students
from Delta High School, who were to complete by the end of
the 1993 school year a CD-ROM (compact disc-read-only
memory) computer system that the corporation would use to
teach students at other schools about the Permanent Fund
Corporation. He introduced JACK DETZEL, A TEACHER AT DELTA
HIGH SCHOOL who advised and assisted the students in their
efforts.
Number 202
JACK DETZEL introduced the four students accompanying him.
He described the $11,000 CD-ROM computer system on which the
students had developed their software. He described the
benefits of computers in education, but said the schools
need more computers to satisfy the demands of students at
all grade levels, not just the juniors and seniors who have
priority use of the scarce resource. He said hardware
shortages cause delays in teaching students about computers
that can deny them the benefits of early exposure to the
technology that could help them throughout their educational
careers.
Number 362
The students described how they had transferred printed
educational materials from the Alaska Permanent Fund
Corporation into computerized form, combining CD-ROMs, video
cameras and data bases to make the information educational,
simple, and attractive to other students.
Number 375
CANDICE ROGERS, STUDENT, demonstrated how she had used an
Apple Macintosh computer to program information contained in
a printed study guide on the Permanent Fund Corporation into
a computer for use as an instructional program.
Number 430
JEREMY FLOYD, STUDENT, demonstrated how he had used a
computer to create a program presenting information
contained on a time-line of Alaska history.
Number 490
JOSH MESCH, STUDENT, demonstrated how he had used a computer
to create a program displaying information on each
investment property owned by the Permanent Fund Corporation,
including video tape, digitally-scanned photographs, textual
information, and recorded spoken words.
Number 500
PAM RULE, AN OFFICIAL IN THE DELTA/GREELY SCHOOL DISTRICT,
said the students were doing a good job with the equipment
they had, but Delta High School needed money for more
computers. She said there was no reason that students
across the state could not duplicate the work of the
students at her school, given the right equipment and
training.
REP. VEZEY asked whether it was possible to demonstrate
whether the purchase of computer equipment for schools would
provide a return on investment in terms of demonstrable
increased value of education. He noted that private
businesses usually have to justify investment in computers
with demonstrated improvements in efficiency.
MR. DETZEL said that providing computers at a rudimentary
level now would open up the educational system to vastly
greater efficiency in delivery of education services in the
next decade.
TAPE 93-33, SIDE A
Number 000
MR. DETZEL said public education did not have to demonstrate
competitive advantages as did private industry, but was
obligated to provide useful education to students. He said
computerized technology would raise the benefits of
education and save personnel costs. He expressed confidence
that providing the computers would help the state's students
become and remain competitive workers.
REP. VEZEY observed that education had become more labor
intensive, not less over the last several decades, and asked
what direct benefits computerizing schools would bring. He
asked whether computers would help allow an increase in the
pupil-teacher ratios.
MR. DETZEL stated that computer networks have enabled some
states to reduce the cost of delivering education in pilot
programs and have allowed some people to work at home. He
said establishing such computer networks would allow greater
savings in the future. He described how such networks could
allow students to receive instruction from experts in a
field, not just their teachers, and to learn at their own
pace. He said technology is definitely cost-effective.
Number 060
MS. RULE stated that computers have helped school districts
do more and better administrative work, and have improved
worker morale and productivity. She cited examples.
Number 125
REP. VEZEY asked if it was possible to cut the cost of
education to justify the cost of purchasing computers.
MS. JORDAN responded that it would take a leap of faith to
jump into the purchase of computers, but it would save money
and eliminate excessive teaching effort for slow learners.
Computers would help prepare efficient, productive
employees, she said. In five or ten years the computers
will make a big difference and allow much more flexibility
in education, she said.
Number 168
REP. VEZEY noted that 85 percent of education costs are for
personnel, and asked whether spending money for HB 106 and
HB 107 would increase productivity or would merely be an
additional cost.
MS. JORDAN said that while it is hard to quantify the value
of a good education, the additional computers would help
give students a better education that would encourage public
support for such technology in education. She said some
school districts are willing to accept more students per
classroom if they also get more computers per classroom.
Number 184
REP. VEZEY stated that such a trade-off would demonstrate a
measurable increase in productivity for the investment. He
said bonding represents a long-term loan to provide
services, and noted that it was the legislature's job to
allocate resources carefully.
CHAIR TOOHEY asked what a computer costs, and whether the
Delta/Greely school district allows students to use
computers on weekends.
MS. RULE answered yes, and added that the students use all
of the computers every spare minute, including nights and
weekends.
Number 216
CANDICE ROGERS said that computers make learning fun and
attractive for students of all achievement levels.
MS. RULE said a MacIntosh computer costs about $900, while a
top-of-the-line CD-ROM system, similar to the one used in
the display, costs about $11,000 because of the amount of
memory and software it has.
Number 231
REP. BRICE said that introducing technology into the
educational system was not so much a financial calculation
as an assessment of whether the schools could educate
students to compete throughout their lives in the global
economy. He said computers will be more and more important
in the future in reading, writing, math and other subjects
in education and in vocation.
REP. BUNDE reminded committee members that there would be
ample opportunity to discuss the bill and present their
ideas, and said he had another appointment at 5 p.m.
REP. BROWN said that Rep. Vezey had asked a meaningful
question concerning the value of investment into technology
for education. She stated experts in the field have said
that the U.S. education system was stagnant and ineffective
at preparing students. She said her bill was a step toward
addressing those problems.
REP. BUNDE thanked Mr. Detzel and the students for their
presentation, and ADJOURNED the meeting at 5:00 p.m.
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