Legislature(2009 - 2010)CAPITOL 106
02/11/2010 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB101 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 260 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 101 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 309 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 265 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
February 11, 2010
3:15 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Wes Keller, Co-Chair
Representative Tammie Wilson, Vice Chair
Representative Bob Lynn
Representative Paul Seaton
Representative Sharon Cissna
Representative Lindsey Holmes
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Bob Herron, Co-Chair
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Senator Linda Menard
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 101
"An Act relating to questionnaires and surveys administered in
the public schools."
- HEARD & HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 260
"An Act relating to preventive care and disease management
services for medical assistance recipients; and providing for an
effective date."
- BILL HEARING CANCELED
HOUSE BILL NO. 309
"An Act relating to preventive care and disease management
services for medical assistance recipients; and providing for an
effective date."
- SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD
HOUSE BILL NO. 265
"An Act relating to preventive care and disease management
services for medical assistance recipients; and providing for an
effective date."
- SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 101
SHORT TITLE: STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRES AND SURVEYS
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) DAVIS
02/06/09 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/06/09 (S) EDC, HSS
03/11/09 (S) EDC AT 8:00 AM BELTZ 211
03/11/09 (S) Heard & Held
03/11/09 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
03/18/09 (S) EDC RPT 1DP 2NR
03/18/09 (S) DP: DAVIS
03/18/09 (S) NR: OLSON, HUGGINS
03/18/09 (S) EDC AT 8:00 AM BELTZ 211
03/18/09 (S) Moved SB 101 Out of Committee
03/18/09 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
03/25/09 (S) HSS AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
03/25/09 (S) Heard & Held
03/25/09 (S) MINUTE(HSS)
03/27/09 (S) HSS AT 1:15 PM BUTROVICH 205
03/27/09 (S) Moved SB 101 Out of Committee
03/27/09 (S) MINUTE(HSS)
03/30/09 (S) HSS RPT 3DP
03/30/09 (S) DP: DAVIS, THOMAS, PASKVAN
03/30/09 (S) HSS AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
03/30/09 (S) Moved Out of Committee 3/27/09
03/30/09 (S) MINUTE(HSS)
04/16/09 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
04/16/09 (S) VERSION: SB 101
04/16/09 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/16/09 (H) HSS, FIN
02/02/10 (H) HSS AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
02/02/10 (H) Scheduled But Not Heard
02/11/10 (H) HSS AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
WITNESS REGISTER
TOM OBERMEYER, Staff
to Senator Bettye Davis
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced SB 101 on behalf of the prime
sponsor, Senator Bettye Davis.
CARL ROSE, Executive Director
Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 101.
KATE BURKHART, Executive Director
Alaska Mental Health Board;
Governor's Advisory Board on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse
Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified and answered questions during
discussion of SB 101.
MARILYN DAVIDSON, Director of Instruction
Kodiak Island Borough School District
Kodiak, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified and answered questions during
discussion of SB 101.
WARD HURLBURT, Chief Medical Officer
Director, Division of Public Health
Office of the Commissioner
Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified and answered questions as a
spokesman for the administration during discussion of SB 101.
HTWE CHEMBARS
Fort Wainwright, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to SB 101.
SILVER CHORD
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to SB 101.
PAT FINK
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during discussion of SB 101.
PATTY OWEN, Public Health Specialist
Division of Public Health
Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during discussion of SB
101 regarding YRBS.
HARRIETTE KLANN
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during discussion of SB 101.
CYNTHIA HITE
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to SB 101.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:15:34 PM
CO-CHAIR WES KELLER called the House Health and Social Services
Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:15 p.m.
Representatives Keller, Seaton, Cissna, Holmes, T. Wilson, and
Lynn were present at the call to order. Senator Menard was also
in attendance.
SB 101-STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRES AND SURVEYS
3:15:56 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER announced that the first order of business would
be SENATE BILL NO. 101, "An Act relating to questionnaires and
surveys administered in the public schools."
CO-CHAIR KELLER noted that Representative Peggy Wilson had
introduced a similar bill, HB 130, and she asked that it be
deferred to SB 101. He pointed out that the collection of data
was very important, but he established that it was equally
important to respect privacy. He opined that it was necessary
to have data in order to make decisions to address any problems.
3:19:06 PM
TOM OBERMEYER, Staff to Senator Bettye Davis, Alaska State
Legislature, said that SB 101 was an act to administer
questionnaires and surveys in the public schools, and its
purpose was to change the parental consent requirement for the
voluntary and anonymous Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) from
written or expressed consent to implied consent if there is no
objection or written denial for the student to participate in
the survey. He stated that there would still be ample time for
the parents or students to opt out. He clarified that written
permission was still required for all other surveys. He
observed that it had been an expensive burden on the school
districts to obtain parental permission, and often there were
not enough participants to allow use of the data. He reported
that research and experience suggested that more often parents
were amenable to the survey but neglected to return the consent
forms. He opined that the YRBS was the most important survey
administered every other year, and it was necessary for 60
percent participation, at the state level, to validate the
statistics. He reported that the results of the YRBS survey
were integral in the development of health and prevention
programs. He listed the many state and federal grant programs
that relied on the data, which included tobacco prevention,
obesity prevention, and substance abuse prevention. He
summarized that the data was necessary to understand the
important health and social issues that affected student
success.
3:22:16 PM
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON asked what evidence pointed to lack of
interest from the parents.
3:22:29 PM
MR. OBERMEYER replied that it may be anecdotal, but that school
districts members had reported it. He reported that school
districts went to great lengths to follow up on the return of
participation forms. He advised that participation was often
close to 62 percent, with 60 percent being necessary for
validation. He relayed that, as students were given the written
permission forms to return to the school, it was not uncommon
for students not to deliver them. He emphasized the impact on
the agencies if validation percentages were not attained.
3:24:05 PM
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON asked for an explanation to the survey
and the process.
MR. OBERMEYER explained that the YRBS survey was given every
other year to the 9-12 grades.
3:24:52 PM
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON expressed concern with the process for
obtaining the permission.
MR. OBERMEYER replied that it was difficult to distribute the
procedural information, and he suggested a number of remedies,
including mailing the permission request directly to the
parents.
3:26:19 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER declared that some parents chose not to sign the
permission requests.
3:26:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN expressed concern with the content of the
survey, and he referred to his earlier blog response to a
similar bill, HB 130. He voiced apprehension of a change from
opt in to opt out. He declared this to be an attempt to
"pervert the system."
3:28:18 PM
MR. OBERMEYER stated his agreement with Representative Lynn, but
he defended this as an anonymous survey. He detailed the
procedure to ensure anonymity for each survey. He emphasized
that this was a voluntary survey. He declared the importance
for the survey which allowed local, state, and federal agencies
to "adequately deal with children's behavior and try to modify
it or prevent improper behavior or to give them education on
prevention..." He stressed the value for any data, and he
pointed to the current inadequacy for data collection.
3:30:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN clarified that the intent by teachers and
administration to curtail "these horrendous behaviors" was good,
but the "unintended consequence far outweigh any potential
good." He declared support for anyone attempting to make a
positive difference in student behavior, but he called the
content and the process for the YRBS survey "seriously flawed."
3:31:44 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER explained that it was not the intent to move the
bill today, but that this was an opportunity to "get the
questions on the table." He indicated that he had questions
with the wording and the groundwork for the bill.
3:32:23 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked to clarify that SB 101 allowed that
YRBS to be the only survey with an "opt out."
MR. OBERMEYER replied that all other surveys would require
parental consent, as written in SB 101.
3:34:09 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN stated that he brings "some degree of
expertise to this" discussion as a parent of six children, a
retired public school teacher, and a recipient of a Masters
degree in Educational Administration.
3:35:21 PM
MR. OBERMEYER, in response to Co-Chair Keller, said that Section
2(d) still applied, but expanded the due process requirements to
give written notice to the parents. He explained that due
process protected the privacy of the student and family, yet
provided for the return of more YRBS surveys.
CO-CHAIR KELLER expressed concern that SB 101 was ambiguous and
may not accomplish the intent.
3:37:56 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER questioned the constitutionality of SB 101. He
read Section 1(a), and offered his belief that a questionnaire
or survey that inquired into "personal or private family
affairs..." could not be administered without parental consent.
He called attention to The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment,
[Included in committee packets.] read the list of eight survey
categories which required written parental consent, and declared
that these were all private family issues. He conceded that
federal law exempted [the need for written parental permission
for] Center for Disease Control surveys which asked these
questions, but that the Constitution of the State of Alaska
guaranteed the "basic fundamental right to privacy." He
acknowledged the need for interpretation of the constitution,
and he expressed a desire for the House Judiciary Standing
Committee to review the bill. He identified it as a
"fundamental, constitutionally given right here that is being
violated or restricted by requiring an opt out, instead of the
existing active permission... to answer questions on this
private matter," and compared it to the "fundamental right" to
carrying fire arms. He opined that constitutional rights can be
denied based on "common, public good," but if SB 101 was deemed
for the common public good, then there would be the need to
review "infringing on what our parents rights would be." He
argued that the ten year collection of YRBS data proved that the
collection of active, written permission by the parents was
effective. He referenced the February 9 presentation of YRBS
data by the Mat-Su Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition to the
House Health and Social Services Standing Committee.
3:43:20 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER emphasized that good data was important, though
often expensive to collect and to use. He questioned the
justification for removal of the parents' rights when data could
be obtained in another way. He allowed that, from a government
perspective, data collection was necessary.
3:45:08 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HOLMES, referring to the presentation by the Mat-
Su Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, pointed out its
inability to access local YRBS data because of insufficient
participation to guarantee validity. She asked if this was a
prevalent state-wide problem.
3:47:02 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER acknowledged that the coalition clearly
supported SB 101.
3:47:29 PM
MR. OBERMEYER reported that some school districts were not
allowed to participate. He acknowledged that not every student
was offered the survey, but that it was necessary for 60 percent
participation to determine adequate sampling for an accurate
representation of behaviors.
CO-CHAIR KELLER offered his belief that the issue had created a
divide, and he pointed to the drug testing of student athletes
in Juneau. He stated that the parents of student athletes were
required to submit an active permission slip allowing for the
drug test. He suggested the need for a standard criteria to
data gathering.
3:52:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked for a school district representative
to describe the procedure for administering the YRBS.
CO-CHAIR KELLER replied that he would prefer a public response
to his question as a basis for testimony.
3:52:59 PM
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON, agreed with Representative Seaton, and
asked how and to whom the survey was being given.
3:53:23 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER agreed to first hear school district
testimonies.
3:53:46 PM
CARL ROSE, Executive Director, Association of Alaska School
Boards (AASB), testified that it was a matter of necessity in
instruction to assess the measure of success. He reflected that
the last YRBS was validated in 2005 and some indicators showed
that the risk behavior trend was being reversed. He stated that
youth success would be ensured by adult support from the
community: school, family, faith, and social clubs. He
indicated that youth were making better decisions. He stressed
that a reversal of trends was essential, but that a large enough
sampling was necessary to validate that information.
3:57:55 PM
MR. ROSE offered his belief that this survey was in the public's
best interest, as substance abuse among youth was at epidemic
proportion. He stated that he understood the "other side" and
that he was sensitive to those concerns. He explained that SB
101 offered anonymity to YRBS participants and that the data
would contribute to the baseline understanding for social
impacts. He declared that AASB supported SB 101. He pointed
out that the 53 school districts each had different
relationships with its community and each administered a bit
differently.
3:59:50 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN asked about the margin of error.
4:00:11 PM
MR. ROSE said that a 65-70 percent return allowed for a
corporeal indicator of "what your community is doing." He
commented that it was more difficult for multiple school sites
to generate an adequate return of surveys.
4:00:31 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN asked if private or parochial schools
requested this survey.
MR. ROSE said that he did not have that information.
4:00:55 PM
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON asked if the survey was offered to all
the students.
MR. ROSE replied that it was offered to all students who had
given permission.
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON asked what the option would be if there
was not enough permission granted.
MR. ROSE replied that it was difficult to seek permission prior
to the survey, as opposed to a passive approach. He stated that
it was much more difficult in larger school districts, and that
even the combined student population of the smaller districts
was still only a small percentage of the total.
4:02:34 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER read AS 14.03.110(b):
For an anonymous questionnaire or survey, written
permission required under (a) of this section may be
obtained annually and is valid until the commencement
of the subsequent school year or until the parent or
legal guardian who gave permission submits a written
withdrawal of permission to the school principal. The
school shall provide each student's parent or legal
guardian at least two weeks' notice before
administering a questionnaire or survey described
under this subsection.
He said that this was an option for school districts with
schools which were widely dispersed.
4:04:02 PM
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON asked if high school students were
required to have permission to go on field trips, and how often
fewer than 60 percent of the students participated.
MR. ROSE replied that as AASB did not operate schools, he did
not have that information, but he offered to supply that
information to the committee.
4:04:38 PM
MR. ROSE, in response to Representative Seaton, said that AASB
supported passive approval as mentioned in Section 4, but had
not looked at the specifics for application.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON requested that other school district
representatives also respond to his question.
4:06:23 PM
KATE BURKHART, Executive Director, Alaska Mental Health Board;
Governor's Advisory Board on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse, Department
of Health and Social Services (DHSS), explained that both boards
were established to give advice to the Executive and Legislative
branches, and she clarified that the boards did not represent
the position of DHSS or the Governor's office. She stated that
she represented the positions of the board members. She
expressed her appreciation for the balancing of the rights of
parents with the interest of the public for the information.
Referring to the YRSB student participation rate prior to
required active consent, she noted that there was 78 percent in
1995 and 80 percent in 1999. She compared those figures to the
student participation after active parental consent was
required, and stated that student participation dropped to 62
percent in 2003, 55 percent in 2005, and 60 percent in 2007.
She shared that in both 2003 and 2007, schools were able to
"just barely" meet the minimum threshold of 60 percent. She
testified that schools had to spend money on pizza parties and
other incentives, just to get the permission slips returned.
She said that the school districts reported that the effort to
get the permission slips was very expensive, and diverted
funding from other projects.
4:10:36 PM
MS. BURKHART said that the 2008 Board meeting in Kenai heard
significant public comment about the difficulties to getting the
necessary data. She informed the committee that the Juneau
determination for student athlete drug testing incorporated the
YRBS data into the decision making, but that it was a struggle
for the school district to get that data.
4:11:42 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER asked about any benefit for the extra effort to
collect the parental permission slips for YRBS.
MS. BURKHART replied that she did not know of any benefit, but
expressed her concern for the amount of money spent on
incentives.
CO-CHAIR KELLER clarified that his concern was not just to
receive the data, but to collect "the data in a less restrictive
means."
4:12:56 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN asked for reasons to the decrease in
participation.
MS. BURKHART replied that she did not know of any survey for
parents who did not return the permission slips. She explained
that about 69 percent agreed to the survey, and 10-11 percent
responded to not give permission. It was that remaining 20
percent of parents not returning the slips that were affected by
SB 1. She voiced the desire for a response from this group.
4:15:11 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER reflected on an anomaly of human nature to deal
with difficult issues.
MS. BURKHART, in response to Representative Seaton, offered that
the board understood the notice requirements in Section 2(d)
would apply to the YRBS. She affirmed the importance of
balancing the board responsibilities for planning and
coordination with advocating for its stakeholders and remaining
a conduit for public comment. She declared that SB 101 would
balance the public need for data with the private right to
determine participation.
4:17:40 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER mused whether the right to privacy for children
had been extended beyond what the parent had control over.
4:18:45 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON directed attention to Section 2(d)(8),
which allowed the student to refuse to answer specific questions
or to refuse to participate in the survey, and suggested that
even with parental consent, the student could refuse, which
could supersede Section 4(g).
CO-CHAIR KELLER agreed that this was a valid factor.
4:20:10 PM
MARILYN DAVIDSON, Director of Instruction, Kodiak Island Borough
School District, said that she was speaking on behalf of the
Kodiak Island Borough School District. She reported:
At this time, the Kodiak Island Borough School
District is divided in our thinking regarding this
proposal and the idea of passive approval. Points in
our thinking that are in support of the proposal are:
first of all, the information gained from surveys is
valuable to us in many ways, allowing us to monitor
and adjust our programmatic development, adoption
processes, and revision processes; second, we do need
to hear from as many of our constituents as possible,
in order to determine an accurate picture of the
communities we serve. Points not in support of the
proposed change include: first, the support and
protection of parent and family rights is of high
importance as is the need for involvement of all
parents and families in their children's education.
As we work in this district to increase parent
involvement in all aspects of their children's
education, this would be a reduction of active
involvement in an area that is sensitive and personal.
It could potentially diminish the interaction between
parents, families, their children, and the school.
Second, in the most recent survey regarding drug use
and sexual behavior requiring active consent, and I
believe that was a YRBS, Kodiak High School, our
largest school, achieved an 80 percent response rate.
While this required some effort on the part of staff
members, there is great value in the personal contact
with parents and families. As an aside, I can just
add, as one of the parents who had failed to respond
to that, I received an e-mail, I printed out the form
that was attached, and was able to get that back and
my students did participate. I don't know of any
incentives that were offered to parents in regard to
that. Third point, in many cases parents and families
of younger children, and I believe YRBS, and I would
stand to be corrected if I'm wrong, I believe YRBS
goes into middle school, and for us that includes
grade six. In many cases, parents and families of
younger children, in particular, have deemed some of
the questions on the survey as highly inappropriate
for their child's level of social development,
bringing up thoughts, questions, and potential actions
that their children may have had no encounters with
and have not had any reason to entertain. In
conclusion, we believe that parents and families will
be responsive when they understand the need for the
information and the importance of the information to
the community and the well being of their children.
We believe that the support and enhancement of
partnership between families and the schools are vital
to supporting the advancement of the education of
Alaskan youth. Thank you for the opportunity, and I
can take any questions.
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON asked about the number of students
enrolled at the high school, and asked how the permission slips
were collected after the initial request.
MS. DAVIDSON replied that Kodiak High School had about 800
students in grades 9-12. She explained that office secretaries,
the parent facilitator, and counseling staff had follow up
communication with the parents.
4:25:14 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked to clarify the grades surveyed by
YRBS.
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN read the first question on the survey, which
asked the participant age, and noted the range of response
choices to include "12 years old or younger" and "17 years old."
4:26:24 PM
WARD HURLBURT, Chief Medical Officer; Director, Division of
Public Health, Office of the Commissioner, Department of Health
and Social Services (DHSS), identified that the YRBS was
developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) in 1988, and Alaska began participation in 1995. He
observed that all states, with the exception of Alaska, Utah,
and New Jersey, had an opt in. In 1999, House Bill 70 had
changed Alaska from an opt out to its current opt in provision,
and he noted that Governor Parnell, as a legislator during that
time, had supported House Bill 70. He observed that the survey
was provided statewide to 20 school districts on a randomly
selected basis. He elaborated that within each selected school,
classes were also selected by random. He explained that parents
were given a two week notice to sign permission for
participation. He affirmed that children were also given the
option to participate. He provided that about 17 percent of
parents stated in writing not to participate, and about 25
percent did not respond. He remarked that these figures were at
a slight variance to those stated earlier, and he noted that
this resulted in a participant percentage below the necessary
statistical validity of 60 percent. He reported that although
60 percent participation was not a magical number, it was the
percent that the statisticians and CDC had determined for
validity and the subsequent award of grants.
DR. HURLBURT shared that participation in 2003 was 62 percent;
in 2007, it was 60 percent; and in 2009, it was 62 percent. He
noted that in 2005, it did not reach a level for validity. In
agreement with Representative Lynn, he commented that some of
the questions were very personal and sensitive, but that the
data was helpful in identifying the problems necessitating
attention.
4:31:25 PM
DR. HURLBURT reported that the administration had concerns with
SB 101, based on consistency with the governor's earlier
position. He shared that the governor encouraged innovation for
participation. He reported that $100,000 was available to the
schools for parent participation incentives, but he did not know
if the schools supplied additional funding. He identified a
problem with SB 101 was its failure to strengthen the
involvement of parents with their children and the school.
4:33:25 PM
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON asked if federal funding was attached
to use of the YRBS data.
DR. HURLBURT replied that the availability of the data did
impact the award of grants.
4:33:45 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER asked if there was any departmental discussion
or concern for "private." He pointed to the constitutional
right to privacy, and he expressed concern for possible
litigation.
DR. HURLBURT said he was not aware of any discussion, but that
the intent was to have privacy built in to the YRBS procedures.
4:34:57 PM
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON asked for the cost of achieving enough
participant response to validate the survey.
DR. HURLBURT replied that he would get that information to the
committee.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked about the scope of the grants.
DR. HURLBURT said that he did not think any major grants had
been denied, and that the current concern was for the jeopardy
to future grants.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked about the magnitude of the grants
that we did receive.
DR. HURLBURT said that he would get the information, but that it
was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, not the millions of
dollars.
4:37:28 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN read several of the questions and asked if
there had been any research of the potential harm to students
participating in the YRBS.
DR. HURLBURT relayed the CDC response that asking questions did
not result in more problems.
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN asked if a survey respondent's desire to
appear normal could influence the survey results.
DR. HURLBURT responded that high school students were
susceptible to many influences.
4:40:40 PM
HTWE CHEMBARS said that every decision for children should be
decided by the parents. She declared that school districts
should only offer kids an education, and she did not consider
this an education. She voiced her opposition to exposing
children to this material.
4:43:15 PM
SILVER CHORD conveyed that he was an educator with a Masters in
school psychology, as well as a director of special education.
He stated that it was a travesty to even consider SB 101, as it
was "selling parents down the tube to get money." He
recommended that a cost benefit analysis should be performed for
all programs. He opined that there was a lack of responsibility
on the effectiveness of many programs. He reported that school
mission statements declared to be "for children and that we
invite the parents to be supportive of the schools." He offered
his belief that the lack of participant form returns was a
result of the decline for school support due to school system
behaviors. He suggested that a very bad precedent was being set
with this "permission by omission." He suggested payment
directly to parents for the return of the participant
permissions, instead of payment for incentive programs. He
noted a lack of parental testimony.
4:47:03 PM
PAT FINK, establishing that she was a retired teacher, asked the
following list of questions: how many school district personnel
had read the YRBS; had the questions changed since 2005; does a
school district need prior permission to administer a drug test;
and, does a school district demand permission for immunizations
and field trips. She suggested sending the YRSB home with the
permission slip.
4:49:08 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER, in response to Ms. Fink, replied that each
district had different policies. He replied that he did not
know if the YRBS questions had changed.
4:50:03 PM
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON, in response to Ms. Fink, said that she
would respond with answers regarding the Fairbanks North Star
Borough School District.
4:50:23 PM
PATTY OWEN, Public Health Specialist, Division of Public Health,
Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), testified that
the YRBS questions had not changed since 1995, in terms of
general content. She established that there were occasional
opportunities to modify and add emerging issues, for example
bulimia, or prescription drug use. She emphasized that the YRBS
was designed to track trends over time, so consistency of the
questions was necessary.
4:51:29 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN, in response to Ms. Fink, asked her reaction
upon reading the YRBS.
MS. FINK replied that she was startled by the questions, and she
suggested for parents to read it before giving permission.
4:52:36 PM
HARRIETTE KLANN stated that a school board should not usurp the
responsibility of the parents. She declared that it was a
fundamental right and responsibility of parents to determine
what was right for their children. She cautioned against the
assumption that "non-return is non-interest." She announced
that "school boards are branching out from teaching our children
to value judgment retrieval systems." She suggested permitting
more involvement from churches, communities, and social and
private sectors. She offered her belief that "those in control"
assumed "the general public does not have the intelligence or
care enough for their kids to get help, so those in power must
make the decisions for us." She observed that the difficulty in
retrieving the participant permissions indicated opposition to
SB 101, instead of parental non-interest.
4:54:16 PM
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON asked if Ms. Klann had read the YRBS.
MS. KLANN replied that she had not read the entire survey, and
in response to Representative T. Wilson, stated that she would
not offer it in the classroom.
4:55:16 PM
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON asked for a 2005 survey to review the
changes.
CO-CHAIR KELLER indicated that these would be supplied.
4:55:30 PM
CYNTHIA HITE offered her belief that SB 101 was about the
process for collecting data, and that its "intent was to seize
the rights of parents and award them to public schools,
administrators, and teachers." She stated that she opposed the
bill. She indicated that every parent enrolling their child in
the Anchorage School District signed a blanket permission slip,
which listed the surveys with the opportunity to agree or refuse
to participate. She questioned the reason that YRBS was not
included with that permission agreement. She announced her
distrust of public agencies and public officials.
4:57:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON asked about the blanket permission
slip.
MS. HITE identified this as "Important Rights for Parents
Concerning Student Surveys." She announced that it was a
requirement to sign this in person.
4:59:06 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER clarified that this system was "a permissive
thing" and that it varied by district.
MS. HITE suggested that all districts should incorporate the
Anchorage system.
4:59:36 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER read a list of people still on line to testify.
[SB 101 was held over.]
5:00:34 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Health and Social Services Standing Committee meeting was
adjourned at 5:00 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB309pckt.PDF |
HHSS 2/11/2010 3:00:00 PM |
HB 309 |
| HB265pckt.PDF |
HHSS 2/11/2010 3:00:00 PM |
HB 265 |