02/16/2010 03:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SJR1 | |
| SB109 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SJR 1 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 109 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
February 16, 2010
3:32 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Donald Olson, Chair
Senator Joe Thomas, Vice Chair
Senator Hollis French
Senator Linda Menard
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Albert Kookesh
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 1
Proposing amendments to the Constitution of the State of Alaska
relating to terms of legislators.
- HEARD AND HELD
SENATE BILL NO. 109
"An Act repealing the secondary student competency examination
and related requirements; and providing for an effective date."
- MOVED SB 109 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SJR 1
SHORT TITLE: LIMITING TERMS OF STATE LEGISLATORS
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) MENARD
01/21/09 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/09
01/21/09 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/21/09 (S) CRA, STA, JUD
02/16/10 (S) CRA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
BILL: SB 109
SHORT TITLE: REPEAL SECONDARY SCHOOL EXIT EXAM
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) DAVIS
02/17/09 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/17/09 (S) EDC, CRA, FIN
03/16/09 (S) EDC AT 8:00 AM BELTZ 211
03/16/09 (S) Heard & Held
03/16/09 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
04/01/09 (S) EDC AT 8:00 AM BELTZ 211
04/01/09 (S) Heard & Held
04/01/09 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
10/23/09 (S) EDC AT 3:00 PM Anch LIO Rm 220
10/23/09 (S) Heard & Held
10/23/09 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
01/29/10 (S) EDC AT 8:00 AM FAHRENKAMP 203
01/29/10 (S) Heard & Held
01/29/10 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
02/01/10 (S) EDC AT 8:00 AM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/01/10 (S) Moved SB 109 Out of Committee
02/01/10 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
02/03/10 (S) EDC RPT 3DP 1NR
02/03/10 (S) DP: THOMAS, MEYER, DAVIS
02/03/10 (S) NR: OLSON
02/09/10 (S) CRA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/09/10 (S) Heard & Held
02/09/10 (S) MINUTE(CRA)
02/16/10 (S) CRA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
WITNESS REGISTER
MICHAEL ROVITO
Aide to Senator Menard
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided information on SJR 1.
DON BENSON
Representing himself
Matanuska Valley, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SJR 1.
LADAWN DRUCE, President
Kenai Peninsula Education Association
Kenai, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 109.
REBECCA LOGAN, President and CEO
Associated Builders and Contractors of Alaska (ABC)
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 109.
MARSHA NAGY
Representing herself
Kiana, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 109.
RICHARD DENNIS
Representing himself
Chistochina, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 109.
THERESA HOLT
Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 109.
RON FUHRER
Representing himself
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 109.
BARB ENGIAC, President
National Education Association - Alaska (NEA)
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 109.
WAYNE STEVENS, President and CEO
Alaska State Chamber of Commerce (ASCC)
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 109.
LARRY LADOUX, Commissioner
Department of Education and Early Development (EED)
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 109.
LES MORRIS, Deputy Commissioner
Department of Education and Early Development (EED)
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 109.
SENATOR BUNDE
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 109.
SENATOR DAVIS
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SB 109.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:32:51 PM
CHAIR DONALD OLSON called the Senate Community and Regional
Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:32 p.m. Present
at the call to order were Senators French, Menard, Thomas and
Olson.
SJR 1-LIMITING TERMS OF STATE LEGISLATORS
3:33:33 PM
CHAIR OLSON announced the first order of business to come before
the committee was SJR 1.
SENATOR MENARD, sponsor of SJR 1, said the resolution seeks to
put the question of term limits for legislators on the next
general election ballot. She said she strongly believes this
issue should be put to a vote of the people. According to SJR 1,
representatives would be limited to four terms and senators to
two terms, resulting in the ability for legislators to serve
eight years in their respective body. He or she must wait until
one complete term intervenes before running for office again.
She stated that Alaska's legislature was created with the
citizen legislator in mind and the state's founders never
intended for citizens to become career politicians. By limiting
the terms of law makers, other qualified persons in the state
would have a better chance to use their skills for the
betterment of Alaska. Typically, an incumbent in a House or
Senate race has the upper hand and legislators should not think
they are the only ones who can do the job.
She said term limits would end the perpetual election cycle and
allow legislators to concentrate on decisions that are best for
the state as opposed to their reelection chances. If term limits
were enacted by voters in the next general election, law makers
elected before the 2010 election would be grandfathered in and
their previous terms would not be counted against them.
3:36:16 PM
SENATOR THOMAS said Senator Menard would get more support from
the Senate if the term limit for senators was also four terms.
SENATOR MENARD said she understood that.
CHAIR OLSON asked how Senator Menard came up with two terms for
the Senate and four terms for the House.
SENATOR MENARD said she considered what would be fair. Term
limits in place in 15 states and under consideration in 6 more
states are "all over the board." A typical career is 20 years,
or 10 years for younger people; in 2050, young people will have
had four different careers.
She said she had heard a lot of pushback, including the feeling
that term limits are enforced by the polls already. She felt a
career politician has become connected and networked and has an
advantage over anyone trying to break through. She explained
that corruption in a state triggers legislation, resolutions to
reach voters and examination of career politicians. She said she
serves with the best legislators she could hope for but she ran
on the issue of term limits and is serious about it.
3:39:07 PM
SENATOR FRENCH read from the resolution: "No person who has
served as senator for two full or partial successive terms shall
again be eligible to hold that office until one term has
intervened." He said he assumed a full term is four years and a
partial term is anything less. He said he ran right after a
redistricting effort and was given a two-year term. Under the
terms of SJR 1, he would have been limited to six years in the
Senate. He asked Senator Menard if that was her understanding.
SENATOR MENARD replied that was her understanding and said the
appointment of a position like Senator Coghill's is another
similar situation.
SENATOR FRENCH asked if Senator Coghill would be limited to five
years: his current one-year term and then the next four-year
term.
SENATOR MENARD replied that was correct. She noted that she had
gone back and forth on that issue and it could be changed in the
Judiciary Committee.
CHAIR OLSON asked if a person could serve a term or two in the
House and subsequently run for the Senate.
CHAIR MENARD answered yes. She said a person could start in the
House for six years and then move to the Senate for eight years.
CHAIR OLSON noted that a learning curve exists for many
legislators, including him, who had never been involved in any
other office, such as a city council or school board. He asked
if Senator Menard expected legislators to be productive during
the first year or two while they get their feet on the ground.
3:41:53 PM
SENATOR MENARD replied that helpful staff, with a lot of
longevity, work with the legislators. She noted that the
lobbyists are helpful as well. After one year, a legislator
should be catching on. She said getting up to speed is not as
difficult as the public had been told.
SENATOR FRENCH encouraged Senator Menard to look at states with
term limits to see if the public is happier with their
legislators and if the term limits alleviate concerns about
career politicians. He said a 2004 paper on term limits by the
National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL) was referred to in
the committee packet and he would like to look at it.
SENATOR MENARD said she met Mr. Patrick Taylor's wife, of the
Taylor Foundation in Louisiana, a state with term limits. She
learned that some of the students that the Taylor Foundation had
put through college are now legislators. She said those students
would not have had that opportunity without term limits.
She recognized that legislators are protective of their jobs and
love what they do. She reiterated, however, that SJR 1 was
spurred on by the recent corruption in the Legislature.
3:44:45 PM
SENATOR THOMAS asked how long term limits have been in place in
other states, about the history of term limits and about the
results.
MICHAEL ROVITO, staff to Senator Menard, replied that many
states adopted term limits in the early 1990's, with Nebraska
being the most recent to do so in 2000. All states enacted the
term limits several years after adopting them. Voters in these
states approved term limits overwhelmingly.
SENATOR THOMAS said he was relatively new himself and thinks a
learning curve exists; one feels better after the first year of
dealing with the issues. He pointed out that the Legislature has
huge issues to deal with and it is important that people have
the ability to look back. He pointed out that getting up to
speed on something like ACES would take a great deal of effort.
He felt that even with helpful staff, if he had not sat through
the 2007 ACES hearings himself, he would have little idea what
is going on now and perhaps less interest. Long time legislators
have built up historical knowledge.
3:47:12 PM
CHAIR OLSON opened public testimony.
DON BENSON, representing himself, Matanuska Valley, said term
limits come into play after major cases of corruption and often
would have curtailed some of the long-term relationships that
possibly led to some corruption. He said the Constitution never
intended for career politicians and we need new people and fresh
ideas. He felt term limits do not keep citizens from returning
to office, and after sitting out one term they can go back into
office again. He pointed out that many offices only get eight
years or less. Because the state is supposed to be run by and
for the people, he urged the committee to let the people vote on
term limits.
3:50:29 PM
CHAIR OLSON closed public testimony and held SJR 1 in committee.
3:50:55 PM
CHAIR OLSON announced an at ease from 3:50 p.m. to 3:53 p.m.
SB 109-REPEAL SECONDARY SCHOOL EXIT EXAM
3:53:43 PM
CHAIR OLSON said the next order of business to come before the
committee was SB 109. He opened public testimony.
LADAWN DRUCE, President of the Kenai Peninsula Education
Association, Kenai, testified in support of SB 109. She said she
was a counselor and English teacher at Soldotna High School
before becoming president of the Teacher's Association on the
Kenai and has experienced the High School General Qualifying
Examination (HSGQE) as a parent of a child who did not pass, an
English teacher, a high school counselor and a test coordinator.
She said the HSGQE uses valuable instructional time and is
problematic for three groups of students: students who do not
perform well in testing situations, English Second Language
(ESL) students and special needs students. She pointed out that
some special needs students are provided with accommodations
that enable them to pass the test though their skills and
abilities are far below students who struggle with the test but
are not given the same accommodations. She felt this negated
whatever the HSGQE purports to measure.
She said the HSGQE does not measure mastery of content, literacy
or competency but rather measures high-stakes testing ability.
No single test should keep students from receiving a high school
diploma. She suggested that a more authentic skills assessment
would help guide students, parents, teachers and counselors and
would restore dignity and integrity to the high school
graduation process.
3:56:23 PM
REBECCA LOGAN, President and CEO, Associated Builders and
Contractors of Alaska (ABC), spoke in opposition to SB 109 from
the perspective of a trade association running a registered
apprenticeship program. She said 900-1200 students apply to
ABC's apprenticeship program every year and a significant
difference exists between those who have a diploma and those who
have a General Education Development (GED). Eighty percent of
students with a diploma meet the apprenticeship program's basic
math requirement while less than 30 percent of those with a GED
do. She felt the HSGQE is the most significant tool leading
students to pursue a diploma. She spoke in opposition to
removing the HSGQE until a replacement exam is in place.
SENATOR THOMAS asked if Ms. Logan knew how many students with a
GED had passed the HSGQE.
MS. LOGAN replied that ABC only keeps track of whether the
applicant has a GED or diploma.
CHAIR OLSON asked if Ms. Logan's opinion of SB 109 was
reflective of the business community in general.
MS. LOGAN said she could not speak for the entire business
community but she knows that employers in the construction
industry appreciate the HSGQE and feel it guarantees a student's
basic skills.
CHAIR OLSON asked what ABC's plans are for students who don't
meet the requirements or are not accepted into the
apprenticeship program.
MS. LOGAN responded that someone from the program meets with the
individual and indentifies the skill or education that is
lacking. She explained that several different resources are
available, such as taking math or reading classes.
3:59:51 PM
CHAIR OLSON asked who pays for that.
MS. LOGAN replied that the Department of Labor and Workforce
Development (DOLWD) supports several programs at no charge. She
explained the most common problem is not meeting the math
requirement and that four or five opportunities exist for people
to go and take a math class at no charge.
MARSHA NAGY, representing herself, Kiana, Alaska, spoke in
opposition to SB 109. She said she has been a teacher for 30
years and believes the HSGQE needs modification and does not
meet the needs of some lesser-skilled students. She said a
spectrum of opinions exist across the 11 villages in the
Northwest Arctic Borough; however, her students in government
and global issues feel that the HSGQE helps set goals, sets a
standard and gives them a place to head toward in their academic
career. She said she is concerned about the amount of money that
is squandered on standardized testing protocol. She said that
while the HSGQE does need to be modified, it should not be
dumped until something better is in place.
4:03:10 PM
SENATOR THOMAS asked if Ms. Nagy had suggestions for modifying
the HSGQE and if she thought the exam should be used as an
evaluation tool.
MS. NAGY replied that the HSGQE presents problems for special
education kids or limited-English speakers but that her average
or above-average students find the exam insultingly easy. She
felt that allowing students three chances to pass the exam
should not change and she described a student who did poorly on
the HSGQE the first time but finally passed and understood that
"you cannot fluff your way through high school." She felt that
the absence of a minimal exit exam makes a mockery of hard work.
CHAIR OLSON asked what the passing rate of the HSGQE was in
Kiana last year.
MS. NAGY replied that about 75 percent passed.
CHAIR OLSON asked what has happened to the students in Kiana who
have not passed the HSGQE - what their lifestyle is like now and
what they are up to.
4:06:00 PM
MS. NAGY said that ultimately most of Kiana's seniors have
passed the HSGQE and are involved in an array of activities. She
said she cannot think of a student that did not pass last year.
CHAIR OLSON asked about the four years she has been in Kiana.
MS. NAGY apologized and said she could not speak to this.
RICHARD DENNIS, representing himself, Chistochina, Alaska, spoke
in opposition to SB 109. He said he came to Alaska in the
1970's, has taught from the Aleutians to the arctic and worked
as an administrator. He explained that he was initially against
the HSGQE. Over time, he saw students focusing, achieving and
valuing the test. He suggested the HSGQE is not redundant but is
the only test that measures minimum competency. Underperforming
schools are related to community attitudes and the HSGQE has
focused student's attitudes. He said many professions have to
take a test to ensure some competency. He said he thought rural
education has benefitted from the HSGQE because "each of us
values that which we have to work hard for."
4:10:09 PM
SENATOR THOMAS asked if it seemed reasonable to Mr. Dennis that
that a student can complete all high school requirements, yet
fail the HSGQE, and not graduate or get a diploma.
MR. DENNIS answered that in order to get a high school diploma,
a student has to pass all three elements of the exit exam and
complete the school district requirements. "It's not 'or' it's
'and.'" He has observed students having a good attitude about
the HSGQE and have going after it. He felt that the HSGQE took a
bit of the pressure off of any particular teacher who is not
passing a student. The students seem to have accepted more
responsibility for their own learning.
SENATOR THOMAS said he is questioning the fairness of the HSGQE
prohibiting some students from getting a diploma if they
completed all of the rest of the work.
4:12:34 PM
MR. DENNIS said the HSGQE is a minimum competency test; it is at
the eighth grade level. He said giving someone a high school
diploma does not assure that the person can add, multiply or
read. The exit exam is designed to assure that if someone has a
high school diploma and has passed the HSGQE, that person has
basic skills.
THERESA HOLT, Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special
Education, said the Council works to create change that improves
the lives of people with disabilities. The Council's top
education priority this year is to support SB 109. She said the
stakes for the HSGQE are too high and result in extremely
limited opportunities for students who do not pass, many of whom
have disabilities. She explained that going on to college or
vocational school, joining the military, or getting a job that
pays a living wage are all difficult to do without a diploma.
The HSGQE focuses resources at the wrong end of the educational
system. She said students take the test at the end of ninth
grade but remediation does not start until eleventh grade.
Research suggests one hour per day of specific, directed
instruction is needed for each year a student is behind. For
example, a tenth grade student reading at a fourth grade level
is six years behind. She questioned how an extra six hours could
be fit into the high school schedule while still allowing the
student to get all the credits needed to graduate. She said
students and teachers are set up for an impossible task.
4:15:39 PM
MS. HOLT said that teachers end up teaching students how to pass
the test rather than teaching reading, writing and math skills.
Students miss out on vocational opportunities or activities in
which they do well, such as music, art or sports, because they
are always in remedial classes in addition to core subjects.
She said we need to look at accountability in kindergarten to
third grade. She said the Department of Education recently
brought up some speakers from the Kennewick School District in
Washington who had set the bar in accountability at third grade;
ninety percent of all students would be reading at grade level
by third grade. Some school districts in Alaska have similar
programs to remediate early. She said the Standard Base
Assessment (SBA) tests students every year, showing in the third
grade, and every grade after, which students are behind. When it
is first known that a student is behind is the time to start
remediation; gaining one year is much easier than six years. She
said her son was not reading by fifth grade in spite of several
hours per day of special education. With one-on-one attention
for two hours a day, three times a week at a private remediation
clinic, he caught up to fifth grade reading in one summer.
She said the HSGQE ruins students' self-esteem and a student who
fails the SBA every single year in convinced that he or she is
never going to learn the skills. Then we make the student retake
the test up to six times and ask the student to stay in high
school one more year when all their friends have graduated.
CHAIR OLSON asked Ms. Holt to summarize.
4:19:12 PM
MS. HOLT said there are ways to start early and get students up
to age and grade level. WorkKeys can address the business
community's needs and show skill levels. She suggested that
instead of a student being able to graduate with a D minus grade
point average, maybe a student should be required to have higher
grades to get a diploma.
SENATOR THOMAS agreed that a lot of testing is done and
intervention and remediation should be done earlier. He asked
what Ms. Holt would do to modify or replace the test.
MS. HOLT replied that she would put accountability at the third
grade level and have 90 percent of students reading. She said
WorkKeys could be used as an incentive for students to improve
and show their scores to employers, but not as a high stakes
exam.
RON FUHRER, representing himself, said he is a teacher in the
Anchorage School District. He reported that on the days that
high stakes tests are given, a huge amount of resources are
expended. A stigma is place on students who do not pass the
HSGQE. He said that student performance is tracked with SBA's
and then students who fail one piece of the HSGQE are told
"Sorry, you are just going to get a certificate of attendance,
you are not going to get a diploma." Such a student's ability to
find a living wage job has been seriously impacted.
4:22:42 PM
BARB ENGIAC, president, National Education Association Alaska
(NEA), told a story about Alaska's high school students and how
proud students and communities were of high school graduation.
She continued:
Then one day, some folks decided they knew better than
the well-trained educators in the state. They said,
'We know what's wrong with kids today. They are not
being taught well enough and we can prove it. We will
use our influence to impose a test to be sure that
students are learning and teachers are teaching.' So
the HSGQE was born.
She said the idea of students meeting minimum standards has
merit, but the HSGQE has not done the job it was intended to do.
The HSGQE causes confusion among some students who pass the
HSGQE and believe continuing formal education is unnecessary.
The HSGQE causes great anxiety among students who have
difficulty in formalized test settings. The HSGQE makes no
allowance for second language learners.
4:25:38 PM
She concluded her story by saying:
Parents, students, educators and community members all
shared their perspectives. They concluded that the
test was not helpful and in some cases actually
causing harm. Along came Senator Bettye Davis who
introduced SB 109. The bill was set to repeal the exit
exam. NEA Alaska members applauded the effort and were
jumping with excitement that their voices were finally
being heard.
MS. ENGIAC said she has been an educator in Bethel for 30 years
and is the parent of a senior at Brown University. She recalled
her daughter and her friends talking about their perspectives on
the test. Her daughter saw it as nothing more than a hurdle.
Some looked at it as another worry and struggle before being
able to achieve a diploma. Some felt they would drop out, get a
GED and not worry about the HSGQE. Several kids are working in
minimum paying jobs in Bethel, having not furthered their
education because they saw the HSGQE as an obstacle.
She explained that NEA - Alaska is not opposed to accountability
but wants something productive rather than an obstacle.
4:28:28 PM
SENATOR THOMAS asked Ms. Engiac about earlier remediation and
what testing should be in place, if any, to replace the HSGQE as
a better judge of academic acuity.
MS. ENGIAC replied that many options exist to help make sure
remediation is in place earlier. She said catching learning
deficiencies as early as possible allows the greatest
opportunity for success. Although the HSGQE was intended to show
that kids have a minimum set of skills, many community members
and kids have seen it as the standard: "Once we've achieved
that, we're there." She said the Regents Exam is given in New
York and proves how much achievement has been obtained.
4:31:04 PM
SENATOR MENARD asked if Ms. Engiac had a fundamental belief that
a student should be able to graduate if he or she scores well in
a class.
MS. ENGIAC replied yes, if rigorous standards are in place in
course work. She said exams in a course prove skill level.
SENATOR FRENCH asked about the New York state Regents exam.
MS. ENGIAC replied that the idea of the Regents exam is to look
at the skill set and the achievement of a student based on
rigorous testing. The exam shows what level the student is at,
rather than just achieving a cut score. She said the exam is
comprehensive, testing more than reading, writing and math.
SENATOR FRENCH asked if the exam places the student on a
continuum of high, middle and low achieving and gives some
feedback to the community about how the student fits in the
overall standings.
MS. ENGIAC replied, "Correct."
4:33:08 PM
WAYNE STEVENS, President and CEO, Alaska State Chamber of
Commerce (ASCC), said the ASCC was actively involved in and
supportive of efforts to create the exit exam in 2000 - 2001.
Like business and government, the education system needs to
measure results of their efforts. He said the ASCC supports the
merit-based scholarship concept to raise the bar on education
and education requirements. Talking of lowering the bar of high
school graduation is a shame while trying to raise the bar for
merit-based scholarships. He said merit-based scholarships
propose that we: increase high school graduation rates, improve
academic performance of students, improve preparedness for post-
secondary education, increase the scores of high school students
on college entrance exams, increase job training opportunities,
and expand the pool of high school students who pursue post-
secondary opportunities. He said all the effort in discussing
merit-based scholarships does not include saying, "Lower the
bar, take out the exam, lower the standards."
He said the ASCC is so concerned about high school students
being ready to enter the work force that it is starting a summer
program called Alaska Business Week. This opportunity will
introduce 100 high school students to the principles of
business. He said the ASCC supports efforts to raise graduation
requirements and encourages the continuation of the HSGQE.
4:35:48 PM
SENATOR THOMAS asked what statistics Mr. Steven's observations
about higher graduation rates are based on.
MR. STEVENS said he was speaking about what the merit-based
scholarship idea proposes.
SENATOR THOMAS said he thought Mr. Steven's statement indicated
that the HSGQE had in fact increased graduation rates and
lowered dropout rates.
MR. STEVENS explained that the ASCC supports the merit based
scholarship program and the proposed increased standards that go
along with it. He said standards should not be reduced in some
areas while implementing higher standards for the merit-based
scholarship program.
SENATOR THOMAS said no one wants to go backwards but rather want
to make sure evaluation is done properly and is used to
remediate earlier.
LARRY LADOUX, Commissioner, Department of Education and Early
Development (EED), said he would speak to the position of the
state Board of Education. He said flexibility must be balanced
with rigor and fairness with high standards and that his head
and his heart often conflict. He said the Board of Education
recognizes the serious concerns with HSGQE including the time
required to administer the exam.
4:39:33 PM
He said another concern is that when a student does not pass the
exam, the focus of his or her high school career becomes
remediation instead of courses that enlighten and inspire. Other
concerns are the HSGQE's impact on the social environment of
schools which have fewer electives and more remedial courses,
and the impact on an individual who does not graduate.
Graduation from high school is a rite of passage and any
interference causes severe stress. He said he has sat with many
students who did not graduate due to other barriers besides the
HSGQE, such as not passing senior English or history. He said if
a child begins life with a sense of failure, if follows them.
The Board of Education recognizes concerns for those who do not
pass the exam but feels it should be in place until a system of
accountability ensures that students are reaching certain
standards. He said the HSGQE is a type of accountability that
does not exist elsewhere in the system. He explained that when a
student does not pass, the parents, school, teachers and student
focus on the need to learn the information. He said last year
273 students got a certificate of attendance instead of a
diploma due to not passing the exam. He explained that these
students were not able to pass an exam with standards based on
the eighth, ninth and tenth grade level. Before the start of the
HSGQE, these students would have earned a diploma and entered
the work force.
4:42:32 PM
He said students with disabilities do not pass the HSGQE very
well compared to other students but pointed out that the number
of students who do pass the exam with a special education
designation is increasing. He said people are working harder
than ever before. He pointed out that a student could graduate
with a D minus in every class and get a full diploma. The HSGQE
adds accountability to that. The HSGQE provides businesses and
employers an assurance that everyone who has an Alaskan high
school diploma has a basic education through the eighth and
ninth grade. He said the number of graduates increased almost 5
percent last year.
He said the state Board of Education has unanimously expressed
"that we need to hold the course" while paying attention to
concerns. Most other states with high stakes exams have
alternative pathways but even those do not guarantee that every
student will graduate from high school. The intent of the exam,
to make sure every student meets minimum requirements, is still
there.
He said that any law that does not provide flexibility to
respond to individual needs is going to cause problems. He said
he has heard heart-wrenching stories of the HSGQE affecting
students, through no fault of their own. He said he hears from
teachers and counselors asking for help and he does not have the
ability to respond. He said to treat all kids the same is to
treat them unfairly.
4:45:35 PM
He continued and said next year, eleventh grade students will
take the WorkKeys exam which measures work readiness. National
standards are also coming down the line with national
assessments at every grade level. He said we do need to focus on
literacy before third grade and early learning to make sure kids
come to school ready learn. He felt good assessments are in
place to show early on that some students will not pass the
HSGQE and interventions are happening. The state Board of
Education is looking for ways to resolve issues but believes
that lowering the accountability level will not protect the
kids. Since the HSGQE began, kids are performing higher than
before in many ways.
4:48:07 PM
SENATOR MENARD asked Commissioner Morris to speak to the impact
of the passage of SB 109 on the EED's contract with the test
suppliers and associated costs.
LES MORRIS, deputy commissioner, Department of Education and
Early Development (EED) said the fiscal note attached to SB 109
shows a potential net savings of $1.3 million in fiscal year
2010, the first year SB 109 would be implemented. A contract is
in place until 2016 and would have to be renegotiated. The HSGQE
is part of a larger contract with all standard based exams.
Renegotiating could result in potential savings.
SENATOR MENARD said asked about WorkKeys.
MR. MORRIS replied that WorkKeys is an assessment that gives
students an indication of their level and those levels are then
tied to certain careers. It tells you if you have the potential
to do well in a particular career. WorkKeys is an off-the-shelf
product as opposed to a custom developed product. The state
Board of Education has required WorkKeys as an assessment at the
eleventh grade starting next school year.
SENATOR MENARD asked about the cost of WorkKeys.
MR. MORRIS replied that he does not have that information right
now.
4:50:53 PM
SENATOR THOMAS said he is glad that the discussion of
accountability is about the whole system. He felt that the HSGQE
should be an evaluation of the entire system including teachers
and teacher education programs, not just a student in the tenth
grade. He said he understood that the HSGQE is closer to an
eighth grade level and so is not such a great standard. He
clarified that he does not want to dumb down the system but
wants to create accountability throughout the system rather than
just saying, "The student didn't learn." He said he wants to
include parents, which he knows is difficult.
4:53:06 PM
COMMISSIONER LADOUX said that the success of a student leaving
school ready for the world is an outcome of many things
including parenting, the community and instruction. He said the
intent of the Alaska state education plan is to approach
improvement over a continuum, to start early, make sure kids can
read, find ways to provide humanities and vocational
opportunities and the vision to go on to a career and college.
He said he felt the accountability landscape will improve. He
would like to see a college-ready exam that would report to
parents whether their child is ready for college. He would like
to use the WorkKeys to report whether a child is ready to enter
the world of training and technical school. He would like to
make sure that SBA's accurately represent what kids know and are
able to do. He said Deputy Commissioner Morris will be meeting
with experts to compare Alaska's standards with new national
standards and make sure Alaska's assessments reflect an accurate
trajectory. However, right now the HSGQE is the only real
accountability in place. Every district has to develop a plan
for a student who does not pass the HSGQE.
CHAIR OLSON asked if the HSGQE has accomplished what it was
supposed to accomplish.
4:55:20 PM
COMMISSIONER LADOUX said the HSGQE has shown that some students
do not meet the expectations that a diploma says a student
should have. Two-thirds of the students in the country are
subject to high stakes exams. But studies have not been done to
make sure that these exams work or to look at kids who receive a
certificate of attendance and see how they are doing. He said he
does believe that kids will only rise to the level of
accountability that we give them. Special education students,
English second language students, and all students can do more
than we are expecting.
SENATOR MENARD asked if Commissioner LaDoux, in summary, would
not like the Legislature to get rid of the exit exam.
COMMISSIONER LADOUX said he agrees with the position of the
state Board of Education: stay the course, take a close look at
the impact on students and add necessary flexibility. Even
though more flexibility means more work for administrators, he
does not like any legislation that will not look at an
individual child. However, a high stakes exam will hold kids
accountable.
CHAIR OLSON asked if other states had implemented an exit exam
and then repealed it.
COMMISSIONER LADOUX said the trend nationally is for more states
to adopt this kind of rigor. He pointed out that some states are
looking at end of course exams for each course instead of a high
stakes exam. He said most states have flexibility built into
their system; Alaska has none except some flexibility for some
special education students.
4:58:13 PM
SENATOR BUNDE said he has 25 years of teaching experience from
elementary special education through the university level. He
said dyslexia runs in his family and he has a family member who
is functionally illiterate. He said the HSGQE began with his
reaction to the business community and the University which both
complained of receiving people with Alaska high school diplomas
who were not able to function at a high school level. The
business community was frustrated with getting someone who could
not read safety manuals, write a report or do basic math. The
business community had two choices: provide remediation and
teach reading, writing and arithmetic, which they are not
prepared to do or pay for, or fire the worker. He said the
University also has a high level of remediation that costs a
good deal of money.
5:01:22 PM
The HSGQE was developed and implemented over six years. The
Legislature put the framework in place and public members,
teachers and experts decided the minimum that a student should
know and be able to do as a high school graduate. Though he
shares concerns about some students being left out, he thinks
the HSGQE has worked well. He mentioned that some high school
students took the HSGQE and wrote letters to the editor
concerning it. Senator Bunde said the headline for an article
was, "Kill High School Exit Exam, Critics Tell Committee." He
pointed out that 55 of the 63 blogs that followed the article
opposed SB 109 and were in favor of keeping the HSGQE.
5:04:38 PM
SENATOR BUNDE said he met with 10 or 12 principals and vice-
principals in the Anchorage school district a couple of years
after the HSGQE was in place. They were enthusiastic about the
resulting remediation and said the students participated in the
remediation because walking across the stage and getting a
diploma is still one thing that young people value. Right after
they told Senator Bunde this, they said, "Now it's working,
repeal it." He said people rise or lower to the level of
expectation. If the exam was not necessary, all the resulting
remediation would have been taking place before the HSGQE. If
the HSGQE goes away, the remediation will go away.
In 2008, 8,000 students received a high school diploma in Alaska
while over 500 students received a certificate of attendance. He
questioned disenfranchising 8,000 students by lowering the value
of their diploma out of genuine and heartfelt concern for the
500 who get a certificate of attendance. He said two-thirds of
the kids that drop out of Alaska high schools do so because they
don't get enough credits.
5:07:22 PM
The expectation that students are living up to has changed the
rigor of the program. He said, anecdotally, he used to go talk
to classes about government and at least one child had his or
her head down to sleep. Since the HSGQE, he has never been in a
class with someone asleep.
He clarified that if someone gets a high school diploma they
would not take a GED. He said the GED is much tougher and more
rigorous test than the HSGQE. He shared that 80 percent of
people polled were in favor of the HSGQE when it first passed as
a higher standard and more accountability. He said a minimum
competency test was also passed for University graduates going
into teaching.
5:10:27 PM
He said he has asked that the public be polled on SB 109. He
hoped to provide the committee with that data before SB 109
moves out of committee. He said the bottom line is how to define
what constitutes a high school graduate in Alaska: a certain
level of functional literacy or seat time.
SENATOR MENARD asked if Senator Bunde hired a poll to see if
people want to do away with the HSGQE and if the poll is in
process now.
SENATOR BUNDE responded, yes.
SENATOR MENARD asked when Senator Bunde feels he will have the
results of the poll.
SENATOR BUNDE answered that he is hoping to shortly, but does
not have a date.
5:13:01 PM
SENATOR THOMAS said he is concerned that without a timeframe,
nothing else will replace the HSGQE. SB 109 creates a timeframe.
The HSGQE does not necessarily go away but would still be used
for an evaluation of the system, not just the student. If SB 109
takes effect, there is more than one and a half years to put
something in place and people thought that other things are
ready to be put in place as a better evaluation.
SENATOR BUNDE read the title of SB 109: "Repealing the Secondary
Student Competence Examination." He said the title doesn't say
anything about finding something new. He felt SB 109 would be
stronger and more positive if it created a new competency test,
rather than just repealing.
5:15:30 PM
CHAIR OLSON closed public testimony. He noted that last week the
committee heard moving testimony from students from Chevak in
support of SB 109. He asked Senator Davis to offer some closing
comments or answer some of the questions brought up.
SENATOR DAVIS said many hearings have been held on SB 109 so far
and she noted it goes to Senate finance next. She said three or
four years ago the state Board of Education sent a note to the
Commissioner saying it is time to repeal the exit exam or come
up with alternative standards. Nothing happened. She said she
thought about what could be done to make the HSGQE a better
tool, but decided she only wanted to see if the public wanted to
keep it or repeal it. She said the testimony has been excellent.
She said even the Commissioner said the Board of Education felt
the HSGQE should stay until alternative assessments are in place
and she knows various school districts throughout the state are
working on alternative assessments. The HSGQE has not met the
expectations held in 2002.
5:18:35 PM
She said if SB 109 passes, the HSGQE would not take place as of
June 2011, leaving ample time for the EED, Board of Education
and various school districts to come up with alternatives to the
HSGQE. She pointed out that when the HSGQE was started, No Child
Left Behind did not exist and now we are teaching to two tests.
She also pointed out that the HSGQE was originally at a higher
level. However, so many kids flunked it that the standards were
lowered and "we can't lower them anymore." In that case, she
questioned why continue with the HSGQE. She said the savings
could be as much as $3 million, not including the savings for
the districts which are spending a substantial amount of money,
setting aside six days and doing remediation to teach to the
test.
5:21:00 PM
She said all that time and money could be used toward building
assessments we already have. She said the community is still
complaining about our high school graduates.
She said she would like to see SB 109 move out of committee. She
did not know what information Senator Bunde was having drawn up
but said that the public has had two years to share opinions and
more people are coming forward with problems with the HSGQE than
those coming forward to say the exam should stay. She said no
one is saying the HSGQE is great, not even Senator Bunde.
5:24:13 PM
She said even if SB 109 does not pass, she knows she has brought
the discussion up and more people are aware and concerned.
CHAIR OLSON said the committee has a lot of respect for Senator
Davis and her experience and would give her as much time as
necessary.
SENATOR THOMAS moved to report SB 109 from committee with
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There
being no objection, the motion carried.
5:25:33 PM
CHAIR OLSON adjourned the meeting at 5:25 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor Statement SJR1.pdf |
SCRA 2/16/2010 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 1 |
| SJR1 Back up information.pdf |
SCRA 2/16/2010 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 1 |
| SJR 1 Frequently Asked Questions.pdf |
SCRA 2/16/2010 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 1 |
| SB 109 Memo re Moore vs State.pdf |
SCRA 2/16/2010 3:30:00 PM |
SB 109 |