Legislature(2009 - 2010)Anch LIO Rm 220
10/23/2009 03:00 PM Senate EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB109 | |
| Sb 102 Discussion | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| = | SB 109 | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
ANCHORAGE, AK
October 23, 2009
3:04 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Kevin Meyer, Co-Chair
Senator Joe Thomas, Co-Chair
Senator Bettye Davis, Vice Chair
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Charlie Huggins
Senator Donald Olson
Senator Gary Stevens
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Seaton
Representative Buch
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 109
"An Act repealing the secondary student competency examination
and related requirements; and providing for an effective date."
HEARD AND HELD
Community Discussion of Compulsory School Attendance Age/Truancy
(SB 102)
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
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
WITNESS REGISTER
TOM OBERMEYER
Staff to Senator Davis
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on SB 109 and SB 102 for the
sponsor.
EDDY JEANS, Director
School Finance
Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on SB 109.
THERESA HOLT
Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 109.
RHONDA STARK
State Home School Association
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 109.
LAUREL VORACHEK, Executive Director
Assessments and Evaluations
Anchorage School District
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 109.
MIKE HENRY, Executive Director
Anchorage School District's High Schools
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 109.
JOHN ALCANTRA, Government Relations Director
National Education Association Alaska (NEA)
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 109.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:04:39 PM
CO-CHAIR KEVIN MEYER called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 3:04 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Davis, Thomas, and Meyer. Representatives
Seaton and Buck were also present.
SB 109-REPEAL SECONDARY SCHOOL EXIT EXAM
3:07:10 PM
CO-CHAIR MEYER announced consideration of SB 109.
TOM OBERMEYER, Staff to Senator Davis, read the following into
the record:
SB 109 repeals the Alaska secondary student competency
examination, also known as the High School Graduation
Qualifying Exam (HSGQE) or Exit exam. The HSGQE
was initiated in 2001 and became fully effective in
2004, following the trend for more assessment in the
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. It was never clear
that the Alaska HSGQE would improve performance and
measure whether students would be better prepared for
college, much less determine conclusively that
students were receiving diplomas but lacking basic
skills. The HSGQE has become a 'high stakes' hurtle
that has harmed many students in Alaska while
exacerbating a court finding in 2007 that the State
was violating students' constitutional rights to an
education without providing proper assistance and
direction. (See Moore, et al. v. State of Alaska,
3AN04-9756).
3:10:56 PM
It may be argued that State does not need the HSGQE,
as the State and all school districts already require
many assessment tests to determine student progress
and competency. At the same time there is a trend
away from exit exams. The Center on Education Policy
(CEP) report in August, 2008 that most states are
moving toward end-of course exams which assess mastery
of content of a specific high school course in lieu of
exit exams. The current Alaska HSGQE reportedly has
been changed by the Board of Education and made less
difficult than at inception. As a result, the HSGQE
has become somewhat redundant, time-consuming, and
expensive to administer. To save time and money,
beginning in the spring of 2006 sophomores took a test
that combined the HSGQE with a standards-based reading
and math assessment required by the federal No Child
Left Behind Act. Although students took only one exam,
some questions counted for one or the other or both
exams to satisfy state requirements. (See Legislative
Research Report 06.233, History, Results, and Cost of
the HSGQE, June 28, 2006). The HSGQE reportedly has
detracted from the standard curriculum and has also
promoted teaching to the test.
The Department reported in 2007 that over 1,100
students statewide failed to pass the HSGQE after five
opportunities, while 8,524 passed. See Moore, supra,
exhibit 2514, p. 13 of 58, Findings of Fact,
Conclusions of Law and Order. These numbers excluded
all students who had dropped out or transferred to
another school before passing. The court in Moore
determined that the State was violating the
substantive due process rights of students by denying
high school diplomas to students in chronically
underperforming school districts. Students were
failing the High School Graduation Qualifying Exam,
while the State was failing to provide the oversight,
assistance, and direction with clear standards to
guide districts attempting to meet content and
performance standards. As a result, the court
concluded that the Department was ultimately failing
to "maintain a system of public schools" as required
under the Alaska Constitution, Article VII, Section
1. Finding insufficient proof of compliance with its
2007 court order, the court in Moore on February 4,
2009 gave the Department 60 days to establish
compliance with its constitutional duties and to file
with the court revised district intervention plans
that address and incorporate as appropriate remedial
measures related to each of the problem areas
identified in these Findings.'
Alaska's experience with high school exit exams is not
new but widespread. Fearful that hundreds of
thousands of students would be left behind by one set
of standardized, time-pressured tests in New York, an
article appeared in the New York Times headed
Albany Legislators Seek to Dilute New, Tougher
Graduation Exams. It was stated in the article that
an unusual bipartisan coalition of state lawmakers,
whose constituents ranged from inner-city residents to
affluent suburbanites, is pushing to scale back new
more stringent graduation requirements for nearly all
public high school students. New York Times, May 12,
1999.
3:14:28 PM
The Center on Education Policy (CEP) reported in
August, 2008 that in the 2007-2008 school year 23
states required students to take and pass exit exams
to receive a high school diploma. Three more states,
Arkansas, Maryland, and Oklahoma, will begin
withholding diplomas within the next few years,
leading to a total of 26 states with such policies by
2012. Additionally, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and
Oregon are considering exit exams, but Oregon and
Pennsylvania are opting to use multiple measures. The
CEP reported that 68 percent of the nations' public
high school students attend school in the 23 states
with such policies. By 2012 approximately 75 percent
of the nation's public high school students will be
affected, including 84 percent of low income students
and students of color.
The Center on Education Policy (CEP) recommends more
funding should be allocated to research aimed at
better understanding the impact of exit exams,
considering the vast number of students affected by
state-mandated high school exit exams. State
governments, the CEP reports, should move immediately
to collect and release data on final passage rates on
these and the rate of students using alternative paths
to graduation. As they implement more end-of-course
exams, the CEP recommends that states address the need
for greater rigor in the content of their exams and
provide for greater coordination of high school
requirements with college preparedness and work
readiness demands.
While dropping the HSGQE does not remedy underlying
problems in delivering quality education in
underperforming districts already identified by other
assessments, it does remove the risk that a student
can be denied a diploma after 12 years of education by
one exam. Eliminating the HSGQE may also encourage
youth to stay in school long enough to get a diploma
and reduce the dropout rate. After complying with
court-ordered requirements in Moore, and perhaps after
experience with other on-going assessments, the
Department and the Board of Education may better
determine whether an exit exam or HSGQE Exam is in the
best interests of the state, recognizing that more
states seem to be moving away from exit exams toward
end-of-course exams.
3:17:17 PM
SENATOR DAVIS explained that she initially introduced the bill
to get input from the public as to whether the HSGQE was
working. She brought it back because that question hasn't been
answered.
CO-CHAIR MEYER asked what percentage of students have passed the
exam.
MR. OBERMEYER replied about 95 percent passed, but only 69
percent graduated.
CO-CHAIR MEYER asked how special needs are accommodated when
taking the test.
3:19:53 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON related that the High School Graduation
Working Group recommended eliminating the high stakes nature of
the high school qualifying exam and perhaps replacing the exam
with levels of WorkKeys.
EDDY JEANS, Director, School Finance, Alaska Department of
Education and Early Development, said the State Board of
Education and Early Development (State Board) has been
discussing this issue and a task force has been working on how
to improve graduation rates. One issue is that many students
view the HSGQE as the termination point for attending school,
but the State Board is looking for an assessment tool to help
students improve their education. Information from that tool
would be shared with parents and private industry as to the
students achievement levels.
3:25:49 PM
MR. JEANS said he isn't prepared to say that the State Board is
looking at replacing the HSGQE with WorkKeys or that it believes
that the WorkKeys can replace the HSGQE as a high stakes test.
The question is whether the state needs a high stakes test or if
there is another way to get the information to parents and
future employers about students' education abilities.
The HSGQE is a minimum competency exam and includes questions
from 8-10 grades. It is embedded in the standards-based
assessment test that's given to all 10th grade students. It's
also offered as a stand-alone test to those students who don't
pass on the first try.
MR. JEANS explained that the HSGQE is part of the state's $6.7
million/year, six-year contract with Data Recognition
Corporation (DRC) to administer and score its standards-based
assessments.
3:28:24 PM
SENATOR DAVIS asked when the DEED will issue an opinion on the
HSGQE.
MR. JEANS replied the State Board has been discussing that issue
and will likely be closer to a definitive answer in the December
meeting. It wants a tool that provides information that can go
on students' transcripts to inform parents and the private
sector about the students' academic attainments other than the
HSGQE, which is simply pass/fail.
CO-CHAIR MEYER asked what percentage of students passed the
HSGQE, and how children with learning disabilities are handled.
3:31:31 PM
MR. JEANS said he would get that information to the committee,
but Eric McCormick, the director of assessments, has said that
more students fail to graduate because they didn't complete high
school credit requirements than those who didn't pass the high
school qualifying exam.
Special education students typically have the terms for taking
tests written into their IEP (individualized education program).
When the high school qualifying exam initially passed the
special education community brought a lawsuit against the state
to ensure that students had alternative means to attain a high
school diploma. That was narrowed to allow some kind of
portfolio assessment for some students, but most have
accommodations within their IEP.
3:34:07 PM
CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked if the HSGQE is used for any other purpose
like evaluating how teachers are prepared or the relevance of
the subject matter.
MR. JEANS explained that Alaska has an assessment system with
standards that were developed by Alaskans that measures what
students should know and be able to do in each grade level.
Reading, writing, and math assessments are conducted annually in
grades 3-10 and student achievement is measured against those
standards, which have grade level expectations. The existing
system can track individual performance and provide information
to teachers so they can develop individual instruction programs
to target areas in which a student is underperforming. The high
school qualifying exam is a separate and different assessment
tool. It is intended to measure minimum competency in reading,
writing, and math to issue a high school diploma, nothing more.
Addressing Senator Thomas's question, he said that the state's
assessment system does provide information about what individual
children know and can do based on the expectations the state
established.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked what the $6.7 million/year breaks down to
per student.
MR. JEANS replied he'd provide that information later; the
assessments are only done in grades 3-10 and he didn't know the
enrollments in those grades.
3:38:27 PM
MR. OBERMEYER directed attention to a May 1, 2009 legislative
research report that indicated in 2007/09 the average cost per
student was $123. He highlighted for the record that in 2002 the
exam was refocused to emphasize essential skills and minimum
competencies. The report states that each year between 2002 and
2006 an average of 71 percent of sophomore students tested
proficient in reading, 86 percent in writing, and 70 percent in
math. In 2005 about 61 percent of sophomores taking the full
exam passed all three parts of the exam, and about 11 percent
did not. In 2006 about 68 percent of sophomores passed all three
parts of the exam, and about 7 percent did not pass any part.
3:41:26 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked what percentage of sophomores who
passed the exam might need remediation before getting a job or
furthering their education.
MR. JEANS replied very few sophomores would be ready to enter
the work force or go on to higher education after passing a
minimum competency exam. There isn't a direct correlation
between required remediation and students who have passed the
high school qualifying exam, he added.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON questioned what a high school diploma
qualifies a person to do and observed that it's a struggle to
understand whether the high school qualifying exam really means
something to future employers.
3:44:56 PM
MR. JEANS related that the HSGQE was never intended to measure
whether or not students are ready for post secondary education;
it was intended to assure private sector employers that a
student with a high school diploma could, at a minimum, read,
write and do basic math. As previously mentioned, the State
Board is interested in looking at other kinds of assessments to
provide employers and the University system with better
information on what students can do when they leave high school.
For example, WorkKeys provide information about a student's
proficiency on four levels that are labeled bronze, silver, gold
and platinum. Obviously, he said, a student that has platinum
scores on his transcript is likely to be more trainable than a
student with silver scores.
CO-CHAIR MEYER said he hopes to hear from the Chamber of
Commerce or someone from the private sector on this issue as
this bill progresses.
3:48:18 PM
THERESA HOLT, Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special
Education, supported SB 109. She explained that she just spent
the last couple of weeks reading the Center for Education policy
reports on the exit exams and all the state report cards for the
last 10 years and concluded that the exit exam has not actually
increased the graduation rate and doesnt decrease the dropout
rate.
The Center for Education policy says that, in general, exit
exams have a negative impact, and after it was implemented in
2004, the dropout rate increased significantly. Since then it
has slowly decreased, but it is still not to where it was before
the exit exam was implemented. The HSGQE also significantly
impacts students from minorities, low income homes, and
especially students with disabilities. While she had only 2006
data, she said Alaskan children of Caucasian decent passed the
HSGQE at an 86 percent rate their first time taking it. African
Americans passed at a 58 percent test rate; Latinos passed at a
73 percent pass rate and Native Americans passed at a 60 percent
pass rate.
MS. HOLT stated that the Council is especially interested
because individuals with disabilities passed at a 30 percent
rate. Research from the Center for Education Policy states that
exit exams don't have an impact on academic achievement and are
hardly worth the cost. They don't help students become gainfully
employed especially in those subgroups that traditionally have a
hard time becoming employed anyhow. Passing the exit exam
doesn't help students get into college, but failing does keep
them out especially the students in the subgroups.
3:53:03 PM
She related a story that happened on Disability Mentor Day about
a boy who had passed all his classes, had a good grade point,
volunteers everywhere and who had a scholarship to a college -
except if he didn't pass one portion of the exit exam he would
lose his scholarship. He has one chance left. If he doesn't
pass, he won't go to college because he doesn't have enough
money.
She reminded them that not having HSGQE won't save the system
th
that much money, because they still have to have a 10 grade
test. But they would save on the cost of the retests. She said
that the exit exam requirement came with no extra funding and
asked them to consider the hidden costs that districts incur
because of it - such as time away from class (three entire
days)- that really impacts those students who need to be in
class the most. It also disrupts the general education students
who have passed it, because they go to class but can't really do
work because then the students who are taking the test would
have to make up three entire days of work.
3:55:11 PM
Some other costs are for time that teachers spend after school
tutoring students who are close to passing. It costs a
significant amount of money to raise the scores on these kinds
of tests - and passing it doesn't mean you would be a good
employee. Not passing it wouldn't mean that you wouldn't be a
great employee.
3:57:18 PM
MS. HOLT said everyone must take the test with no modifications,
although if you are blind, for instance, you can have the test
in braille. The second time around a student can apply for
modifications like having the test read or doing it in a quiet
room. The third time could be an alternative assessment, which
could be something like showing work that meets the same
standards. However, she know of one student who is doing that at
the exclusion of everything else in his senior year of high
school.
3:59:16 PM
Graduation rates also affect school districts. If districts
don't have enough students passing they don't get AYP funding.
She suggested that instead of the high-stakes exit exam they
could have a test that drives instruction, teacher evaluations
and improvement.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked in looking at the results of the test if
anything surprised her about how the student was already
performing for instance, the student who had a scholarship but
couldn't pass the exam. It is not serving any purpose if it
works against them and doesn't even increase the graduation
rate.
4:02:31 PM
MS. HOLT responded that the problem is that the state has
changed how it monitors graduation rates in the last 10 years.
So, the high school report card has a column for "high school
completion" which is a number that could be tracked throughout
the 10 years, but the 2004/05 graduation rate is determined by a
"cohort" that starts with all the students who started in the
ninth grade and follows them through high school. So the number
on the top of the fraction is the number of students who
graduated with a diploma and the number on the bottom is the
number who started in ninth grade. This is a very different
number than if you measured the number of students who graduated
from the number of students who are enrolled in twelfth grade.
There is no way to compare what the graduation rate was before
the exam with the rate of after.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS said it would seem they could come up with some
way to better track the graduation rate.
MS. HOLT remarked that the federal government clarified all the
different definitions used among the states on this issue and
Alaska chose the cohort method, which is a very good number to
use. She said the Council's priority is to look at policy change
and it is surveying all of the education organizations and
pressing them to take a position, and she would pass that
information on to the committee.
4:08:24 PM
RHONDA STARK, State Home School Association, testified that she
knew a young man who completed all graduation requirements but
couldn't pass the exit exam. He left campus without graduating
and, even though he is a hard worker, he is not able to enter an
apprenticeship program.
4:11:46 PM
LAUREL VORACHEK, Executive Director, Assessments and
Evaluations, Anchorage School District, supported SB 109. Her
point of view was from the perspective of what is in the best
interests of the student. Her district currently has several
mandated tests: the HSGQE, the HSGQE retest, the standards based
assessment, the TerraNova, National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP), the English Language Proficiency Assessment
(ELPA), and the revised Alaska Developmental Profile (ADP). In
addition, since most of the assessments she just mentioned are
end-point assessments, her district has added various
assessments at interim points to monitor progress of its
students towards mastery of the grade level expectations. For
next year they have added WorkKeys and WIN.
She said she has served on the committee within the state that
has worked on the implementation of the WorkKeys and the
feedback has been unanimous: they can't manage both the HSGQE
and the WorkKeys. She just left the Assessment and
Accountability meeting that was occurring with members from
around the state and their feedback was interesting as well. She
urged them to not go shopping for another assessment to replace
the HSGQE, but rather look at what they have and see if it can
meet their needs in better ways.
MS. VORACHECK said it's very clear that one of the unintended
consequences of the HSGQE is that some parents and students have
set their sights at only passing it. Once a student has passed
all three, it can actually be a stumbling block for encouraging
him to take higher level course work, and HSGQE means absolutely
nothing outside of this state. It provides no information on
preparation for college or work readiness and to students it is
just another test.
She also does a survey of graduates and has found that 82
percent said that the HSGQE did not have any impact on their
course selection.
4:15:16 PM
On the other hand, Ms. Voracheck said, the WorkKeys is another
mandated assessment coming from the department. It is recognized
nationwide; it uses a common language between educators and
employers; it provides information to students that can motivate
them to take courses to improve their skills. Students are able
to see how their skills compare to skills in specific careers
necessary to enter the workforce at an entry level position or
have the skills to continue to further their education in
specific fields beyond high school. When this was piloted at
West High School two years ago and in getting ready to use it
district wide she found that the information on careers in it
peaked students' interest. It provides valuable information for
course planning for a senior year no matter whether students are
going on to college or into technical training.
Students can retake this assessment and it provides them
motivation to work toward higher levels because they are ready
certificates that are nationally recognized. Bronze is at level
three, silver is at level four, and gold at five and platinum at
six. If a student gets a bronze level, he has incentive to work
on improving skills and then retaking the assessment and showing
a higher level on his transcript.
The tests in WorkKeys include locating information, reading for
information, and applied mathematics. The reason these three
tests are chosen, and writing isn't, is because the ACT college
entrance exam has profiled all the jobs in the country and found
that 85 percent of them require skills in locating information.
This is an area that is under-addressed in their curriculum and
is addressed very little in the HSGQE.
Reading for information is at 81 percent and applied mathematics
is at 75 percent; writing is at 17 percent. If they want to
insure that students have the essential skills for entry level
jobs, WorkKeys provides that information. This assessment also
indicates college readiness. They have done a statistical
concordance that shows the relationship between the ACT college
entrance exam and WorkKeys. ACT is intended for college-level
readiness, WorkKeys for work force readiness, but through the
concordance table she gets information that tells her whether or
not her student is probably on track to reach the college-
readiness benchmarks something she doesn't get from the HSGQE.
In closing, she asked them to consider the impacts all the
mandated assessments have on the district and said don't go
shopping for more. If you are going to mandate an assessment,
let it be something that provides useful information for course
planning and motivate students to continue to work and improve
their skill level. HSGQE doesn't provide a lot of motivation.
4:19:59 PM
CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked if she was around when the HSGQE was first
put in place.
MS. HOLT answered yes; she was involved with the pilot program
in Kodiak.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked what people thought about it at the time.
MS. HOLT answered that the HSGQE really came from business
concerns that students don't have essential skills when they
graduate. Educators didn't ever think it would provide anything
meaningful in terms of instruction and course planning.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked if she remembered testifying against it.
MS. HOLT replied she wasn't involved with testimony at the time.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked if she remembered hearing that business
concerns was not necessarily the most proper motivation for
mandating the HSGQE or was it just accepted because other states
were using it.
MS. HOLT replied that she was not involved in the testimony at
the time.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked if she felt that WorkKeys and ACT
assessments give her a good feel for a student's readiness for
college or the workplace.
MS. HOLT replied that WorkKeys is already another mandated
assessment, but it provides information on both college and
workforce readiness. It's a valuable tool in multiple arenas.
4:22:29 PM
CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked if those tests could be tweaked to be more
appropriate or not because of the mandate.
MS. HOLT answered that WorkKeys is a national assessment and she
didn't think it needed to be tweaked. She discouraged requiring
passing the assessment for graduation rather than just using it
as an assessment tool to prepare students for what they want to
do.
4:24:51 PM
MIKE HENRY, Executive Director, Anchorage School District's High
Schools, said he opposed the HSGQE when it was enacted. All
principals and administrators were opposed to it. When it was
adopted, they tried to follow the mandate and get as many kids
to pass it as possible, but it came at a big cost that involved
more than money. Those students that didn't pass the HSGQE are
missing out on many quality elective courses because they are in
classes that "pretty much teach to the test." Much time and
money has been spent trying to move students to that level, but
he wanted to able to give those students back the opportunity to
attend the King Career Center instead of being in remediation
classes. He said they don't mind having high standards for some
students, but this HSGQE has not done that. It has not been an
encouragement for students, educators or parents.
4:28:04 PM
JOHN ALCANTRA, Government Relations Director, National Education
Association Alaska (NEA), said he is confident of the
Association's unanimous support for SB 109 when it meets in
January. He worried that sophomores would pass the HSGQE and
then cruise for the rest of their time in school. How many days
of instruction have they lost now?
CO-CHAIR MEYER said this update brings the process further along
and he looks forward to hearing the bill during session. He set
SB 109 aside.
^SB 102 discussion
SB 102-RAISE COMP. SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AGE/TRUANCY
CO-CHAIR MEYER asked Senator Davis or her staff to brief the
committee on SB 102 even though it wasn't in this committee now.
SENATOR DAVIS remarked that SB 102 is now in the Finance
Committee.
4:32:24 PM
TOM OBERMEYER, Staff to Senator Davis, sponsor of SB 102, said
they now have a committee substitute (CS) that is an act
relating to compulsory school attendance age. He read the
following sponsor statement:
SB 102 increases the Alaska compulsory school
attendance age from 7 to 16 to age 7 to 18. At the
same time it necessarily amends the crime of
contributing to the delinquency of a minor from the
maximum age 16 to 18. This bill will not preclude
parents from homeschooling children, or using charter
or alternative schools, or any other of the twelve
enumerated exceptions to compulsory education under AS
14.30.010(b), including completion of grade 12 or
graduation from a secondary school before age 18.
Three thousand two hundred and eighty three Alaska
students dropped out and 62.4 percent graduated in the
2007/08 school year per the Alaska Department of
Education and Early Development (DEED). Nationally,
the graduation rate is 70 percent or higher. The
highest dropout rates in Alaska are among minorities
with Alaska Natives at double the rate of others.
These numbers have not changed much in many years and
Alaska's compulsory school attendance age has not
changed in decades.
Seventeen states have increased the compulsory school
attendance age to 18. Nine states maintain age 17 and
23 states maintain age 16 per the U.S. Department of
Labor, February 10, 2009. The legislative intent by
states which have increased compulsory school
attendance age to 18 is to encourage more students to
stay in school long enough to graduate, attend
institutions of higher education, and decrease dropout
rates, juvenile crime, and teen pregnancy. Studies
have shown that students without a diploma earn less
than 75 percent of those with a diploma; they are more
likely to live in poverty, go to jail, and have health
problems.
The National Education Association's "Twelve-Point
Action Plan for Reducing the School Dropout Rate
lists as a first priority to "mandate high school
graduation or equivalency as compulsory for everyone
below the age of 21 It reported:
Just as we established compulsory attendance to the
age of 16 or 17 in the beginning of the 20th century,
it is appropriate and critical to eradicate the idea
of 'dropping out' before achieving a diploma. To
compete in the 21st century, all of our citizens, at a
minimum, need a high school education.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said that Representative Munoz had
introduced a similar bill.
4:35:41 PM
CO-CHAIR MEYER asked how this bill would affect kids who want to
join the military at age 17 (with their parents' signature). Do
they still have to stay in school to the mandated age of 18?
SENATOR DAVIS said she assumes there could be an accommodation
for that just as parents now sign to allow their children go
into the military before they are age 18.
4:40:07 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON remarked that the current compulsory
school age has so many "outs" that he's quite sure that a parent
could say they are homeschooling their child through the
military and it would be accepted. He noted that the packets
have copies of the recent Anchorage School District study that
looked at cohort analysis from eighth grade students in 2002.
That study found that 9.7 percent of students dropped out in,
24.5 percent dropped out in ninth grade, and 23.9 percent
dropped out in tenth grade. Almost 60 percent of the dropouts in
the Anchorage School District dropped out under compulsory
school attendance. So raising the compulsory age might not be
the way to attack the problem when a majority of the problem
occurs in the lower grades.
Furthermore, he said that police departments and troopers have
indicated in a zero fiscal note that they don't intend to even
ask for more resources to enforce this. "I have a lot of
concerns, you know, it seems that we're going forward with a law
that everybody is planning to ignore."
CO-CHAIR MEYER said that's interesting because it would seem
that this measure would save money for them.
4:44:11 PM
SENATOR DAVIS said there are two sides to this issue; schools
are interested in increasing the compulsory age believing that
they can do more for kids if they are able to keep them until
age 18. She wants to hear all points of view; it's an issue that
needs to be discussed.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS said he can understand Public Safety's response;
their view is budgetary and short term. He believes it will be
tough for parents to keep their kids going to school if they
want to drop out. That being said, he would like to see
statistics on why students drop out, because they would help
give direction in deciding how to remedy dropping out other than
just demanding that kids stay in school. He also noted that the
University is concerned that the kids they are remediating have
passed the HSGQE and have a diploma yet they are not able to
think critically or analytically.
4:49:54 PM
MR. OBERMEYER highlighted that the Boston Globe recently
announced that a special state commission will recommend
measures to lower the dropout rate in Massachusetts that has
approximately 10,000 students quitting school each year. They
bring up the same things that have been discussed here in
talking about the need to raise the school age with strategies
to hire case managers in schools so students can experience more
personal attention. Their goal is to halve the dropout rate. The
costs are transferable to government because if these kids are
not in school they are going to be in jail, at the lower end of
the economic scheme, on Medicaid and on other social service
programs that will cost government money anyway.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said many of those questions are answered
in the Anchorage School District's memo number 96 that is
available on line.
4:54:03 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Co-Chair Meyer adjourned the Senate Education Standing Committee
meeting at 4:54 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Assessed Performance Standards HSGQE 2.pdf |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
|
| 2008 Graduation Rates by Subgroup.xls |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
|
| Sectional SB 109.pdf |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
SB 109 |
| Letter from ASD Super.pdf |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
|
| HSGQESpring2009Statewide.pdf |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
|
| HSGQESpring2008Statewide.pdf |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
|
| Graduation Rate Fact Sheet 2009.doc |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
|
| Graduation Rate Fact Sheet.doc |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
|
| EED news release re lawsuit.pdf |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
|
| EED News release re AYP.pdf |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
|
| cover Assessed Performance Standards HSGQE.pdf |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
|
| Assessed Performance Standards HSGQE.pdf |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
|
| Sponsor Statement SB 109.pdf |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
SB 109 |
| word ready 2 of 3.pdf |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
|
| work ready 1 of 3.pdf |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |
|
| work ready 3 of 3.pdf |
SEDC 10/23/2009 3:00:00 PM |