Legislature(2017 - 2018)CAPITOL 106
03/08/2017 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: Microsoft Imagine Academy | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
JOINT MEETING
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 8, 2017
8:00 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Representative Harriet Drummond, Chair
Representative Justin Parish, Vice Chair
Representative Zach Fansler
Representative Ivy Spohnholz
Representative Jennifer Johnston
Representative Chuck Kopp
Representative David Talerico
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Senator Shelley Hughes, Chair
Senator Cathy Giessel
Senator John Coghill
Senator Tom Begich
MEMBERS ABSENT
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Representative Lora Reinbold, Alternate
Representative Geran Tarr, Alternate
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Senator Gary Stevens
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: MICROSOFT IMAGINE ACADEMY
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
JOEL LATHROP, Strategic Alliance Manager
Microsoft US Education
Austin, Texas
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented an overview of the Microsoft
Imagine Academy.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:00:35 AM
CHAIR HARRIET DRUMMOND called the joint meeting of the House and
Senate Education Standing Committees to order at 8:00 a.m.
Representatives Drummond, Kopp, Parish, Fansler, Johnston, and
Talerico; and Senators Giessel, Begich, and Hughes were present
at the call to order. Representative Spohnholz and Senator
Coghill arrived as the meeting was in progress. Also present
was Representative Ortiz.
^PRESENTATION: Microsoft Imagine Academy
PRESENTATION: Microsoft Imagine Academy
8:01:36 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the only order of business would
be a presentation from the Microsoft Imagine Academy.
8:02:11 AM
JOEL LATHROP, Strategic Alliance Manager, Microsoft US
Education, directed attention to the committee handout titled,
"COMPUTER SCIENCE, EMPLOYABILITY & THE STEM AGENDA, 'SKILLS ARE
KEY TO THE PROSPERITY OF NATIONS AND TO BETTER LIVES FOR
INDIVIDUALS IN THE 21ST CENTURY;' OECD GLOBAL SKILLS REPORT,"
and began the presentation with a brief video to illustrate the
Imagine Academy and how it works, as modeled in West Virginia.
8:12:04 AM
MR. LATHROP said the program strategy is to move the education
of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
forward using the Imagine Academy. He said representatives,
such as himself, are in very state, on a weekly basis to present
the program. The first key pillar focuses on policy, advocacy,
access, and diversity. The second pillar is to initiate a
student's journey into building technical skills, gaining
knowledge in computer science (CS), and establishing a STEM
portfolio. The third pillar is to develop great educators
through community and professional development. He described
the computer programs that have been designed to fulfill the
goals of these pillars, which include: DigiGirlz, code.org,
YouthSpark, MINECRAFT Education Edition, Microsoft Imagine,
Certified MIE, and Microsoft Certified Educator.
8:14:56 AM
MR. LATHROP explained that, in the last week, a search for
vendor-specific skills and certification jobs listed in Alaska
showed that employers are seeking to hire 705 individuals with
experience and abilities related to Microsoft products. He
attributed the high number to the fact that most business use
Microsoft systems. Directing attention to the handout, page 10,
he reviewed the job demands for CS in Alaska as gathered via the
not-for-profit code.org site in March 2017, which listed the
following: 607 open computing jobs, 18 computer science
graduates, 60 high school students having completed the advance
placement (AP) CS exam, and $82,758 as the average salary being
paid for computing jobs. Twenty-two states have contracts with
Microsoft for the Imagine Academy, with each taking a unique
approach on the application. He said that some states may only
offer it in the high school setting, while others provide it to
a selected group of schools. He directed attention to the
handout, page 11, illustrating the states that hold agreements
with the Imagine Academy, and said each has a customized program
to serve its populace.
8:17:31 AM
SENATOR HUGHES asked about the fractional numbers listed on the
map in conjunction with each state.
MR. LATHROP offered to provide further information.
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSTON surmised from information on the page
that the first number represents the certified academies in the
state, and the second represents the number of licenses issued.
MR. LATHROP concurred.
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND noted that Hawaii is the one state where
the Imagination Academy is located in its libraries.
8:19:42 AM
MR. LATHROP said that Imagine Academy supplies the curriculum
for the computer science tracks, and certification is issued by
a contracted company, Certiport, which provides schools with
many types of certifications for internet/computer related
courses. He directed attention to the handout, page 12, and the
color-coded world map to illustrate the Imagine Academy activity
on a global basis, to wit: 8.5 million students and educators
served annually, over 16,000 certified educators, 2 million
academic certification exams proctored in 2015-16, 15,000
Microsoft Imagine Academy member schools located in 135
countries, and over 1 million online learning users. He then
reviewed the programs and benefits provided in the Microsoft
Imagine Academy contract, which includes: the official academic
courseware (MOAC), online learning access, customizable lesson
plans, study guides, and no cost exam vouchers for educators.
8:20:59 AM
MR. LATHROP said the academy provides all software and necessary
support for the program. He reviewed s list of institutions
that are benefiting from licensure of the Imagine Academy, which
include: K-12 schools; universities, colleges and junior
colleges; skills centers; military academies; vocational,
workforce development, and trade schools; scientific or
technical schools; and libraries and health academies.
Corporate companies may choose to buy into the program, however,
it has been discounted 70 percent to make it accessible to
educational facilities. The intent is to for students to study
and gain an understanding of the CS field, achieve productivity,
hone data science and IT infrastructure skills, and earn an
industry-recognized certification, which will result in their
being employable, becoming involved in economic development, and
possible lead them to entrepreneurship. He elaborated on the
industry certifications that can be earned, which are: Digital
Literacy Certificate (DLC), Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS),
Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA), and Microsoft Certified
Professional (MCP).
MR. LATHROP provided a second, brief video.
8:26:40 AM
MR. LATHROP directed attention to the handout, page 18, and
stepped through of the online website choices, which offer tab
selections for the curriculum overview, an online learning
dashboard, accessing additional resources, the classroom setup,
and student recognition.
8:27:43 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSTON asked if online learning is required to
be done in real-time.
MR. LATHROP answered no, the programs can be downloaded and
completed offline as well. Situations occur where Wi-Fi and
broadband are not readily available. The programs aren't
available on CD, but the full curriculum, exams, and other
information, can be downloaded at an initial access point and
completed offline.
8:29:12 AM
SENATOR HUGHES asked whether the curriculum is delivered in
schools via asynchronous student driven means, or in a
synchronous classroom format.
MR. LATHROP answered that it can be presented in a variety of
ways, as it's designed to be flexible.
8:30:15 AM
MR. LATHROP said that, from the educator's standpoint, which is
equally as important as the student's, a cadre of online,
community support is offered, which include educational experts,
authorized trainers, specialists, and technology associates.
The MCE future teacher is provided with a self-assessment and
individual learning plan based on six core focus courses, which
are: curriculum and assessment, education policy, technology
and pedagogy, ICT classroom tools, organization and
administration, and professional development.
8:31:35 AM
SENATOR HUGHES noted that credit can be earned through Lamar
University, and asked whether that's included in the program.
MR. LATHROP responded that colleges as well as K-12 facilities
can be licensed. He directed attention to the handout, page 23,
to note the list of Microsoft Certification Pathway options that
can be pursued, and said, "It's endless." The curriculum used
in the schools are the same as what is offered in adult training
centers.
8:34:03 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND asked about training the teachers to administer
the academies courses.
MR. LATHROP answered that the instructors have a specific set of
courses to become certified, which are independently accessed
online. He explained that when a school contracts with the
Imagine Academy information/training is provided for teachers,
parents, and students.
8:35:44 AM
MR. LATHROP described how North Carolina initiated its program
and successfully expanded it over a five-year period. Examples
of how the program has been implemented in Florida and Kentucky
were also offered.
8:38:31 AM
SENATOR HUGHES asked whether any schools in Alaska are using the
program.
MR. LATHROP replied yes, independent of the state agency, and
recalled that one is located in the Matanuska-Susitna school
district. He offered to provide further details.
8:39:12 AM
MR. LATHROP provided a third, another brief video.
8:42:35 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSTON queried whether the OneDrive
[demonstrated in the video] is a basic package provided in the
program.
MR. LATHROP responded yes, OneDrive is included, and students
save their work in the cloud. To a follow-up question regarding
capacity, he offered to provide further information.
8:43:20 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH asked if Chromebook devices are compatible
with the Imagine Academy programing.
MR. LATHROP replied yes, the program has been designed to be
compatible every available device.
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH asked who was involved in the development
of the curriculum.
MR. LATHROP answered that educators from around the world
contributed.
8:46:05 AM
MR. LATHROP provided a fourth, brief video.
8:49:02 AM
MR. LATHROP reviewed a number of free applications that are
available to augment Office 365 [described in the video], which
include: OneNote, School Data Sync, and Docs.com.
8:50:55 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND asked if contact has been through direct
communication with school districts or if there has been a
connection made with the Alaska Department of Education and
Early Development (EED).
MR. LATHROP answered that EED has not been contacted.
8:51:24 AM
SENATOR HUGHES questioned whether there has been noticeable
change in the areas where the academy has been implemented over
a period of time; has the technology sector been drawn to the
area, and are students obtaining local CS related jobs.
MR. LATHROP answered that the states implementing the program
advertise its use to effectively attract industry based on the
workforce that's being created.
8:52:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH asked what the price tag for the state
would be to contract for the program.
MR. LATHROP estimated an annual cost of about $400,000,
depending on the actual number of students and teachers that
would be served.
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH said it would be good to know how that
compares with what is being spent on the existing, similar
educational approaches.
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH noted how there could be a range of
outcomes for the different schools implementing the program.
Some may have been more successful than others and it would be
interesting to hear the reports from the less successful ones.
MR. LATHROP acknowledged that the academy is most successful
when there is a local who understands and champions the program.
8:55:06 AM
SENATOR HUGHES referred to the committee packet and a page
labeled TEALS [(Technology Education and Literacy in Schools)]
to inquire about the program.
MR. LATHROP answered that it is a grassroots group, formed to
help high schools throughout the US build and grow sustainable
computer science programs and act as mentors for the teachers.
8:56:05 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND pondered where the Imagine Academy curriculum
could be fit into an already busy school schedule.
MR. LATHROP explained that many schools build it into their STEM
programs and existing computer science periods, while others
offer it as an afterschool lab.
8:57:07 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND thanked the presenter.
SENATOR HUGHES announced the next meeting of the Senate
Education Standing Committee
CHAIR DRUMMOND announced the next meeting of House Education
Standing Committee.
8:57:56 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committees, the joint
meeting of the House Education Standing Committee and Senate
Education Standing Committee was adjourned at 8:58 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Imagine Academy Certification for Alaska.pdf |
SEDC 3/8/2017 8:00:00 AM |
|
| TEALS Program Description 2017-18.pdf |
SEDC 3/8/2017 8:00:00 AM |
|
| Government Eligibility Definition - March 2015.pdf |
SEDC 3/8/2017 8:00:00 AM |