Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/08/2023 03:30 PM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB52 | |
| Presentation Institute of Social and Economic Research Teacher Turnover, Supply, and Demand | |
| Presentation University of Alaska College of Education Consortium: Collaborating to Recruit, Prepare and Retain High Quality Educators for Alaska | |
| Presentation Alaska Teacher Recruitment and Retention | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| = | SB 52 | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 8, 2023
3:32 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Löki Tobin, Chair
Senator Gary Stevens, Vice Chair
Senator Jesse Bjorkman
Senator Jesse Kiehl
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 52
"An Act relating to education; increasing the base student
allocation; and providing for an effective date."
- HEARD AND HELD
PRESENTATION INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH TEACHER
TURNOVER, SUPPLY, AND DEMAND
- HEARD
PRESENTATION THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
CONSORTIUM: COLLABORATING TO RECRUIT, PREPARE AND RETAIN HIGH
QUALITY EDUCATORS FOR ALASKA
- HEARD
PRESENTATION ALASKA TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 52
SHORT TITLE: EDU INFO;INCREASE BASE STUDENT ALLOCATION
SPONSOR(s): EDUCATION
02/01/23 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/01/23 (S) EDC, FIN
02/01/23 (S) EDC AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/01/23 (S) Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled
02/03/23 (S) EDC AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/03/23 (S) -- MEETING CANCELED --
02/08/23 (S) EDC AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/08/23 (S) Heard & Held
02/08/23 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
02/10/23 (S) EDC AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/10/23 (S) Scheduled but Not Heard
03/08/23 (S) EDC AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
WITNESS REGISTER
MICHAEL MASON, Staff
Senator Löki Tobin
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a summary of changes from version A
to version S for SB 52.
DAYNA DEFEO, Director
Center for Alaska Education Policy Research (CAEPR)
Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER)
University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered a presentation on Teacher Turnover,
Supply and Demand.
DIANE HIRSHBERG, Director
Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER)
University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions on educator turnover.
AMY VINLOVE, Dean
School of Education
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered the Collaborating to Recruit,
Prepare, and Retain High-Quality Educators for Alaska
presentation.
KELLY MANNING, Deputy Director
Innovation and Education Excellence
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the Alaska Teacher Recruitment
and Retention presentation.
SONDRA MEREDITH, Education Administrator
Teacher Certification
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the Alaska Teacher Recruitment
and Retention presentation.
BARBARA ADAMS, Consultant
Adams Analytic Solutions
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the Alaska Teacher Recruitment
and Retention presentation.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:32:22 PM
CHAIR LÖKI TOBIN called the Senate Education Standing Committee
meeting to order at 3:09 p.m. Present at the call to order were
Senators Kiehl, Stevens, Bjorkman, Gray-Jackson, and Chair
Tobin.
SB 52-EDU INFO;INCREASE BASE STUDENT ALLOCATION
3:33:30 PM
CHAIR TOBIN announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 52
"An Act relating to education; increasing the base student
allocation; and providing for an effective date."
3:33:47 PM
CHAIR TOBIN solicited a motion to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS).
3:33:49 PM
SENATOR STEVENS moved to adopt the committee substitute (CS) for
SB 52, work order 33-LS0369/S, as the working document.
3:33:57 PM
CHAIR TOBIN objected for purposes of discussion.
3:34:03 PM
MICHAEL MASON, Staff, Senator Löki Tobin, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, provided a summary of changes from
version A to version S for SB 52:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Senate Bill 52: Increase Base Student Allocation
Summary of Changes: Version A to Version S
Section 1 Amends AS 14.03.120, which governs the
reporting requirements for school districts in Alaska,
to add a new subsection requiring the Alaska
Department of Education and Early Development to
create a website that the public can use to view and
download relevant information about public education
in Alaska. The website must also allow the public to
make recommendations relating to improving public
education in Alaska.
The special website must display information in a
fashion that is easily understood. The website must
include information included in the annual report card
to parents about the annual progress of each school
and school district toward high academic performance
by all students. The website must also include a
description of resources provided to school districts
regarding staff training, progress in aligning
curriculum with sate education performance standards,
and a description of the efforts of the Department of
Education and Early Development to assist schools or
school districts that receive a low performance
designation under AS 14.03.123.
The new subsection allows school district to link to
the new website on their websites. The new subsection
(m) directs the Department of Labor and Workforce
Development to collaborate with the Department of
Education and Early Development to gather data on the
progress of each high school graduating class in a
district. The agencies would gather information on
career, postsecondary education, and residency data on
each student in the graduating class. The departments
must gather the data every five years until 20 years
after the high school graduating date of the high
school class.
Section 2 Amends Section 15 of the Alaska Reads Act
to add language requiring the Alaska Department of
Education and Early Development to collaborate with
the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to
gather data on the progress of each high school
graduating class under the new AS 14.03.120(m)
authorized in Section 1 of the Act.
Section 3 Amends AS 14.07.020(a) to add the
collaboration with the Department of Labor and
Workforce Development to the duties of the Alaska
Department of Education and Early Development.
Section 4 Amends the Alaska Reads Act, House Bill
114 from the 32nd Alaska State Legislature, to
increase the Base Student Allocation (BSA) by an
additional $1,000 in fiscal year 2024.
The Alaska Reads Act amended AS 14.17.470, the BSA
statute, to increase the BSA from $5,930 to $5,960.
Section 4 of Senate Bill 52 further amends AS
14.17.470 to increase the BSA to $6,960.
Section 5 Amends AS 14.17.470 to increase the BSA to
$7,308. The $348 increase to the BSA take effect in
Fiscal Year 2025.
Section 6 Amends AS 14.17.470 to add a new
subsection (b) requiring the Alaska Department of
Education and Early Development to increase the base
student allocation on July 1, 2025, by a percentage
equal to the average percentage of increase over the
preceding four calendar years in all items of the
Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers for urban
Alaska prepared by the U.S. Department of Labor. The
inflation adjustment takes affect at the start of
fiscal year 2026.
Section 7 Amends AS 44.31.020 to add the requirement
to gather data on the progress of high school
graduating classes to the duties of the Alaska
Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The Act
requires the Department to publish a biennial report
on the data gathered on the progress of each high
school graduating class.
Section 8 Stipulates that Section 3 of the Act takes
effect on July 1, 2023.
Section 9 Stipulates that Section 2 of the Act takes
effect on July 1, 2023.
Section 10 Stipulates that the new subsections
authorized by Section 1 of the Act take effect on July
1, 2024.
Section 11 Stipulates that AS 14.03.120(m) enacted
by section 1 of this Act, and sections 6 and 7 of this
Act take effect on July 1, 2025.
3:38:26 PM
CHAIR TOBIN found no further objection and the CS for SB 52,
work order 33-LS0369/S, was adopted.
3:38:43 PM
CHAIR TOBIN held SB 52 in committee.
^PRESENTATION INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL and ECONOMIC RESEARCH TEACHER
TURNOVER, SUPPLY, AND DEMAND
PRESENTATION
INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL and ECONOMIC RESEARCH
TEACHER TURNOVER, SUPPLY, AND DEMAND
3:39:03 PM
CHAIR TOBIN announced the consideration of a presentation on the
Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) work on teacher
turnover, supply, and demand.
3:39:28 PM
DAYNA DEFEO, Director, Center for the Alaska Education Policy
Research (CAEPR), Institute of Social and Economic Research
(ISER), University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska, said
she has been doing higher education research for 15 years. She
stated that research and discussions with colleagues,
principals, and teachers led her to understand that teacher
turnover is complicated. She said she organized the presentation
around four takeaway statements from the research. She provided
the research behind the statements to the committee.
3:40:53 PM
MS. DEFEO moved to slide 2 and provided the following
information about ISER:
• Over 50 years of studying Alaska's teacher workforce
• Alaska-focused nonpartisan policy focused research
• Intended to help people understand social and economic
systems
• Economic and social policy research relevant to Alaskans
3:41:25 PM
MS. DEFEO turned to slide 3 and said the first takeaway was that
teacher shortages are a national concern and not unique to
Alaska. Alaska needs to grow its workforce and pay attention to
what is happening in other states.
3:41:58 PM
MS. DEFEO turned to slide 4 and said Alaska hires its teachers
from a national market. School districts are the predominant
employers of teachers in communities. Therefore, supply and
demand for teachers do not operate the same as other labor
markets. She said Alaska competes nationally to fill teaching
positions. She described how Alaska mirrors the nation in
demand, supply, and turnover but differs in competitiveness.
Alaska's teacher salaries and benefits have not increased
commensurate to other states due to its fiscal crisis. She
mentioned that the university still feels the effects of the
2019 teacher preparation program suspension even though the
program is now rebuilding.
3:44:40 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN asked what Alaska has done to invest more in
education.
3:44:56 PM
MS. DEFEO replied that Alaska had made small increases to per
pupil spending that needed to be commensurate with inflation or
other states' increases.
3:45:12 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN asked if she was referring to a $30 per pupil
increase to the BSA and what percentage increase is $30 to the
BSA.
MS. DEFEO replied that it was a very small increase. She stated
that she also intended to give attention to recent bills that
propose additional education spending.
3:45:44 PM
SENATOR STEVENS said school districts in Alaska set teacher
salaries. He asked how other states determine teacher salaries.
He also asked for a comparison of teacher salaries by district.
MS. DEFEO replied that the question was complicated. Several
states legislate salary schedules with a community cost
differential multiplier. Those states set salaries to a minimum.
It is easy for the minimums to become obsolete if the state is
not paying attention. Hawaii is an example of a state that uses
this method. She offered to share salary differential research
done in 2015 but opined that the data is old, and a lot has
changed. She recommended updating the research before using the
data to make decisions.
3:47:43 PM
SENATOR STEVENS offered his understanding of Ms. DeFeo's answer.
3:48:00 PM
MS. DEFEO said she would share the report even though it is
outdated.
3:48:39 PM
MS. DEFEO moved to slide 5 and stated her second takeaway was
that teacher turnover is expensive. Teacher turnover takes many
forms. Teachers retire, change professions, transfer schools,
grades, and subjects. Not all turnover is bad but too much harms
student achievement.
3:49:26 PM
MS. DEFEO turned to slide 6 and said she calculated the cost of
teacher turnover in 2017. The conservative cost for a district
to replace a teacher was $20,000 and does not consider
preparation and teacher productivity. The divided costs were:
Separation $2,449
Recruitment $1,910
Hiring $4,902
Orientation & training $11,170
Preparation Not considered
Teacher productivity Not considered
3:50:30 PM
MS. DEFEO moved to slide 7 and said the third takeaway from the
research was that there are many reasons why teachers leave.
Researchers do not know what is happening in every classroom or
inside every teacher's mind, so they look for patterns to make
inferences.
3:51:07 PM
MS. DEFEO advanced to slide 8 and said people could improve some
conditions with policy:
School-Community Relationships
• Communication
• Support
• Parent engagement
Community Characteristics
• Transportation
• Amenities
• Climate
Working Conditions
• Physical plant
• Class size
• Workload
Salary and Compensation
• Pay
• Benefits
School and District Administration
• Support
• Feedback
• Recognition
3:52:38 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON said salary and compensation were among the
five conditions for improving teacher retention. She asked what
percentage each condition contributes to retention.
MS. DEFEO asked Senator Gray-Jackson if she wanted to know each
condition's relative influence on teacher retention.
3:53:18 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON responded yes.
MS. DEFEO said she was reticent to provide the numbers because
she did not bring files and did not want to misspeak. Although
compensation, salary, and benefits matter, they are not the
strongest force driving the teacher turnover problem. ISER
focuses on them because they are controllable through policy.
She said she would provide the percentages.
SENATOR STEVENS said he has heard many teachers leave the
profession because of student behavioral problems and lack of
administrative support. He asked under which of the five
conditions behavioral issues and lack of support would be
placed.
3:54:42 PM
MS. DEFEO replied that school and district administration and
school-community relationships strongly contribute to teacher
retention and turnover.
3:55:11 PM
SENATOR STEVENS opined that the administration needs to take
more responsibility in handling behavioral issues.
3:55:30 PM
MS. DEFEO noted that it is difficult to see community-school
relationships in ISER's studies, but there has been good
qualitative follow-up through teacher surveys.
3:55:56 PM
CHAIR TOBIN stated she has done some work correlating
qualitative and quantitative data. She is curious about the
intersectionality of needed administrative and classroom
support. She asked if Ms. DeFeo had conducted turnover
evaluations on paraprofessionals, support personnel,
specialists, and coaches. She wondered how the attrition rates
of these school employees impact teacher retention and
recruitment.
MS. DEFEO stated that the question was outside of what she came
prepared to discuss. She expressed her belief that Dr. Hirshberg
intends to address the question.
3:57:04 PM
DIANE HIRSHBERG, Director, Institute of Social and Economic
Research (ISER), University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage,
Alaska, commented on Senator Steven's question and said a survey
of several hundred rural schoolteachers revealed student
discipline was less of an issue than lack of support from
administrators regarding student discipline, professional
development, and working conditions. In response to Senator
Tobin's question on paraprofessional turnover, she replied that
ISER had not done any systematic work around paraprofessional
turnover for several decades. However, it is important to
consider the differences between paraprofessionals working in
urban and rural communities. Rural communities often have only
one or two paraprofessionals in a school. They live in the
community and are often the individuals who provide consistency
to students because they are the educator that remains when
there is high teacher turnover within a school.
3:59:09 PM
MS. DEFEO turned to slide 9 and stated her final takeaway was
that recruitment and retention challenges contribute to
workforce shortages but require different solutions. Efforts to
recruit and retain teachers need to focus on the fact that what
attracts a teacher may differ from what keeps a teacher in a
classroom long-term. States, districts, and communities must
address recruitment and retention needs from a policy
perspective.
4:00:29 PM
MS. DEFEO moved to slide 10 and said compensation is important
but will not fix Alaska's recruitment and retention issue alone.
Districts sometimes offer benefits if they do not have the
resources to raise salaries. ISER has learned through modeling
combinations of wages and benefits that effectiveness varies by
situation. For example, offering housing may recruit a teacher
but later not help retain the teacher. It is important to
remember that recruiting and retaining teachers are separate
elements of the teacher shortage problem with distinct
challenges.
4:02:12 PM
SENATOR STEVENS asked if there is any difference in recruitment
and retention between Alaskan-educated and out-of-state educated
teachers.
4:02:28 PM
MS. DEFEO replied yes. ISER found that teachers educated in
Alaska tend to stay in Alaska long term. The Regional Education
Lab Northwest corroborated ISER's findings using a different
methodology.
4:03:02 PM
MS. DEFEO moved to slide 11 and said the term wicked refers to
problems that are difficult to solve because of complex
interconnectedness. Wicked problems lack clarity in the problem
itself and in the solution. Teacher turnover is a wicked
problem. It is a symptom of other problems with no right or
wrong answers. Her understanding of how wicked the teacher
turnover problem is increases as she studies the issues.
4:04:03 PM
MS. DEFEO advanced to slide 12 and stated that solutions must be
multi-faceted and inclusive. She concluded the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
The problem itself is:
• Complex
• Systemic
• Highly variable
• Characterized by distributed responsibility
Thinking about solutions:
• There is no silver bullet.
• Efforts will need to be coordinated.
• Communities
• Schools
• Districts
• State
• The effects of our efforts will not be immediate.
• We can't afford not to.
4:04:55 PM MS
MS. DEFEO turned to slide 13 and provided contact information.
4:05:14 PM
CHAIR TOBIN asked if there was any consideration or research
regarding the use and efficacy of incentive programs.
4:05:33 PM
MS. DEFEO asked Senator Tobin if she was referring to a
retention bonuses bill.
CHAIR TOBIN replied yes.
MS. DEFEO replied that she had not studied the bill, but there
was some past work on model retention bonuses. The finding
showed that bonuses are often too small to make a difference.
The bonuses in the proposed legislation are more significant,
which is good. However, she questioned whether teachers would
leave high-need schools within a district for high-income
schools. She opined that administrations should consider whether
the purpose of the bonus is to keep a teacher in a particular
school or district. In-district and between-district migration
of teachers are two different challenges the state faces.
4:07:02 PM
MS. HIRSHBERG suggested the committee contact Dr. Dale Cope. Dr.
Cope has conducted several retention incentive studies in rural
school districts where the outcomes indicate incentives were not
impactful.
4:07:43 PM
SENATOR KIEHL said research suggests a natural and healthy
amount of teacher turnover is five percent. The big five school
districts in Alaska average about 9-10 percent. A quarter of the
districts in the state have about 30 percent turnover. He asked
what research would suggest as a healthy target for Alaska.
MS. DEFEO replied that the literature debates the amount.
Alaska's statewide average relative to other states appears low.
She opined that from a research point of view, the turnover gap
between urban and rural schools should be closed.
4:09:16 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN asked Ms. DeFeo how effective bonuses would be
if the state gave them out at the end of the school year while
districts gave out pink slips due to a lack of funding.
4:09:43 PM
MS. DEFEO said that although it is a great question, she has not
directly empirically studied the described scenario.
4:09:53 PM
CHAIR TOBIN commented that Senator Bjorkman highlighted an
interesting conundrum. She found no further questions and
thanked the presenters.
^PRESENTATION UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
CONSORTIUM: COLLABORATING TO RECRUIT, PREPARE and RETAIN HIGH
QUALITY EDUCATORS FOR ALASKA
PRESENTATION
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION CONSORTIUM:
COLLABORATING TO RECRUIT, PREPARE and
RETAIN HIGH QUALITY EDUCATORS FOR ALASKA
4:10:17 PM
CHAIR TOBIN announced the consideration of a presentation by the
University of Alaska College of Education Consortium on
Collaborating to Recruit, Prepare and Retain High Quality
Educators for Alaska.
4:10:39 PM
AMY VINLOVE, Dean, School of Education, University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, said she also serves as the chair
of the College of Education Consortium, an organization
representing three University of Alaska campuses that works to
recruit and retain quality educators for Alaska.
4:11:17 PM
MS. VINLOVE turned to slide 2 and provided a brief overview of
teacher preparation programs in the University of Alaska (UA)
system. UA offers early childhood, elementary, secondary, and
special education programs. There are 12 initial licensure
programs offered at UA campuses and via distance delivery to any
community in Alaska. A web address to learn about UA education
programs is teachalaska.org.
4:12:40 PM
MS. VINLOVE moved to slide 3 and said UA schools of education
have Alaska covered. Students are learning to teach, and
districts are hiring them statewide. The pie chart shows the
placement of interns over the past three years. The state's
southcentral region employs most students due to population
density, campus, and school district locations. UA graduates are
also hired and teach in districts across the state.
4:13:20 PM
MS. VINLOVE moved to slide 4 and stated that there are various
entry points for students to become teachers. When a student is
ready to become a teacher, UA is ready to receive them.
Recruitment efforts target high school students, first-year
college students, people with some college, and people with
degrees.
4:14:23 PM
MS. VINLOVE turned to slide 5 and spoke to the following points
on UA accreditation:
[Original punctuation provided.]
CAEP Standard 4: Evaluating our graduates in the
workplace
? Graduate surveys
? Employer surveys
? Case studies (including impact on student learning
data)
CAEP Standard 5: Continuous improvement and quality
assurance
? External advisory committees
? Continuous improvement data review meetings
? Tracking program improvements and data driven
changes
4:15:58 PM
MS. VINLOVE moved to slides 6-8 and said Alaska's next
generation of teachers need support. Alaska has high quality
bachelor programs but completing the programs can be difficult
for people for various reasons. She provided four examples of
real students, the barriers they faced, and the support they
received. Three key areas for support are money, community and
district encouragement, and human centered work and school
schedules that acknowledge family responsibilities.
4:19:10 PM
MS. VINLOVE advanced to slide 9 and said UA education programs
have three initiatives that address these long-standing
problems:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Internship Scholarships
Registered Apprenticeships
Grow-your-own programs
4:19:30 PM
MS. VINLOVE turned to slide 10, UA Teacher Internship
Scholarships:
[Original punctuation provided.]
$1M+ in new UA funding to address the affordability
barrier to high quality teacher preparation
For candidates who hold a bachelor's degree:
Award:
Tuition and fees for one year post-bac preparation
program
$10,000 living stipend
Priority areas for both awards:
• Alaska residents
• Internship in predominantly Indigenous schools
• Special education or secondary STEM endorsement area
For candidates (including district employees of any
level) who hold an AA degree or have completed 60
credits that count towards a BA in education
licensure:
Award:
• Tuition and fees for final 60 credits of initial
licensure BA degree program
• $10,000 living stipend during final internship year
4:20:36 PM
CHAIR TOBIN asked who provides the scholarship funding.
MS. VINLOVE replied that the funding comes from an appropriation
made to UA at the systemwide level. President Pitney allocated
it to the three schools of education to disseminate through the
scholarship process.
4:20:57 PM
CHAIR TOBIN said many districts in Alaska have higher costs of
living. She asked if there had been any feedback on the $10,000
living stipend, as it seemed low.
4:21:07 PM
MS. VINLOVE replied that the New Mexico legislature offers
$35,000 to support intern teachers. Alaska has $1 million to
distribute. Tuition, fees, and the stipend equate to about
$30,000 per student, allowing the university to support 30 to 50
students annually. Applicant feedback has been positive because
Alaska internships were typically unpaid. There is a national
trend to braid funding streams and offer paid internships.
4:22:15 PM
CHAIR TOBIN asked if there would be an award for reading
specialists since Alaska needs them.
4:22:28 PM
MS. VINLOVE replied that the scholarships are for initial
licensure programs. Reading is not an initial licensure program.
Embedded within early childhood licensure programs are the
components of the science of reading discussed in the READS Act.
4:23:07 PM
MS. VINLOVE turned to slide 11 and said that in January 2022,
the US Department of Labor approved teaching as an
"apprenticeable position," opening new funding streams and
opportunities for teacher preparation. The new programs have
apprenticeships in schools and are competency-based. The UA
College of Education Consortium has a subcommittee focused on
learning how to build out the registered apprenticeship
programs. It anticipates having two apprenticeship programs
ready by fall. The programs will be available to districts
across Alaska.
4:24:33 PM
MS. VINLOVE moved to slide 12 and said UA has been building its
knowledge base to shape its grow-your-own programs for 50 years.
She addressed the following points:
• Identifying attributes of successful GYO programs
• Money
• Time (and realistic expectations)
• Encouragement
• Quality preparation
• Facilitating cross-district sharing and the development of
district-specific program enhancements to maximize success
4:26:03 PM
MS. VINLOVE turned to slide 13 and stated quality pathways
matter. The consortium is constantly trying to recruit teachers
from within Alaska. Fast-track and emergency-certified teachers
are three times more likely to leave the classroom within three
years:
[Original punctuation provided.]
"Underprepared teachers are less efficacious, and
those from underrepresented backgrounds leave the
field particularly quickly, driving teacher turnover,
dampening student outcomes, and draining the nation's
pool of new teachers of color. Patterns of negative
outcomes for students are especially strong in
underserved communities, where underprepared teachers
are most likely to find positions."
MS. VINLOVE said there are substantial consequences for skipping
quality preparation. Not all certification pathways lead to
long-term workforce stability.
4:27:18 PM
MS. VINLOVE turned to slide 14 and said standardized minimum
competency exams stand in the way of licensure for some
students. Students are required to pass competency exams before
they are allowed to start their internship year. UA suspended
this requirement during Covid, and students who had not passed
the exam could begin their internships. Research supports a
policy change. The consortium recommends the removal of passing
the Praxis exam from licensure requirements.
4:28:41 PM
SENATOR STEVENS said the consortium's work is admirable, and he
appreciates UA's years of work increasing the number of students
who graduate. He asked how many teachers need to be hired
annually in Alaska versus how many teachers UA produces.
MS. VINLOVE replied that Alaska needs about 1,200 new teachers
each year. The UA system prepares around 250. It would like to
increase the number to 500 to improve teacher retention and
student outcomes.
4:30:11 PM
SENATOR STEVENS asked that UA keep the legislature apprised of
what it can do to help more Alaskans become teachers. He knows
there are paraprofessionals in his district who would be great
teachers, but they cannot afford to leave their families.
4:30:44 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN said the committee previously heard a proposal
to allocate more money to various teacher certifications. He
asked if the governor's office had talked with her regarding
teacher certification.
MS. VINLOVE replied no.
4:31:18 PM
CHAIR TOBIN said the consortium's work is exciting, and she
looks forward to discussing how the legislature can support the
internship program by offsetting the high cost of living.
^PRESENTATION ALASKA TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
PRESENTATION
ALASKA TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
4:31:38 PM
CHAIR TOBIN announced the consideration of a Department of
Education and Early Development (DEED) presentation on Alaska
Teacher Recruitment and Retention.
4:32:15 PM
KELLY MANNING, Deputy Director, Innovation and Education
Excellence, Department of Education and Early Development
(DEED), Juneau, Alaska, advanced to slide 2:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Mission
An excellent education for every student every day.
Vision
All students will succeed in their education and work,
shape worthwhile and satisfying lives for themselves,
exemplify the best values of society, and be effective
in improving the character and quality of the world
about them.
- Alaska Statute 14.03.015
Purpose
DEED exists to provide information, resources, and
leadership to support an excellent education for every
student every day.
4:33:00 PM
MS. MANNING moved to slide 3, Strategic Priorities: Alaska's
Education Challenge, and spoke to the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Five Shared Priorities:
1. Support all students to read at grade level by the end
of third grade.
2. Increase career, technical, and culturally relevant
education to meet student and workforce needs.
3. Close the achievement gap by ensuring equitable
educational rigor and resources.
4. Prepare, attract, and retain effective education
professionals.
5. Improve the safety and well-being of students through
school partnerships with families, communities, and
tribes.
4:33:23 PM
MS. MANNING turned to slide 4:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Agenda
• Background
• History & Structure
• Current efforts
• Planned Outcome
• Timeline
4:33:49 PM
SONDRA MEREDITH, Education Administrator, Teacher
Certification, Department of Education and Early
Development (DEED), Juneau, Alaska, moved to slide 4 and
said the following are highlights that the department has
compiled from reports that districts submit annually:
Background
• Annually, Alaska has approximately:
• 14,000 certified teachers;
• 7,500 teachers; and,
• 900 new teachers.
4:35:26 PM
MS. MEREDITH moved to slide 6 and said the following is
incidental information collected from human resource positions
across the state:
[Original punctuation provided.]
• Decreased number of applicants for vacant positions
• Increased number of first day vacancies
• Increased use of emergency certificates to fill
vacancies
4:36:40 PM
MS. MEREDITH moved to side 7 and spoke to the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Governor's Working Group on Teacher
Recruitment and Retention (TRR)
1. Formed Working Group: April 2020
2. Held Monthly Meetings: May 2020-March 2021
3. Goal: practical, professional policy
recommendations
4. TRR Action Plan Complete: April 2021
5. Shared Recommendations: April December 2021
4:48:11 PM
MS. MEREDITH moved to slide 8 and said access to all teacher
recruitment and retention information was available at the
website www.education.alaska.gov\trr.
4:39:30 PM
ARBARA ADAMS, Consultant, Adams Analytic Solutions, Fairbanks,
Alaska, advanced to slide 9 and said DEED contracted her to work
on teacher recruitment and retention. Adams Analytic Solutions
created a teacher's survey from 40 years of cataloged research.
It identified issues that teachers felt were important. From the
survey came 18 recommendations organized into six essential
areas. She spoke to the following 18 recommendations:
Create Educator Induction Program Framework (Align)
Retirement Task Force
Independent Audit of Recruitment
Measure Working Conditions
Financial Literacy on Retirement (Education)
Recruitment Task Force
Financial Opportunities
Modernize the Certification System
Restructure ATP
Organizational Health System
Reciprocity for all states
Grow Your Own Programs
Administrator Mentoring
AK History and Culture Coursework
Alternative Certification Pathways
Principal Assessment (Teacher Feedback)
Paraprofessional Pathways
Resources for Alternative Programs
4:45:55 PM
MS. ADAMS moved to slide 10 and said the six essential areas
create "alignment across the system that supports local control
to recruit and retain educators to provide an excellent
education for every student every day." The six areas are:
• Strengthening working conditions
• Enhancing recruitment efforts
• Streamlining certification
• Creating paraprofessional pathways
• Restructuring retirement options
• Developing leadership
4:46:19 PM
MS. ADAMS turned to slide 11 and spoke to the efforts to move
forward on potential solutions as follows:
• Implementation of the Teacher Recruitment and
Retention (TRR) Action Plan
• Hold convenings and working groups (Zoom)
• Small groups volunteer by topic
• Whole group invite to all
• Contract studies to compile, align, analyze, and
recommend
• Practices, policies, and programs in the state
and out of the state
• Sharing examples of positive practices
• Outcome: Playbook
• Timeline
4:48:18 PM
MS. ADAMS moved to slides 12-13 and said the committee began
meeting last spring. All meeting notes, resources, and
recordings are available online at aklearns.org/trr. The work of
the committee includes:
Organizational Health Cadre
Alternative Certification Team
Recruitment Task Force
Retirement Working Group
Whole Group Induction Meetings
• Focus on alignment across the education system
• Sharing current positive practices
• Updates via emails
• Regular 1-1 conversations with stakeholder leadership
4:49:02 PM
MS. ADAMS turned to slide 14 and said the chart is a list of
compiling studies she has requested:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Contract: Working Conditions
Description: Tools for districts to measure and
improve
Progress: Draft complete
Contract: Financial Opportunities
Description: Options for districts
Progress: Available
Contract: Teacher Feedback on Principals
Description: Options for districts that protect
teachers Progress: Available
Contract: Retirement Restructuring
Description: Options for legislature
Progress: Started 12/2022
Contract: District Recruitment (a)
Description: Audit of current practices
Progress: Started 12/2022
Contract: District Recruitment (b)
Description: Audit of contractual practices
Progress: Started 12/2022
Contract: Innovative Recruitment Strategies
Description: Proactive ideas for legislature, state,
districts, etc.
Progress: Available
Contract: Paraprofessional Pathways
Description: Options to expand participation and
success Progress: Available
4:51:33 PM
MS. ADAMS advanced to slide 15 and said the playbook would be
very accessible online with links and hyperlinks:
[Original punctuation provided.]
• Compiled options within state and across states
• From contractors
• Informational vs. recommendations
• Action steps - Implementation Strategies
• From committees
• Fall under practical, professional, or policy
categories
• Playbook
• Focus on alignment, action, solutions
• Target different areas of the system
• i.e., districts, state, legislature, partners
• Support local control with aim of students at the
center
4:51:55 PM
MS. ADAMS turned to slides 16-17 and said the timeline shows the
order of the information that presenters shared with the
committee during the hearing. The timeline begins with
establishing the governor's working group in Spring 2020.
Contract work started midway through the timeline. The timeline
ends with the playbook being finalized and shared in Fall 2023.
4:52:27 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN said that on March 7, 2023 there was an
initiative from the governor's office to commit millions of
dollars to innovative teacher licensure. He asked if DEED has
had conversations with the governor's office regarding the
initiative.
MS. MANNING replied DEED is in communication with the governor's
office providing data and information.
4:53:06 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN asked if there had been specific conversations
with the governor's office about the program.
4:53:16 PM
MS. MANNING replied that she had not been a part of those
conversations and could not speak to the conversations at the
commissioner's office.
4:53:25 PM
MS. MEREDITH said there had been requests for data, but she does
not know what conversations have taken place within the
commissioner's office.
4:53:40 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN asked Ms. Meredith if she oversaw teacher
licensing for the state.
4:53:44 PM
MS. MEREDITH replied yes.
4:53:50 PM
CHAIR TOBIN asked Ms. Adams if there had been conversations
regarding the use of incentive programs to entice teacher
retention and what were the ideas and amounts discussed.
4:54:13 PM
MS. ADAMS replied yes. The TRR action plan recommended financial
incentives. The commissioned study showed that many financial
incentives were small compared to other states. The amounts from
the governor's office align with the financial incentives
suggested in the report. In response to Senator Bjorkman's
question, she stated she has had no contact with the governor's
office, but the financial incentives report is available.
4:55:15 PM
CHAIR TOBIN thanked the presenters.
4:56:44 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Tobin adjourned the Senate Education Standing Committee
meeting at 4:56 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| University of Alaska Presentation to Senate Education 03.08.2023.pdf |
SEDC 3/8/2023 3:30:00 PM |
University of Alaska |
| DEED Teacher Recruitment and Retention Presentation 03.07.2023.pdf |
SEDC 3/8/2023 3:30:00 PM |
|
| DEED 2023 Teacher Data Handouts 03.07.2023.pdf |
SEDC 3/8/2023 3:30:00 PM |
|
| ISER Teacher Turnover Presentation 03.07.2023.pdf |
SEDC 3/8/2023 3:30:00 PM |
|
| ISER Research Summary Grow Our Own Policy Brief 03.07.2023.pdf |
SEDC 3/8/2023 3:30:00 PM |
|
| ISER Research More Than Dollars 03.07.2023.pdf |
SEDC 3/8/2023 3:30:00 PM |
|
| ISER Research Cost of Teacher Turnover 03.07.2023.pdf |
SEDC 3/8/2023 3:30:00 PM |
|
| SB 52 Version S 03.08.2023.pdf |
SEDC 3/8/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 52 |
| SB 52 Explanation of Changes Version A to Version S 03.08.2023.pdf |
SEDC 3/8/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 52 |