Legislature(2001 - 2002)
03/07/2001 01:32 PM Senate HES
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE
March 7, 2001
1:32 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Lyda Green, Chair
Senator Loren Leman, Vice Chair
Senator Jerry Ward (via teleconference)
Senator Gary Wilken
Senator Bettye Davis
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CAREER PATHWAYS PRESENTATION by Kris Forrester, Mat-Su Borough
School District
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION QUALIFYING EXAM
SENATE BILL NO. 120
"An Act relating to a public school student high school graduation
examination; and providing for an effective date."
HEARD AND HELD
SENATE BILL NO. 128
"An Act relating to a two-year transition for implementation of the
public high school competency examination as a graduation
requirement; and providing for an effective date."
HEARD AND HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
High School Graduation Qualifying Exam Discussions - See Senate
HESS minutes dated 1/27/01, 1/31/01, 2/12/01, 2/14/01, 2/21/01,
2/24/01 and 2/26/01.
SB 120 - No previous Senate committee action.
SB 128 - No previous Senate committee action.
WITNESS REGISTER
Sandy Altland
Staff to Senator Ward
Alaska State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified for the sponsor of SB 120
Carol Comeau
Anchorage School District
PO Box 196650
Anchorage, AK 99519
POSITION STATEMENT: Expressed concern that issues regarding the
implementation of the exit exam remain and must be resolved in the
next two years.
Steve Cathers
PO Box 398
Valdez, AK 99686
POSITION STATEMENT: Supports SB 128 and listed continuing issues.
Kenny Bryant
2021 Oxbow Circle
Anchorage, AK 99516
POSITION STATEMENT: Would prefer student scores be published rather
than to use a pass/fail system regarding the exam.
Amy Bollenbach
PO Box 3429
Homer, AK 99603
POSITION STATEMENT: Prefers the elimination of the exit exam or SB
120 proposal.
Doug Wesson
Alaska School Psychologists Association
City and Borough of Juneau School District
Crazy Horse Drive
Juneau, AK 99801
POSITION STATEMENT: Supports delaying the implementation of the
High School Graduation Qualifying Exam.
Dr. Ed McLain
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
210 Fidalgo Ave.
Kenai, AK 99611
POSITION STATEMENT: Supports the essential skills exam and special
education provisions on the proposed Senate HESS Committee bill [SB
133].
Carl Rose
Association of Alaska School Boards
316 W 11th St.
Juneau, AK 99801
POSITION STATEMENT: Qualifying exam legislation must be simple and
pass this session.
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 01-16, SIDE A
Number 001
CHAIRWOMAN LYDA GREEN called the Senate Health, Education & Social
Services Committee meeting to order at 1:32 p.m. Present were
Senators Leman, Wilken and Green. The first order of business to
come before the committee was the Career Pathways presentation.
CAREER PATHWAYS
MS. KRIS FORRESTER, Career Pathways, Mat-Su School District,
informed the committee that industries in Alaska have expressed
concern that they are not getting the employees they need from
existing programs. Career Pathways began to look at high school
programs and found that a lot of students are majoring in high
school graduation and not education because high school is a time-
based system to acquire 21 credits. Students were looking at
acquiring credits, not workplace skills. For example, two credits
of math are required but nowhere does it say what type of math is
needed. Students were grazing across the curriculum and, in many
cases, the curriculum has shortcomings. In a Career Pathways
system, teachers grade with intention. Another finding was that
many seniors were wasting that year because the rigor is in earlier
years.
MS. FORRESTER said 80 percent of the new jobs in the next 10 years
will be the result of expanding technology. Most of those jobs
will not require a four-year college degree but they will require
special technical education. However, higher level skills are now
required to function in entry level positions. She noted that
students who want to become heavy equipment operators will need
algebra and higher level math because a lot of electronics is
involved in the equipment, which is not computer controlled.
Students need to be taught in ways that might not be traditional.
MS. FORRESTER pointed out about 50 percent of high school graduates
enroll in college but only half complete a four-year degree within
10 years. That means the typical high school curriculum is designed
to meet the needs of only 25 percent of the students. About 25
percent of students that start high school do not finish. About 66
percent of students are reading below grade level.
MS. FORRESTER said one of the things that started the national
goals movement is a commission study on employability skills.
DOEED put those standards in the curriculum but employers are
saying even though students may have the math skills, they may not
have the employability skills. Employers have said that students
have little or no career focus. It is very hard for students to
choose a career or to know what skills they need because they have
not been able to look at what it takes to do a certain type of
work. There is not enough interaction between the community,
business and the industry, and parents.
MS. FORRESTER believes high schools have not done a good job with
the "theme of transition" so that a seamless transition occurs
between high school and the work world.
MS. FORRESTER explained that Career Pathways is a system that
creates a well-marked path, a sequence of courses which provides
focus and direction to a student's learning experience. People
question whether this is a system of tracking what students take.
She believes high schools have a system of tracking already: the
track to college and the track to nowhere. Career Pathways contains
six broad career pathways with a variety of options within each
pathway. The broad categories are:
· Arts and communications
· Business, management and technology
· Human services
· Natural resources
· Industrial and engineering
· Health services
Following this system makes the student's education relative to him
or her. She pointed out that what Career Pathways is all about is
making education relevant. When students can see how something they
are learning relates to the real world, they learn it.
MS. FORRESTER said the Alaska Business Education Compact and all of
the consortiums have given their blessing to the Career Pathways
plan. It contains the Quality Schools Initiative and the content
standards because students need basic skills. It also includes
employability skills, which are honesty, punctuality, problem
solving ability, integrity and teamwork. After that, students spend
time doing career exploration and then career development. It is at
that point the path opens to the six broad categories of interest.
The Career Pathways approach to learning is to integrate high
academic standards and relevant, context-based learning. The second
piece is career awareness and instruction in all aspects of an
industry. The last piece is a linkage between secondary and
postsecondary education. That means students might already be
getting college credit or entry into an apprenticeship and will
ensure the students have the skills necessary for transition.
Career Pathways opens up more choices and possibilities. It is
designed for all students so that all students can enter and exit
the school system and find training opportunities to advance up the
career ladder. It is not for educators to approach alone; it
involves employers and provides transferable knowledge. Partners
can act as conduits to the outside world. Career Pathways can
ignore traditional boundaries so that, for example, math can be
learned outside of the classroom. Many industry certification
programs are offered at the high school level.
Number 1714
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN thanked Ms. Forrester and said she would encourage
the Department of Education and Early Development (DOEED) and
school districts to use this information to evaluate students and
curricula. She announced that Senators Davis and Ward had joined
the committee and that the committee would not be hearing SB 94
today. The committee would take up SB 120, SB 128, and a draft
version of a Senate HESS Committee bill [SB 133]. Copies of those
bills have been distributed to the Legislative Information Offices
so that participants at the Saturday meeting can respond to them.
SB 120-PUBLIC SCHOOL EXIT EXAM
MS. SANDY ALTLAND, staff to Senator Ward, sponsor of SB 120,
explained that SB 120 looks at whether a single test should be the
sole determining factor in granting a high school diploma. Under
SB 120, students would continue to take the exit exam but the test
would determine whether the student receives an endorsement on
their diploma, not whether the student would get a diploma. SB 120
also establishes a uniform statewide standard for awarding an
endorsement on the diploma.
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN noted the uniform standard would be determined by
DOEED through regulation. She asked if SB 120 would provide for an
endorsement for any student who exhibits proficiency in reading,
writing or math. Students who are not eligible or the endorsement
would receive an imprint of the Alaska flag on their diplomas.
MS. ALTLAND presented a proposed amendment to SB 120 [Amendment 1]
to resolve some controversy over the word "proficiency." The
amendment reads:
A M E N D M E N T 1
OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR WARD
TO: SB 120
Page 2, line 2:
Delete "exhibits proficiency"
Insert "meets graduation examination requirements"
Page 2, line 4:
Delete "exhibits proficiency"
Insert "meets graduation examination requirements"
Page 2, line 6:
Delete "exhibits proficiency"
Insert "meets graduation examination requirements"
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN asked if the graduation requirements would be
determined by DOEED and the local school districts.
MS. ALTLAND said that it is correct and that is the status quo.
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN said SB 120 would be set aside and SB 128 would be
taken up.
SB 128-PUBLIC SCHOOL EXIT EXAM TRANSITION PERIOD
SENATOR LEMAN, sponsor of SB 128, said he believes that competency
testing is appropriate. When he voted in favor of the exit exam
requirement, he believed the five years of preparation time was
adequate. He believes the DOEED and others who established
standards for the state did a commendable job. The results from
the first and follow up round for the exam have been less than
spectacular with a few exceptions. He has looked at the school
districts that were the exceptions and learned a few things. He
believes the test should be a standard for passage and the test
results should be placed on the transcript and the diploma. SB 128
buys two years of time. This approach accomplishes several things.
School systems will have more time to align their curricula and
bring what is taught in the schools up to a level that Alaskans
believe is appropriate for high school students to achieve. It
will also give students additional time to learn the material. It
also gives parents additional time to get involved in the learning
of their children. He purposely did not address the issue
surrounding special education because he is not an expert on that
subject and the bill will provide two years to tackle that issue.
SB 128 provides legal defensibility. He spoke with the past
superintendent of the Unalaska School District who is now in
Valdez, Carol Comeau with the Anchorage School District, and Carl
Rose, with the Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB). All
three indicated their willingness to comment on SB 128.
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN said she would now take up the draft proposal for
committee legislation [SB 133]. The committee's proposal would do
much of what Senator Ward's, Senator Leman's and the Governor's
bills do. She has tried to find a solution for every student who
might be required to take the exit exam. The committee proposal
contains intent language that encourages school districts to
develop additional endorsements, above and beyond what the bill
requires, to develop a better picture of each student. The bill
requires the exit exam to focus on essential and foundational
skills in the areas of reading, English, and mathematics that the
general community would expect the student to have or to know in
order to function at an introductory level in our society. The
transitional language for the time period between now and 2003 is
similar to that provision in Senator Leman's bill. The committee
proposal also contains language prohibiting the exit exam from
being administered during a day when school is in session, the
purpose being to avoid having half of the school non-functioning
while the exam is being given. She noted she is open to suggestions
on that language.
TAPE 01-17, SIDE B
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN said that the draft bill has a 2004 effective
date. At that time, a student will be required to pass a high
school essential skills examination to receive a high school
diploma, unless the student receives a waiver from DOEED. She
explained that a waiver might be given if a student transferred in
during his or her senior year or to a student who has passed all
classes and done well but for some reason failed the exam. She
noted the draft bill contains re-examination language that she is
unsure about. That language was left open so that DOEED can work
on it. Section 3 contains permissive language for children with
disabilities and conditions for granting diplomas to children who
do not receive a passing score on the exam. Special education
students have a very wide range of abilities and skills therefore
different approaches will be necessary. Some students will never be
required to take an exam. She intends to add oversight language
that says when a school is in the process of providing an
alternative assessment for a student, a report of explanation must
be done. It is not her intention that the bill contain a loophole
so that any student with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
will not have to take the test. The fact that a student passed the
exam will be noted on the diploma and the scores will be placed on
the student's transcript. She asked Carol Comeau to testify.
Number 2189
MS. CAROL COMEAU, Anchorage School District, thanked Senators
Leman, Ward and Green for considering the concerns the Anchorage
School District has been bringing forward. The Anchorage School
District is not interested in stepping back from the exam
requirement or from the accountability aspect. However, the
district is still concerned about special education, bilingual and
military transfer students. She is aware the committee has
recognized these issues so she hopes they can be worked through
during the next two years.
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN said she thinks the waiver language will give
DOEED room to make provisions for military students in particular
and any other anomalies that occur.
MS. COMEAU asked if DOEED has given its perspective on the
essential skills issue.
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN said she cannot speak for the Commissioner, but
she noted Commissioner Holloway is relieved the committee is moving
forward. She then took public testimony.
MR. STEVE CATHERS, Superintendent of the Valdez City School
District, said he was speaking on his own behalf. The legislation
on the exit exam has had a positive effect on schools and students
in the state: it has provided an incentive for students to try
harder and for schools to be focused. At this point, the
accountability system needs to be made part of a statewide school
improvement process, which is in danger of becoming discredited by
unresolved issues of fairness and undesired results. The worst
case scenario will be that the group of students denied diplomas
will correlate closely to the group of students already identified
as handicapped, bilingual or economically disadvantaged. Another
result, which could discredit the process, could be found in
numerous anecdotal cases of students who become successful in the
business world but were previously found inadequate by the State of
Alaska because of the qualifying exam. He supports Senator Leman's
bill (SB 128) in its effort to allow time to resolve these issues
yet maintain accountability. The following other fixes must take
place during the two-year delay.
· The appropriate education for students with special needs
guaranteed by federal law is not yet provided for in any bill.
The Valdez school district will be sued over this issue.
Senator Green's idea of separate and multiple diplomas has
merit and should be explored further.
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN clarified that the previous language she discussed
regarding separate diplomas is not in the draft proposal.
MR. CATHERS continued.
· The math portion of the exam needs to be adjusted, as with any
standardized test, to ensure its validity.
· An honest inquiry must take place regarding whether all
students have had equal access to quality education. If a
school is identified as needing improvements, will the
students be punished by withholding their diplomas? This
study should take place using data that just became available
at the education summit.
· A further step is needed to increase graduation requirements
so that passing the minimal standards of the qualifying exam
is not the only measure of student success. Bright students
might be "dumbed" down by this system if they are not
challenged more. He proposes that different kinds of diplomas
be offered, sometimes called Career Pathways diplomas. The
day of the generic pass/fail diploma is passed; the world is
now specialized. An academic diploma could represent college-
readiness and a technical diploma could represent preparedness
for a skilled labor career. Graduation standards for each
should be different but equally rigorous. This change would
prepare students for the world of work and not reject a
portion of our students who are not college bound but are very
much career bound.
· Remediation needs to be supported through increased funding.
Summer school and after school tutoring must become
commonplace around the state.
· Student behaviors and student discipline must continue to be
addressed to prevent failure due to interference and
disruption by other students.
MR. KENNY BRYANT, Operations Business Manager for the Western North
Slope Business Unit for Phillips Alaska, said he was speaking on
his own behalf. He was asked to testify by virtue of his
involvement on the Content Review Committee. He was involved in
reviewing the math portion of the exam. His group looked at each
question and asked whether it required essential knowledge for a
student to graduate from high school. He noted that the business
community would much prefer to have the test scores on the diploma
or transcripts. He does not believe the exit exam is a high risk
exam. He asked whether the endorsements would be based on a
pass/fail system or whether they will contain a score. A score
will be a lot more valuable for a future employer to know.
Number 1732
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN explained that the scores will be on the
transcript.
MS. AMY BOLLENBACH, testifying from Homer, asked if the committee
has extensive studies on states that use exit exams regarding drop
out and suicide rates and other possible effects of the exit exam.
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN said she has seen several comparison pieces on
different things states have gone through to conform and improve
their tests. She said she does not know whether the information
Ms. Bollenbach referred to is available but she will ask DOEED.
MS. BOLLENBACH asked that the committee get that information before
taking action on the legislation. She noted an article in the
Peninsula Clarion reported that several students have already
dropped out of high school in the Kenai Peninsula because of the
exit exam. If that is true, it is important to think about where
those students are going. Ms. Bollenbach said she prefers Senator
Ward's bill because it takes into consideration that people want
accountability and information on students. That bill does not
make the diploma contingent upon a certain score but instead would
state whether the student has competencies in reading, writing, and
math. She believes society should be very careful when doing
things that might make children feel like failures.
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN asked Ms. Bollenbach if she favors canceling the
exit exam.
MS. BOLLENBACH said she would prefer that it be canceled or to use
Senator Ward's method of listing levels of competency.
Number 1445
MR. DOUG WESSON, President of the Alaska School Psychologists
Association (ASPA), said the ASPA favors delaying the exit exam.
Its areas of concern are:
· In many schools, the curriculum has not been aligned with
current standards;
· Reasonable accommodations are insufficient for students with
identified disabilities;
· The high school qualifying exam alone has questionable
reliability and validity; and
· Alternatives need to be developed for students who may not be
able to pass the exit exam.
The ASPA does not propose a date by which the exam should be
delayed but believes it should not go into effect until the above
concerns are addressed. ASPA believes it would be best to delay or
phase in the exam so that its flaws and difficulties can be
addressed.
ASPA supports standards and accountability. It is important that
teachers have the tools and resources required for students to meet
the standards: smaller class size, upgraded facilities, after
school tutoring and summer school available for all. ASPA supports
the National Association of School Psychologists' position to
ensure that the use of tests is fair and that they accurately
measure achievement. Tests should not be the sole measure to
determine passage for graduation. The test can only provide a
sample of skills and it must be valid in order to be useful. The
profession of school psychology's ethical guidelines warn that test
scores alone should never be used to make a determination on a
student. Additional measures of student achievement should be
considered, such as teacher evaluations. The National Association
of Test Directors has gone on record to delay the implementation of
the exit exam because of substantial performance differences
between male and female students, students from more or less
affluent families, students from urban and rural schools, and
students with differences in racial and ethnic heritage. One aim
of this test is to provide accountability in instruction but
teachers do not control the socio-economic make-up of the
communities nor the transience of the population. Neither do
teachers control the salary levels they receive or the extent of
parental involvement in education. Additionally, this outcome
seems to punish the child rather than improve factors highly
related to academic success.
MR. WESSON said testing is a tool; it should not be a policy.
Testing can sometimes limit a teacher's ability to accommodate
students with diverse learning styles. The use of test scores
alone can misrepresent actual student achievement and increase drop
out rates. Testing should not be used to punish but rather to
diagnose. Not all schools in Alaska have aligned their curricula
with the exit exam and many have just begun needed remedial help -
a reflection of the short period of time between the first test
results indicating the areas in need of improvement. The ASPA
supports the accommodations being made for students with
disabilities in the draft proposal. Students need to be able to
demonstrate mastery of the performance standards and not just the
mastery of taking the test.
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN asked Mr. Wesson if he thinks the language she
discussed provides the leeway to do that.
MR. WESSON said he thinks the committee is heading in the right
direction and the ASPA supports that movement. He added that the
US District Court in Portland, Oregon recently heard a case in
which a group of parents filed a lawsuit against the State of
Oregon because their children were denied the use of
accommodations. Under the settlement, students with learning
disabilities would be allowed accommodations. ASPA feels there
needs to be alternatives for students who may not be able to pass
the exit exam. It would like to see alternatives used, such as
portfolios, verification of standards, grades, and attendance to
determine whether a student receives a high school diploma.
Students with disabilities could have their IEP teams provide data
and information to help determine whether the students are eligible
for a diploma. He also noted a policy for students who transfer
into the state needs to be looked at. He cautioned there are huge
consequences for students who do not pass the exit exam and for
those who may miss the exam date because of family or other
emergencies.
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN noted that she has asked DOEED to craft language
to address emergency situations. She asked him to address the
legislation before the committee in future testimony.
DR. ED MCLAIN, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, thanked
Chairwoman Green for her leadership in this area. The Kenai
District strongly favors refocusing on the essential skills aspect
of the test, the provisions for students with special needs, the
provision for transfer students, and the timing of the test. His
district is now identifying the skills and knowledge that a high
school graduate needs to have to participate on a structured level
in society. Those skills are a subset of the skills that are
included in the Kenai District's curriculum. He offered to provide
assistance to the committee in crafting out specific regulations
for the special education student provisions.
MR. CARL ROSE, Alaska Association of School Boards (AASB), said the
AASB has identified areas of concern that the committee has been
trying to deal with. He noted the issue is one of time and
simplicity at this point. Failure to pass legislation this session
will leave school districts up against a wall in 2002. He applauded
the committee for working on the concerns that are of importance.
He stated the qualifying benchmark exams have created positive
changes in education. He would hate to compromise that progress by
not having legislation passed this year.
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN announced the committee would meet on Saturday,
March 11, at 10:30 a.m., to review SB 120, SB 128 and the draft
language of the proposed Senate HESS Committee bill [SB 133]. She
noted the committee would like to hear from parents and students at
that meeting.
Number 559
SENATOR WARD asked if he could have some amendments incorporated
into the proposed committee bill.
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN said that would be fine.
SENATOR DAVIS informed the committee that she will be passing out
draft legislation at Saturday's meeting for public comment.
SENATOR WILKEN noted that he would not be able to attend Saturday's
meeting and that his staff will be present.
There being no further business to come before the committee,
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN adjourned the meeting at 3:00 p.m.
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