Legislature(2021 - 2022)
2022-05-17 Senate Journal
Full Journal pdf2022-05-17 Senate Journal Page 2835 HB 114 HOUSE BILL NO. 114 am "An Act relating to the education loan program and Alaska supplemental education loan program; and providing for an effective date" was read the second time. Senator Bishop, Cochair, moved and asked unanimous consent for the adoption of the Finance Senate Committee Substitute offered on page 2756. Senator Begich objected, then withdrew his objection. There being no further objection, SENATE CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 114(FIN) "An Act relating to the education loan program, the Alaska supplemental education loan program, and the teacher education loan program; and providing for an effective date" was adopted. Senators Holland, Olson, Begich offered Amendment No. 1 : Page 1, line 1, following "Act": Insert "relating to the powers and duties of the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to public schools and school districts; relating to early education programs; relating to funding for early education programs; relating to school age eligibility; relating to reports by the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to reports by school districts; relating to certification and competency of teachers; relating to screening reading deficiencies and providing reading intervention services to public school students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; relating to textbooks and materials for reading intervention services; establishing a reading program in the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to the definition of 'parent' in education statutes; relating to a virtual education consortium;" 2022-05-17 Senate Journal Page 2836 Page 1, following line 4: Insert new bill sections to read: "* Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to read: SHORT TITLE. This Act may be known as the Alaska Reads Act. * Sec. 2. AS 14.03.040 is amended to read: Sec. 14.03.040. Day in session. Each day within the school term is a day in session except Saturdays, Sundays, and days designated as holidays by or according to AS 14.03.050. A school board may approve Saturdays as a day in session. The day in session in every school shall be at least four hours long, exclusive of intermissions, for the first, second, and third grades and five hours, exclusive of intermissions, for [ALL OTHER] grades four through 12. The commissioner may approve a shorter day in session for any grade. The period of the day in session shall be devoted to the instruction of pupils or to study periods for the pupils. * Sec. 3. AS 14.03.060(e) is amended to read: (e) In addition to the grades enumerated in (a) of this section, an elementary school consists of an early education [A PRE- ELEMENTARY] program approved or supervised by the department under AS 14.07.020(a)(8), including a program operated by a head start agency [THE DEPARTMENT] as a head start program under 42 U.S.C. 9831 - 9852c [AS 14.38.010, OR LOCATED IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR FEDERAL FUNDING PURPOSES. EXCEPT FOR A CHILD WITH A DISABILITY WHO IS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION OR RELATED SERVICES UNDER AS 14.30.180 - 14.30.350, PRE-ELEMENTARY STUDENTS MAY NOT BE COUNTED IN A SCHOOL'S AVERAGE DAILY MEMBERSHIP UNDER AS 14.17]. * Sec. 4. AS 14.03.060(e), as amended by sec. 3 of this Act, is amended to read: (e) In addition to the grades enumerated in (a) of this section, an elementary school consists of an early education program [APPROVED OR] supervised by the department under AS 14.07.020(a)(8), including a program operated by a head start agency as a head start program under 42 U.S.C. 9831 - 9852c. * Sec. 5. AS 14.03.072(a) is amended to read: (a) Each school district shall annually provide to parents and guardians of students enrolled in kindergarten through grade three 2022-05-17 Senate Journal Page 2837 in a public school in the state current information on the importance of [EARLY] literacy and early reading, including (1) culturally responsive intervention strategies and reading intervention services provided under AS 14.30.765; (2) home reading [LITERACY] plans; (3) grade progression [RETENTION] standards and policies for the elementary school attended; (4) strategies and resources to help children learn to read; (5) a list of resources and organizations that specialize in improving adult literacy. * Sec. 6. AS 14.03.072(a), as amended by sec. 5 of this Act, is amended to read: (a) Each school district shall annually provide to parents and guardians of students enrolled in kindergarten through grade three in a public school in the state current information on the importance of literacy and early reading, including (1) culturally responsive intervention strategies [AND READING INTERVENTION SERVICES PROVIDED UNDER AS 14.30.765]; (2) home reading plans; (3) grade progression standards and policies for the elementary school attended; (4) strategies and resources to help children learn to read; (5) a list of resources and organizations that specialize in improving adult literacy. * Sec. 7. AS 14.03.078(a) is amended to read: (a) The department shall provide to the legislature and school districts by February 15 of each year by electronic means an annual report regarding the progress of each school and school district toward high academic performance by all students. The report required under this section must include (1) information described under AS 14.03.120 [AS 14.03.120(d)]; (2) progress of the department (A) toward implementing the school accountability provisions of AS 14.03.123; and (B) in assisting high schools to become accredited; (3) a description of the resources provided to each school and school district for coordinated school improvement activities and staff training in each school and school district; 2022-05-17 Senate Journal Page 2838 (4) each school district's and each school's progress in aligning curriculum with state education performance standards; (5) a description of the efforts by the department to assist a public school or district that receives a low performance designation under AS 14.03.123; (6) a description of intervention efforts by each school district and school for students who are not meeting state performance standards; [AND] (7) the number and percentage of turnover in certificated personnel and superintendents; (8) a summary of the categories of certificated administrative employees employed by each school district that includes the ratio of (A) the number of certificated administrative employees in each category employed by each school district compared to the number of students enrolled in the school district on October 1 of the previous year; (B) the total number of certificated administrative employees employed by each school district compared to the total number of teachers employed by the school district on October 1 of the previous year; and (C) the total number of teachers employed by each school district compared to the total number of students enrolled in the school district on October 1 of the previous year; (9) the progress made to implement the reading intervention programs established under AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.780, including data on how school districts are using in- service days for culturally responsive professional development in reading instruction; and (10) the effectiveness and participation rates of the parents as teachers program established under AS 14.03.420, including measures of efficiency and effectiveness that demonstrate the effects of the program on school readiness. * Sec. 8. AS 14.03.078(a), as amended by sec. 7 of this Act, is amended to read: (a) The department shall provide to the legislature and school districts by February 15 of each year by electronic means an annual report regarding the progress of each school and school 2022-05-17 Senate Journal Page 2839 district toward high academic performance by all students. The report required under this section must include (1) information described under AS 14.03.120; (2) progress of the department (A) toward implementing the school accountability provisions of AS 14.03.123; and (B) in assisting high schools to become accredited; (3) a description of the resources provided to each school and school district for coordinated school improvement activities and staff training in each school and school district; (4) each school district's and each school's progress in aligning curriculum with state education performance standards; (5) a description of the efforts by the department to assist a public school or district that receives a low performance designation under AS 14.03.123; (6) a description of intervention efforts by each school district and school for students who are not meeting state performance standards; (7) the number and percentage of turnover in certificated personnel and superintendents; and (8) a summary of the categories of certificated administrative employees employed by each school district that includes the ratio of (A) the number of certificated administrative employees in each category employed by each school district compared to the number of students enrolled in the school district on October 1 of the previous year; (B) the total number of certificated administrative employees employed by each school district compared to the total number of teachers employed by the school district on October 1 of the previous year; and (C) the total number of teachers employed by each school district compared to the total number of students enrolled in the school district on October 1 of the previous year [; (9) THE PROGRESS MADE TO IMPLEMENT THE READING INTERVENTION PROGRAMS ESTABLISHED UNDER AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.780, INCLUDING DATA ON HOW SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE USING IN-SERVICE DAYS FOR CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PROFESSIONAL 2022-05-17 Senate Journal Page 2840 DEVELOPMENT IN READING INSTRUCTION; AND (10) THE EFFECTIVENESS AND PARTICIPATION RATES OF THE PARENTS AS TEACHERS PROGRAM ESTABLISHED UNDER AS 14.03.420, INCLUDING MEASURES OF EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS THAT DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECTS OF THE PROGRAM ON SCHOOL READINESS]. * Sec. 9. AS 14.03.078 is amended by adding new subsections to read: (c) Each school district shall make available to the public the portion of the report under (a)(8) of this section that pertains to the school district by posting the information in a prominent location on the school district's or local community's Internet website or by another easily accessible method. (d) In this section, "administrative employee" means an employee who does not provide direct classroom instruction for students as a regular part of the employee's job. * Sec. 10. AS 14.03.080(c) is amended to read: (c) A child under school age who is at least four years of age at the beginning of the school year may be admitted to a public school in the school district of which the child is a resident at the discretion of the governing body of the school district if the child meets minimum standards prescribed by the board evidencing that the child has the mental, physical, and emotional capacity to perform satisfactorily for the educational program being offered. A district's educational program must prescribe that, except for students in an early education program, under school age students advance through the curriculum or grade level by the following school year. A governing body may delegate the authority granted under this subsection to the chief school administrator of the school district. * Sec. 11. AS 14.03.080(c), as amended by sec. 10 of this Act, is amended to read: (c) A child under school age [WHO IS AT LEAST FOUR YEARS OF AGE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR] may be admitted to a public school in the school district of which the child is a resident at the discretion of the governing body of the school district if the child meets minimum standards prescribed by the board evidencing that the child has the mental, 2022-05-17 Senate Journal Page 2841 physical, and emotional capacity to perform satisfactorily for the educational program being offered. A district's educational program must prescribe that [, EXCEPT FOR STUDENTS IN AN EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM,] under school age students advance through the curriculum or grade level by the following school year. A governing body may delegate the authority granted under this subsection to the chief school administrator of the school district. * Sec. 12. AS 14.03.080 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: (g) A child who is five years of age on or before September 1 following the beginning of the school year, and who is under school age, may enter a public school kindergarten. * Sec. 13. AS 14.03.120 is amended by adding new subsections to read: (h) To the extent allowable under state and federal privacy laws, each district shall annually report to the department information from the previous school year regarding (1) the number of students and teaching staff assigned to each classroom in grades kindergarten through three; (2) the number and percentage of students (A) in grades kindergarten through three who demonstrated improvement on expected grade-level skills on the statewide screening tool; (B) in grades kindergarten through three who performed below expected grade-level skills on the statewide screening tool, by grade; (C) in grades kindergarten through three who did not progress to the next grade and the reasons the students did not progress; (D) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills to progress to grade four based on the statewide screening tool; (E) in grade three who progressed to grade four based on a waiver under AS 14.30.765(f); (F) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills to progress to grade four based on an alternative standardized reading screening; (G) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills to progress to grade four based on a student 2022-05-17 Senate Journal Page 2842 reading portfolio; (3) the performance on the statewide screening tool of students in a grade above grade three who did not progress to grade four or who progressed to grade four based on a waiver under AS 14.30.765(f). (i) To the extent allowable under state and federal privacy laws, the department shall post on the department's Internet website and make available for download the information reported under this section. The department shall post the information in a single downloadable comma-separated values file or a similar single downloadable file that allows data storage in tabular format. The file must include the comprehensive information about each public school reported under (d) and (e) of this section in a single list that may be sorted and compared. (j) If the department receives the information required to be reported under this section from multiple sources, the department shall consolidate the information. Nothing in this section requires a district to provide duplicate information to the department in separate documents. * Sec. 14. AS 14.03 is amended by adding new sections to read: