Legislature(2021 - 2022)DAVIS 106
02/25/2022 09:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB272 | |
| HB273 | |
| HB48 | |
| Presentation: Understanding Culturally Relevant Education in Alaska | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 48 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 272 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 273 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 48-AK PERFORMANCE SCHOLARSHIP; ELIGIBILITY
9:25:55 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the next order of business
would be SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 48, "An Act
relating to the Alaska performance scholarship program."
9:26:11 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY, as prime sponsor, presented SSHB 48 via a
PowerPoint, titled "Improving the Alaska Performance
Scholarship" [hard copy included in the committee packet]. She
stated that the purpose of the proposed legislation is to
improve the Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) program by
increasing its use, which would "grow" Alaska's workforce. As
addressed on slides 2-4, she spoke about workers in the state
leaving the workforce. She pointed out that the statistics show
if students attend postsecondary institutions in Alaska, they
are more likely to stay and work in the state. She noted that
APS was created in 2010 to retain students in the state;
however, the use of the program has been less than half of what
was anticipated. She stated that SSHB 48 would add career and
technical education (CTE) credits to APS eligibility. She noted
that graduation rates increase when students take CTE classes.
She listed the three options of applying CTE credits: a student
may replace one credit social studies with one credit CTE,
replace two credits world language with two credits CTE, or
replace one credit social studies with one credit CTE.
9:31:47 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY discussed the program review and recommendations,
beginning on slide 5. Drawing attention to slide 6, she
expressed the desire to keep APS competitive. She indicated
that SSHB 48 would expand the use of the scholarship from six
years to eight years, allowing students to take "gap years," and
it would increase the award. She pointed out on slide 6 the use
and decline of the scholarship by region. On slide 7, she
pointed out that the proposed legislation would increase the
award, as follows: from $4,755 to $7,000 for a grade point
average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher; from $3,566 to $5,250 for GPA of
3.0 up to 3.5; and from $2,378 to $3,500 for GPA of 2.5 up to
3.0. She explained that these numbers are sustainable draws
from the Higher Education Investment Fund, which is sourced from
investment returns. She stated that the proposed legislation
would remove the college entrance examination requirement for
the award. She maintained that research suggests that GPA is a
much better predictor of college success, as seen on slide 8.
9:35:18 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY highlighted slide 9, which addresses making APS
more accessible. She stated that to determine whether students
are on track for the program, the proposed legislation would
require a check in by January 31 of their junior year. She
noted that some states have a deadline for the scholarship, and
she had considered an amendment to add this provision. Moving
to slide 10, she pointed out some photographs of student
involvement. She expressed excitement to see the students who
have higher success in high school and college under this
program.
9:37:40 AM
ARIEL SVETLIK, Staff, Representative Andi Story, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Story, prime sponsor,
presented the changes in SSHB 48 [copy included in the committee
packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Version G:
Amends the title of this bill to align with changes
made in the Sponsor Substitute.
• Adds a new Section 3, requiring students to be
notified of their progress towards receiving the APS
scholarship during their junior year.
• Adds a new Section 4, which increases the awards and
removes entrance exam requirements. Changes to award
amounts are as follows: o Level one: $7,000 (was
previously $4,755) o Level two: $5,250 (was previously
$3,566) o Level three: $3,500 (was previously $2,378)
• Adds a new Section 5, which increases the number of
years a student can use the scholarship after
graduating high school from six to eight years.
9:40:25 AM
MS. SVETLIK pointed out the document provided by the Association
of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) [copy included in the
committee packet]. She stated that the document includes a
discussion of ACTE's impact on the workforce. It contains a
list of institutions in Alaska which accept APS; a list of CTE
programs where the scholarship can be used; a data sheet from
the National Conference of State Legislatures showing
scholarships offered in all 50 states; and the APS review which
has influenced many of the changes in SSHB 48.
9:42:16 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced the committee would hear invited
testimony on HB 48.
9:43:06 AM
SANA EFIRD, Executive Director, Alaska Commission on
Postsecondary Education (ACPE), Department of Education and
Early Development, gave invited testimony in support of SSHB 48.
She shared that ACPE's mission is to support secondary
education, and the proposed legislation directly supports the
work of the commission. She said, "To provide for a growing,
robust, Alaska economy, at least 65 percent of Alaskans will
need some type of postsecondary credential to obtain living-wage
employment and to meet Alaska's workforce needs." She shared
that a national survey of the 2020 graduating class found the
top reason for not pursuing postsecondary education had been
financial concerns. To ensure Alaskans have access to funds,
she said, APS is vital. She reviewed the history of the
scholarship, and she reported that since its inception, 26,713
Alaska high school graduates have earned eligibility for the
scholarship. Furthermore, 11,383 graduates have received the
award, which represents 13 percent of all graduates and 43
percent of the eligible students. She echoed the information
regarding the likelihood of students remaining in Alaska if they
get a postsecondary education in the state.
MS. EFIRD named four primary objectives of APS, as follows: to
offer an incentive for Alaska students to excel in high school;
to prepare Alaska students for college or career training; to
help Alaska students succeed in postsecondary programs; and to
keep skilled, high-achieving graduates in Alaska. She said
annual surveys conducted by ACPE have validated the importance
of APS. She stated that of the first full-time APS students who
began their enrollment in 2015 in the University of Alaska
system, 62 percent of these students completed an undergraduate
degree certificate or occupational endorsement within 6 years.
She compared this to only 29 percent of other students.
9:47:27 AM
MS. EFIRD called APS "a motivator for better grades" and shared
statistics in support of the statement, including the
preparedness of those in the program and their higher rate of
involvement in the workforce. She commented on the
comprehensive documentation of the program, which includes 11
reports and a full program review focused on program
improvement. She pointed out a 2021 APS student survey and
quoted students who had recommended the program. She concluded
her testimony by reiterating ACPE's support for the proposed
legislation.
9:52:26 AM
REBECCA BRAUN, Consultant, McKinley Research Group, LLC,
provided invited testimony in support of SSHB 48. She pointed
out that not using APS equals missed opportunities, and this
[negatively] affects the workforce in the state. She said
program participation had peaked at 902 students in 2016, and
then dropped to 644 in 2019 and 700 in 2020. She stated that
eligibility had varied from 23 percent to 34 percent over the
first 9 years of the program, peaking in 2014. She explained
that eligibility went up in 2020 and 2021 because ACPE had
suspended the testing requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She stated that across the board eligibility has grown by 63
percent, with the highest growth percentages being among Alaska
Native, African American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander
students. She advised that the test is a disproportionate
barrier for certain underrepresented groups.
9:56:37 AM
MS. BRAUN highlighted results from a survey by the McKinley
Research Group, LLC. She stated that about 6,000 high school
students between 2015 and 2020 had been surveyed, with many
eligible graduates choosing an out of state school. This choice
had been based on the belief that they would receive a better
education. She stated this points to a lack of confidence in
the University of Alaska system. She added that scholarships or
financial aid packages were cited as other reasons. She
continued that almost half of ineligible students were
interested in qualifying for the program in high school;
however, they did not meet test score requirements or did not
take the test. She said interviews with administrators, data,
and survey responses all corroborated this. She stressed that
the issue of testing came up consistently. She stated that
national trends show grades are a better indicator of college
success than standardized tests, which have inequitable impact
and serve as barriers to underrepresented groups. She reported
that the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores highly correlate
with family income. She related that the National College
Access Network found when schools removed test requirements,
they ended up with more diverse student bodies and did not see a
decrease in student quality or success. She said, concerning
financial aid and admission decisions, the role of standardized
testing is declining.
10:01:48 AM
MS. BRAUN stated that 80 percent of schools have now suspended
test requirements, many permanently. The University of Alaska
Fairbanks, which still requires standardized tests, has waived
the requirement at least through 2025. She pointed out quotes
which highlighted the trend of moving away from these tests.
She said, "The more other institutions and other scholarships
remove testing requirements, the fewer Alaska students are
actually going to be motivated to take it, and then APS will
lose even more and more potential students who could be strong
candidates. I think that's a sort of growing risk."
MS. BRAUN said the recommendation from the McKinley Group study
was to simplify program eligibility by eliminating the
distinction between academic and CTE awards; thus, offering
alternative pathways to demonstrate academic rigor. She stated
that SSHB 48 would support this. Regarding the requirement in
the proposed legislation of using three years for eligibility in
award determination, she argued that using only three years
would mean "students don't meet the necessary rigor." She
recommended the committee consider amending this to three- and
one-half years. She pointed out the recommendation to extend
the six-year window to eight years, which the legislation would
do. She highlighted other provisions in SSHB 48, including
increasing access, eliminating testing requirements, earlier
ongoing academic counseling for students, and amending the
dollar amount of APS awards to keep pace with costs.
10:06:01 AM
The committee took a brief at-ease at 10:06 a.m.
10:06:20 AM
[Public testimony was not officially opened at this point;
however, Co-Chair Drummond subsequently stated that Ms. Smolin's
statement was part of public testimony.]
CARIN SMOLIN, Career and Technical Education Coordinator, Juneau
School District, testified in support of HB 48. She called the
proposed legislation timely and needed. She cited data which
reflects a high rate of students who take CTE classes in high
school will go on to postsecondary education. She highlighted
the provisions and asked the committee to support the proposed
legislation.
10:08:43 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND opened public testimony on HB 48.
10:09:22 AM
DAVE REES, Alaska Business Education Compact (ABEC), said ABEC's
focus is on connecting educators and employers in partnerships
to focus on career pathways for students. He indicated that
students often leave CTE programs at [the high school] level to
prepare for the APS requirements. He said ABEC supports the
change in the APS qualifications under the proposed legislation.
He emphasized that CTE is much more than auto shop classes, as
it is helpful to those going into occupations related to
science, technology, engineering, and math.
[Public testimony remained open.]
10:13:40 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that HB 48 was held over.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 48 Bill Packet.pdf |
HEDC 2/25/2022 9:00:00 AM |
HB 48 |
| HB 48 Presentation.pdf |
HEDC 2/25/2022 9:00:00 AM |
HB 48 |