Legislature(2017 - 2018)CAPITOL 106
03/27/2017 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB102 | |
| HB52 | |
| HB146 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 102 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 52 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 146 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
HB 52-PRE-ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAMS/PLANS
8:10:53 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the next order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 52, "An Act relating to providing a pre-
elementary program within a school district; and providing for
the certification of early childhood education plans."
8:11:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT KAWASAKI, Alaska State Legislature,
reminded the committee HB 52 would provide voluntary statewide
universal pre-elementary (Pre-K) programs by request to
interested school districts. He advised children who take a
Pre-K program perform better on tests, graduate in higher
numbers, are more successful as adults, and are more likely to
attend college. Through school districts' existing Pre-K, [U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services] Head Start, and other
early education programs, the bill creates a means in which
early education can be offered to all children aged three to
five years.
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ concurred that studies indicate the
benefits of Pre-K education and exposure to caring adult models
include better health and social skills, self-confidence,
problem-solving skills, and resilience. She asked whether the
voluntary structure of the bill was that the programs are
voluntary to individuals, or voluntary to school districts.
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI said school districts would decide
whether to offer Pre-K programs, and parents would choose
whether to enroll their children in a Pre-K program. He pointed
out compulsory school attendance in Alaska is not required until
a child attains the age of six.
CHAIR DRUMMOND opened public testimony on HB 52.
8:15:12 AM
SAMANTHA ADAMS, Licensed Childcare and Preschool Teacher, said
she has been a licensed childcare and preschool teacher for ten
and one-half years. From her experience networking with
colleagues in early childhood education, and other teachers, she
related young children need school readiness which is defined as
cumulative gains across developmental domains from birth to age
five. For example, fine motor skills and literacy are two
important developmental areas that can be learned in the home
prior to entering school if the home setting can provide
appropriate resources. However, other areas of development,
such as social and emotional competency, take place best in
group settings. Ms. Adams explained young children need the
opportunity to work in a social setting with their peers to
problem-solve, self-regulate, and to prepare for social
settings; with this foundation, children are ready for academics
in kindergarten and first grade. Furthermore, a preschool class
of twelve students to one teacher is the ideal group size in
which children can develop social and emotional competency and
prepare for larger classrooms in kindergarten. Finally, she
said "fadeout" of the skills learned in early childhood learning
is a myth; in fact, early skills are learned for life.
8:18:17 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH asked about the potential impact of the
bill.
MS. ADAMS described a variety of preschool education programs:
programs not offered through school districts but certified by
the Department of Education and Early Development (EED); family
childcare providing preschool and fulltime childcare; part-time
religious programs. For the legislation to broadly impact
communities, the funding must address other programs that are
not part of the public school system, because the programs need
to be "positive and sustained."
CHAIR DRUMMOND asked for the cost to place a child in a private
preschool program in Juneau.
MS. ADAMS advised her preschool sessions are Monday through
Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and cost $415.00 per month.
When preschool and fulltime childcare services are not
consolidated, families must take children to multiple programs.
In further response to Chair Drummond, she said the Juneau
School District offers a peer-integrated preschool program which
takes place in a classroom of twelve children, six of which have
special needs. Ms. Adams further explained preschool programs
help identify special needs children at a very early age, from
birth to five years.
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH asked for the percentage of children who
are identified with special needs.
MS. ADAMS said during her ten and one-half years of teaching she
has referred three or four children. High quality [Pre-K]
programs are qualified to make referrals based on indicators
that the families may be reluctant to acknowledge. She offered
anecdotal stories of the families that she has helped address
their child's special needs.
8:25:46 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND asked whether pediatricians in Juneau are making
referrals and identifying needs.
MS. ADAMS pointed out a pediatrician may only see a child for a
brief visit, whereas consolidated preschool and daycare allows
the teacher/caregiver to observe the child for seven to eight
hours a day. She directed attention to her written comments
submitted to the committee containing additional testimony.
8:27:38 AM
TREVOR STORRS, Executive Director, Alaska Children's Trust,
informed the committee the Alaska Children's Trust (ACT) is a
statewide organization focused on the prevention of child abuse
and neglect. Mr. Storrs observed the legislature has an
opportunity to invest in the wellbeing of young children. [HB
52] would provide school districts and communities the
opportunity to invest in children so children are ready to
succeed in school and in life. Providing Pre-K is not about
[higher] test scores, but puts children in position to be
successful, contributing adults. In order for the state to
avoid high Medicaid costs, building more jails, concerns about
law enforcement and homelessness, and other ills, the state
needs to create a new system based on the proven changes brought
by early childhood education that will - over time - address the
state's [budget] deficit. Mr. Storrs said ACT highly urges the
committee to support HB 52.
8:30:24 AM
STEPHANIE BERGLUND, CEO, thread, said thread is Alaska's
childcare resource and referral network. Ms. Berglund stated
strong support for HB 52, and any expansion of Pre-K in Alaska.
Decades of research has shown Pre-K makes a difference to
children not only in school readiness, but for a lifetime. The
most formative years of brain development come well before a
child goes to kindergarten; further, the state needs a workforce
of individuals who achieve education beyond high school and who
have advanced technical skills. Ms. Berglund acknowledged the
state's budget situation; however, the budget situation will
improve if the state invests more of its resources to productive
endeavors rather than in remediation, incarceration, and
welfare. She pointed out the budget benefits of Pre-K education
come from cost savings in education, grade retention, and the
criminal justice system; and from cost increases in greater
economic productivity. She closed, observing that every $10,000
invested in a child increases his/her future earnings by 10
percent. Ms. Berglund restated thread's support of HB 52 and
programs to expand voluntary Pre-K to all four-year-old children
in Alaska in a mixed delivery setting.
CHAIR DRUMMOND asked about the shortage of available space [to
place young children] in preschools.
MS. BERGLUND clarified thread estimates - although children need
care through the age of twelve - families with the highest need
for quality childhood programs are for children between the ages
of zero and six, so it is estimated that there are about 40,000
children, under the age of six, in families with all the adults
working, and there are less than 18,000 quality early care and
learning spaces in Alaska.
CHAIR DRUMMOND concluded then less than one in two children have
quality space available.
8:34:58 AM
KARLI LOPEZ stated her support for HB 52 and said she is the
parent of two preschoolers, one of whom is in his third year
attending special education preschool in the Anchorage School
District. She said the bill is missing one component: The
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) directs that
whenever possible her son is to be educated in the least
restrictive environment and in a classroom with his peers, which
is not possible due to the lack of a public preschool program.
The preschool program attended by her son is only available to
children who qualify for special education, and thus is not a
fully inclusive setting. In an inclusive setting, her son's
classmates understand his different needs and he is welcomed.
Ms. Lopez provided examples of how peer modeling is tremendously
beneficial to the understanding and participation of children
with disabilities. She urged the committee to recognize the
long-term benefits of early childhood education and to invest in
Alaska's future.
8:37:13 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND, after ascertaining no one else wished to
testify, closed public testimony on HB 52. She remarked:
Universal Pre-K is such a big topic, and
Representative Spohnholz and I are working out a joint
Education/Health and Social Services committee
meeting, so we can help to remove the funding silos
for children from birth to age five, that we all know
exist in this state, and that we've heard from several
testifiers today. I know this topic of preschool will
fit in nicely with this discussion, so I'm going to
set this bill aside for now so that we can have that
joint meeting and get a better feel for the big
picture.
8:38:06 AM
The committee took a brief at-ease.
CHAIR DRUMMOND said a document is being distributed to be
included in the committee packet from the Washington State
Institute for Public Policy, entitled, "Early Childhood
Education for Low-Income Students: A Review of the Evidence and
Benefit-Cost Analysis."
8:38:51 AM
HB 52 was held over.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
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