Legislature(2019 - 2020)CAPITOL 106
05/10/2019 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB109 | |
| Presentation(s): State Career & Technical Education Plan; Reauthorization, Carl Perkins Act | |
| HB67 | |
| HB155 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 109 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 67 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 155 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
HB 109-MILITARY CHILDREN SCHOOL RESIDENCY WAIVER
8:03:53 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY announced that the first order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 109, "An Act relating to residency
requirements for public school enrollment for certain children
of active duty military members." [Before the committee was the
proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 109, Version 31-
LS0728\S, Caouette, 4/24/19, adopted as a work draft on 5/8/19.]
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND commented that HB 109 is a good bill. She
said it honors the sacrifices that U.S. military families make
and is something that can be done to make the kids of military
members welcome and successful in Alaska's schools.
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK stated he is a proud sponsor of HB 109. He
noted it is something that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
is trying to do in all 50 states to make the transition easy for
[military] families.
8:05:48 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND moved to report the proposed CS for HB 109,
Version S, out of committee with individual recommendations and
the accompanying zero fiscal note. There being no objection,
CSHB 109(EDU) was reported from the House Education Standing
Committee.
^PRESENTATION(S): STATE CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION PLAN;
REAUTHORIZATION, CARL PERKINS ACT
PRESENTATION(S): STATE CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION PLAN;
REAUTHORIZATION, CARL PERKINS ACT
8:06:30 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY announced that the next order of business would
be a presentation about the Alaska Career and Technical
Education (CTE) Plan and reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins
Career and Technical Education Act.
8:07:41 AM
DEBORAH RIDDLE, Division Operations Manager, Administrator, CTE
Program, Department of Education and Early Development (DEED),
provided an overview of the State Career and Technical Education
(CTE) Plan. She began by explaining that the 1917 [National
Vocational Education Act (Smith-Hughes Act)] was the first time
that funds were awarded for vocational education. In [1963] it
became the Vocational [Education] Act. In 1984 [the Vocational
Education Act] was amended and became referred to as the [Carl
D. Perkins Act]. In 1990 the Act was retitled and reauthorized
as the [Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology
Education Act]. In 1998 the Act was amended again (Perkins
III). The State of Alaska operated under the [2006 Carl D.
Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins IV)] until
it was reauthorized in 2018 as the Strengthening Career and
Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V).
MS. RIDDLE pointed out that through its course of changes, the
Perkins Act has moved from vocational types of classes that were
not considered as rigorous as the core classes to career and
technical education with a focus on science, technology,
engineering, and math (STEM). Perkins IV and V created courses
and programs that are rigorous and that use an academic focus
along with the workforce development piece tied into it.
MS. RIDDLE brought attention to a PowerPoint presentation
provided in the committee packet [titled "Perkins An Opportunity
to ReThink CTE," dated September 2018, by Scott Stump, Assistant
Secretary,] Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education
(OCTAE), U.S. Department of Education. She related that this
powerful presentation talks about the levers of CTE and how CTE
can provide a lever for students who are looking at a career
focus, not necessarily a college focus.
8:10:24 AM
MS. RIDDLE explained that one of the changes made by Perkins V
is that it is tied to the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act
(ESSA). Language throughout Perkins V addresses pieces in ESSA
that talk about the consultation, focusing on the academics,
looking at accountability in a different way, and making it more
accessible for different states. In the past, most of the
compatibility indicators, or targets, were determined by OCTAE
at the U.S. Department of Education, and between OCTAE and the
state. A big change is that now the districts can negotiate
within the state to determine [the state's] own targets that fit
[the state's] needs better. This is outlined in a paper done by
the Department of Labor & Workforce Development (DLWD).
MS. RIDDLE related that DEED is excited about some shifts in
those indicators. There are fewer, but the state gets to choose
one of the three or can choose all three. Those are work-based
learning, postsecondary credit and attainment, and credential
attainment during high school. This ties into the Alaska
Education Challenge that has been driving a lot of the work
being done at DEED. The second goal in the Alaska Education
Challenge is using CTE to help raise the graduation rate. There
has been a push for work-base learning, which ties in with
apprenticeships. There is the postsecondary credit, the dual
credit, [and DEED] is working closely with the university on how
to do that. Credentials are certificates so that students in
high school can earn some industry certifications before they
leave high school.
8:13:33 AM
MS. RIDDLE stated that Perkins V offers some new definitions
that weren't in Perkins IV. What will be talked about today is
systems alignment, which is the collaboration between secondary,
postsecondary, workforce, industry partners, and parents. This
is an opportunity for a highly collaborative experience for
districts and the state to provide a CTE program that's going to
work best for Alaska's students. Professional development is
also being looked at in a different way - how to better
coordinate, blend, and integrate CTE professional development
and the teachers who are teaching the core classes.
MS. RIDDLE reported that DEED is currently working on the state
plan for Perkins V and has two years to come up with a plan. A
transition plan must be submitted on May 24. It describes how
the state will get the money out the door and how it will
evaluate programs of study. Due in April 2020 is a needs
assessment and some more of the conceptual and philosophical
parts of the plan. To do this, an advisory committee has been
established that includes staff from DLWD and representatives
from industry, different unions, parents, teachers, and tribal
organizations. There is a list that DEED is required to reach
out to, so the advisory committee is robust. Additionally,
there is a working group comprised of educators, CTE leaders,
and teachers to figure out the nuts and bolts. The advisory
committee helps guide DEED on where it is going and if it is on
the right track. The working group is helping with getting the
actual work done, what the documents will look like, and how it
will streamline and reduce the burden on the districts.
MS. RIDDLE elaborated that the May 24 plan talks about the
programs of study, the components of each program, how those tie
into the academics, and how the needs of special populations are
being met, which includes students with disabilities, students
in nontraditional occupations such as male nurses or female
truck drivers, and foster children. The plan must talk about
how the funds will be allocated, the accountability measures,
and look at the targets that must be done.
8:15:46 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS recalled Ms. Riddle stating that this
ties in with ESSA. He asked whether DEED had put forth an ESSA
plan that has been approved by the [federal] government.
MS. RIDDLE replied yes, an ESSA plan was approved last year, and
an amendment was done this year.
8:16:15 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND drew attention to slide 6 of the OCTAE
PowerPoint presentation and addressed the bullet point that asks
the question, "How can 'reserve' funds best be used to spark
innovation and incentivize 'high-quality?'" She requested an
explanation of "reserve" and asked what the question means.
MS. RIDDLE responded that there is a reserve fund within the
Perkins funding. She explained that Alaska uses its reserve
fund a bit differently than most states because Alaska has so
many small districts. In the formula that is used, a school
district must meet $15,000 to be able to receive Perkins funds.
Many of Alaska's districts don't meet the $15,000, so [DEED]
uses its [Perkins] reserve funds to get those small districts up
to that $15,000 piece so that they can receive the Perkins funds
and be able to offer CTE using Perkins. The state can use its
leadership funds for a variety of things, such as professional
development, but has also offered incentive grants to programs
that have started something that is innovative. One incentive
grant went to the Bristol Bay Regional CTE group. The Bristol
Bay, Southwest Region, and Lake and Peninsula pool their money
together in a collaborative and some money was granted to them
to build that up. There are other ways to foster innovation,
but [DEED] uses its reserve grants to help ensure that all
districts that want to participate in CTE can participate.
MS. RIDDLE, responding to Co-Chair Drummond, confirmed that the
reserve funds are within the Carl Perkins funds and not within
the larger education budget.
8:18:50 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY drew attention to the two-page document in the
committee packet titled "Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act Reauthorization." She referred to the first
bullet under the heading "Streamlined Accountability" and
offered her understanding that the state will no longer have to
report on the individual basic CTE participant program and will
now only have to report on the CTE Concentrators.
MS. RIDDLE answered that the state doesn't have to stop doing
that and a decision in this regard will be made in conjunction
with the advisory committee and the working group. She pointed
out that the CTE programs are utilized by "dabblers," students
who are just trying something out and participating in CTE
class, and this helps drive some decisions about programming
moving forward.
CO-CHAIR STORY agreed it does give an indication of the interest
and said she hopes the committee will take that into account.
She turned to the third bullet under "Streamlined
Accountability" that states, "The Act maintains current law that
if a state agency or school district fails to meet at least 90%
of the state-determined level of performance for any core
indicator for all students (not each subgroup), the State agency
shall develop and implement a program improvement plan for the
indicator." She asked how this affects the CTE programs and
whether it means that 90 percent of kids must be proficient or
whether the 90 percent refers to something else.
MS. RIDDLE replied, "Those are the students who are
participating in the CTE, so the 90 percent." The target is set
so that when the state collects its data the cutoff point is 90
percent and that is the goal that must be met for all the
students in CTE right now. She requested clarification on which
document Co-Chair Story is referring to.
CO-CHAIR STORY stated it is the document titled "Carl D. Perkins
Career and Technical Education Act Reauthorization" and she is
referring to [the third bullet] under the heading "Streamlined
Accountability." She asked what the 90 percent of the state-
determined level of performance is referring to.
MS. RIDDLE responded that targets are determined and 90 percent
of that must be met. If a school district doesn't [meet the
target], [DEED] will work with OCTAE to look at the targets and
make sure that the goals are set high enough to be rigorous, yet
still attainable. When a district doesn't meet that 90 percent,
{DEED] works with the district on an improvement plan and helps
the district figure out a way to raise those marks to meet the
targets. But, she added, it is based on CTE participants.
MS. RIDDLE, at Co-Chair Story's request, provided an example of
a goal. She said if it is wanted to have 86 percent of the
[CTE] students attain technical skills to get a certificate,
then it would be 90 percent of that.
8:22:37 AM
MS. RIDDLE resumed her overview. She drew attention to a graph
[titled "CTE Concentrator vs. Non CTE Graduation Rate over
Time"] and said DEED looks at these statistics annually. The
graph reports from the previous year and the statistics are
popular with school boards and parents. The department has some
demographics on the students and the number of students
participating in CTE. Close attention is paid to the graduation
rate and the CTE graduation rate is one of DEED's priorities.
The graduation rate is 95 percent for concentrators, which are
students who take two years of CTE courses in a rigorous
pathway. A concentrator is 19 percent more likely to graduate
than his or her non-CTE counterparts. She noted that the back
page shows the six-year trend since 2013.
8:24:30 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND said it is good that the graduation rate of
CTE students is rising. She noted, however, that the percentage
of students participating seems to be declining. She requested
Ms. Riddle's thoughts in this regard.
MS. RIDDLE answered it could be offerings at the specific sites
and barriers being removed for those students.
MS. RIDDLE pointed out that 42 of the state's 54 districts have
applied for and utilize Perkins funds.
CO-CHAIR STORY inquired as to why all the districts are not
participating.
MS. RIDDLE replied that the 12 districts not participating in
Perkins are very small, so offering those programs might be more
than what a small school can handle. Also, Perkins is heavy on
the paperwork and DEED is trying to reduce that burden on the
districts because sometimes the districts feel that those
federal requirements are more than they want to take on.
8:26:43 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK asked whether there is room within the
Perkins Act for the Board of Education to be able to handle the
paperwork on behalf of those smaller districts.
MS. RIDDLE explained that Perkins is individual, and DEED has
reduced [the paperwork] as much as it can. For Perkins V, DEED
is going to work with DLWF to provide some of those studies. A
district must look at the labor market information for its Needs
Assessment, and DEED is going to work with DLWF so that [the
districts] won't have to do that. The department has reduced
some of the application pieces, but unfortunately Perkins
requires each of the districts to come up with their own
individual plan. The department offers work sessions and as
much help as it can to get that done, but [each district] must
have an advisory committee, which is good practice, and talk
about their data.
8:28:02 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY invited Mr. Cashen to provide comments for the
presentation.
GREG CASHEN, Career and Technical Education Coordinator,
Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DLWD), said his
department works daily in cooperation with DEED and University
of Alaska on career and technical education planning - Perkins V
reauthorization. He stated he is available for any questions.