05/06/1997 09:15 AM Senate FIN

                                                                               
       CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 146(FIN)                                          
                                                                               
       "An Act relating to competency testing requirements for                 
       secondary  students;  and  providing for  an  effective                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  date."                                                                       
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Co-chair Sharp  called HB  146.   Representative Con  Bunde,                 
  sponsor of the  bill was invited  to join the committee  and                 
  offered  a  brief explanation.    He said  achievement tests                 
  should be taken  seriously.  Students  should not be  passed                 
  socially.  It should  be required that all students  be able                 
  to read by third grade.                                                      
                                                                               
  Senator Pearce said there should  be competency exams before                 
  graduation as before.  It should be an exam administered and                 
  graded by the  school.  Representative Bunde  responded that                 
  the department would  set the  standards and administer  the                 
  exams but the school would  be responsible for grading them.                 
  Students would take the exam in ninth grade and it would not                 
  be  a one-time test at the end  of the senior year.  In that                 
  manner students  and parents  would know  their standing  in                 
  classes.  This was a proposed implementation to prevent last                 
  minute failure.   Senator Phillips felt that  when a student                 
  reaches the eighth grade they should be fairly well aware of                 
  their  standing.   Representative  Bunde  said unfortunately                 
  this was not  the case and  that the  exam must be  insisted                 
  upon.  It was too bad since the teaching service was already                 
  paid for.                                                                    
                                                                               
  Senator Torgerson asked  if this  was the same  test as  for                 
  GED.  Representative  Bunde said  there was no  relationship                 
  between the GED and the competency test.  Senator Adams felt                 
  that if students were  tested too early that would  only set                 
  them up  for failure.  Representative Bunde  felt that early                 
  testing was a start  to correct the situation because  as it                 
  stood students  get their  graduation diplomas  whether they                 
  were functionally literate or not.                                           
                                                                               
  Shirley Holloway, Commissioner,  Department of Education was                 
  invited  to join  the committee.   She  said  the department                 
  opposed the bill first off, and  second the bill should have                 
  been  heard  in the  Senate HES  committee.   She  said one,                 
  parents had a right to  know the standing of their child  in                 
  class;  two,  schools  should  be  responsible;  and  three,                 
  schools should provide prevention and  mediation so students                 
  will be successful.   There should  be a comprehensive  plan                 
  know to both  parents and  teachers and the  system must  be                 
  responsible  for  communicating  the status  of  the  child.                 
  Testing was a  critical aspect of  learning and the  problem                 
  must be fixed  if the child is not learning.  In response to                 
  Senator Phillips she said  she opposed the exit exam  as set                 
  up in this  bill.  The present  exam was set up  to national                 
  norms and did not  necessarily reflect what the student  had                 
  been  taught.    In  further  response to  Senator  Parnell,                 
  Commissioner  Holloway  felt  that   developmental  profiles                 
  should be a must for all 5 - 6 year  olds and that the tests                 
  being used presently were not being used proficiently.                       
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Co-chair Sharp said that the schools were getting full money                 
  to educate  students.   Commissioner Holloway  concurred but                 
  said  they  presently had  no  authority to  do  anything to                 
  failing students.   Something must  be done early  for those                 
  students not achieving.  Co-chair  sharp asked if there were                 
  any recommendations for  a remedy and Commissioner  Holloway                 
  responded that a  quality education plan had  been submitted                 
  to the committee.                                                            
                                                                               
  Senator Adams  moved amendment #1  and asked how  this would                 
  address  the  afore-mentioned  problems.    Senator  Parnell                 
  objected.   Senator  Adams said money  spent how  would save                 
  money later.   By a vote of  3 - 4 (Donley,  Parnell, Sharp,                 
  Pearce) amendment #1 failed.                                                 
                                                                               
  John  Cyr, President  NEA,  Alaska was  invited to  join the                 
  committee.  He said  tests do little to ascertain  the level                 
  of a specific  student.  There  were no statewide  standards                 
  and  the bill should be in Senate HES and not Senate Finance                 
  Committee.  Co-chair  Sharp concurred.  Senator  Pearce felt                 
  children needed to be motivated.                                             
                                                                               
  Senator   Parnell  moved   CSHB  146(FIN)   with  individual                 
  recommendations  and  accompanying  fiscal  notes.   Senator                 
  Adams objected.   By a  vote of 6  - 1 (Adams) the  bill was                 
  reported out.                                                                
                                                                               
  Co-chair Sharp called SB 107.