Legislature(2011 - 2012)CAPITOL 106
03/14/2011 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation(s): North Slope School District Superintendent | |
| HB154 | |
| HB49 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 154 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 49 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 154-PRE-ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLANS/GUIDELINES
8:24:59 AM
CHAIR DICK announced that the next order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 154, "An Act providing for the establishment of a
statewide early childhood education plan and guidelines."
8:25:04 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI, as sponsor of HB 154, stated that, in
the state of Alaska, there were more than 7300 teachers and 7800
students in early education programs, with more than 18,400
children in the child care system.
8:26:15 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI observed that many people had visited
his office to discuss the values of early education and early
learning. He stated that higher education and career readiness
educators were recommending early learning programs with an
emphasis on parental involvement. He pointed out that HB 154
worked to keep parents involved and that early literacy deeply
affected higher education and career readiness. He stressed the
need to start early. He offered his opinion that pre-K should
not be defined too specifically as it did not follow the early
learning guidelines.
8:28:57 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1,
as follows:
Page 3, line 30
Delete "three and four years of age"
8:30:01 AM
There being no objection, it was so ordered.
8:31:02 AM
CYNDY CURRAN, Director, Teaching and Learning Support,
Department of Education and Early Development (EED), clarified
that pre-schools needed approval, not certification. In
response to a question from a previous meeting, she described
the requirements for anyone working with pre-school children.
She declared that there were pre-elementary programs in 145
Alaska communities, which included pre-school special education
students. She referred to the pie charts on page 3 of the
handout titled "Alaska Preschool Project" [Included in members'
packets] to review the progress that was charted for the Peabody
Picture Vocabulary Test on vocabulary and receptive language
development. She directed attention to the charts on page 4,
and pointed out the significant improvement from the beginning
to the end of the school year. She moved on to the
Developmental Indicators for the Assessments of Learning (DIAL-
3), which tested motor, concept, and language development. She
shared the significant improvements. In response to
Representative Seaton, she clarified that these results were
statewide aggregates which reflected the growth of students in
individual programs.
8:36:12 AM
PAUL SUGAR, Head Start/Parent Involvement, Teaching and Learning
Support, Department of Education and Early Development (EED), in
response to Representative Feige, explained that it represented
the number of students in the pilot Pre-K project that were
attending and being assessed.
REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE asked what happened to the remainder of the
students.
MR. SUGAR replied there were a number of students served through
the intervention districts and that these assessments were not
administered by those services. He expressed that EED planned
to receive data in the upcoming year from those agencies.
8:37:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE asked to clarify that the pie charts
depicted the students who were tested at the beginning and the
end of the program.
8:38:18 AM
MR. SUGAR agreed with Representative Feige, and in response to
Representative P. Wilson, said that this was the second year of
the project.
8:38:48 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON asked why the project was not being
offered elsewhere.
8:39:12 AM
MS. CURRAN, in response to Representative P. Wilson, said that
the project money was awarded through a competitive application
process. She shared that the Yukon-Koyukuk School District had
submitted a successful application for pre-school funding. She
noted that EED then budgeted $300,000 for the Lower Yukon School
District and the Yupiit School District to also participate in
the project.
8:40:08 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON offered her belief that, for the
intervention district schools, approximately $35,000 per student
had been set aside and she asked why that money was not used for
this program.
8:41:10 AM
EDDY JEANS, Education Policy Coordinator, Office of the
Commissioner, Department of Education and Early Development
(EED), in response to Representative P. Wilson, offered his
belief that the reference to the total revenues identified
during the Moore vs. State of Alaska case were for school
districts to receive as much as $35,000 per child, but that EED
had not directed to those districts how that revenue was to be
spent.
8:41:53 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked to clarify the funding. He offered
his belief that Moore vs. State of Alaska declared that the
legislature was responsible for significant progress by the
local school districts. He stated that two years prior, the
legislature had passed a pre-K program, and that money was
reserved for these authorized intervention districts to ensure
the legislature met its responsibility.
8:43:21 AM
CHAIR DICK brought the discussion back to HB 154.
8:43:40 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE pointed out that HB 154 provided "for the
establishment of a statewide early childhood education plan and
a guidelines," and that it amended AS 14.07.020(a). He pointed
out that under AS 14.07.030, EED could "develop a model
curriculum and provide technical assistance for early childhood
education programs." He asked if EED had a plan, and if HB 154
was necessary.
8:45:09 AM
MS. CURRAN replied that HB 154 created a statewide early
childhood education plan which would incorporate the early
learning guidelines for students and provide an optional pre-
elementary program in concert with the other existing pre-
elementary programs. She directed attention to the early
learning guidelines and the parent activity booklets, available
in Yupik, Spanish, and English, which were referred to in HB
154. She pointed to the fiscal note for $150,000, to be used to
write and review the plan to place the guidelines into action.
In response to Representative Feige, she clarified that these
were early childhood guidelines to be used for development, but
that the early childhood plan had not yet been written.
8:46:56 AM
The committee took a brief at-ease.
8:47:07 AM
MS. CURRAN explained that the data reflected that the program
worked.
8:47:40 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON asked about the number of Yupik
readers.
8:48:00 AM
MS. CURRAN replied that she would provide that information.
8:48:36 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA asked if there was instruction for both
verbal and written Native Alaskan languages.
MS. CURRAN expressed her agreement.
8:49:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON noted that the activity booklets had
been written for the parents.
8:49:24 AM
The committee took a brief at-ease.
8:49:45 AM
CHAIR DICK brought the committee back to order.
8:50:08 AM
CARRIE BEEMAN, Chair, Upper Tanana Imagination Library, spoke
about the early learning programs in Tok and the surrounding
communities, which included Parents as Teachers (PAT), Head
Start, and Imagination Library. She pointed out the needs for
the program in Tok. She urged support for HB 154.
8:51:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON asked about the current funding source.
MS. BEEMAN replied that the Imagination Library was grant based
with additional local funding, and that the PAT program was paid
through state funding.
8:53:48 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 2, as
follows:
Page 4, line 2, following "provides for"
Delete "the most"
8:54:29 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI objected for discussion.
8:54:36 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON replied that the proposed conceptual
amendment would avoid competition between the programs.
8:55:02 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE asked if it was necessary for "including
Head Start" in line 4, page 4.
8:55:33 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI removed his objection. There being no
further objection, it was so ordered.
8:55:56 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 3, as
follows:
Page 4, line 4, following "the state"
Delete "including Head Start"
8:56:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON objected for discussion. She offered
her belief that Head Start was already doing "a good job, and
they're giving early childhood education to those kids, and that
may be all they need in some areas."
8:56:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT offered his belief that conceptual
Amendment 3 would be congruent with conceptual Amendment 2.
8:57:19 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON opined that Head Start was not
considered a preschool.
8:57:49 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON offered his belief that Head Start was
more than a pre-elementary school program, as it included "the
wrap around services of providing food and all these other
things." He stated that it should be included in the bill.
8:58:31 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE asked the bill sponsor for his comments.
8:58:39 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI opined that Head Start offered a lot of
information and service, and that he would prefer to have it
retained and specified in the bill.
8:59:05 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE withdrew Conceptual Amendment 3.
8:59:19 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 4, as
follows:
Page 4, line 3, following "of"
Insert "optional"
8:59:50 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI objected for discussion.
8:59:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON explained that that paragraph (6)
referenced the "optional pre-elementary program" and that
Conceptual Amendment 4 would clarify that intent.
9:00:34 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI agreed that with the clarification.
9:00:47 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI removed his objection. There being no
further objection, it was so ordered.
9:01:27 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT moved to report HB 154, as amended, out of
committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying
fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 154 (EDC) was
reported from the House Education Standing Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 49 Support Letters Part 1 v2.pdf |
HEDC 3/14/2011 8:00:00 AM |
HB 49 |
| HB 49 Support Letters Part 2.pdf |
HEDC 3/14/2011 8:00:00 AM |
HB 49 |