04/08/2013 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

           HB 190-CREDIT FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL COURSES                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:08:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  190,  "An  Act providing  for  course credit  in                                                               
secondary school based on demonstrated mastery of the subject."                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:08:22 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON, sponsor of HB  190, reviewed the intent of                                                               
the  proposed  bill,  and stated  that  students  taking  college                                                               
courses were not  receiving full course credit because  of a lack                                                               
of  "seat time."   He  explained that  the proposed  bill allowed                                                               
students who  had demonstrated mastery  of the course  content to                                                               
challenge  to  test  out  of  the course  and  receive  the  full                                                               
academic credit.   He  reported that  each school  district would                                                               
still  define  the  demonstration   of  mastery  for  the  course                                                               
subject, and  would be  required to provide  an assessment  for a                                                               
challenge to a course.  He  pointed out that although some school                                                               
districts   had  already   established  policy   for  challenging                                                               
courses, other districts had not,  and the bill required this for                                                               
every school  district.  He  noted that the course  credits would                                                               
apply toward fulfillment for  the Alaska Performance Scholarship,                                                               
but it  was not required  that these  credits be factored  into a                                                               
grade  point average.   He  shared  that this  challenge did  not                                                               
include credit for any of  the prerequisite courses.  He directed                                                               
attention  to  the Credit  By  Choice  program in  the  Anchorage                                                               
School  District [Included  in members'  packets], and  clarified                                                               
that it was not  the intent for all the policies  to be the same.                                                               
He reiterated that  each school district could  determine its own                                                               
policy of  course challenges for  credit, which would  only apply                                                               
to those  courses already offered by  the school, and that  a fee                                                               
could be  charged for the assessment.   He stressed the  need for                                                               
progressive education and to keep students engaged.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:13:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  P. WILSON  offered her  belief that  some classes                                                               
would  be  more  easily  assessed  than  others,  expressing  her                                                               
support  for the  opportunity to  challenge  offered by  proposed                                                               
HB 190.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:14:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS  shared an anecdote  about required  coursework, and                                                               
commented that students  were often held back due to  the lack of                                                               
opportunity to challenge out.  She stated support for HB 190.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:15:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER directed attention to page 1, lines 10-                                                                  
11,  and asked  about  the  implied cost  for  development of  an                                                               
assessment tool.   He pointed out that, although  the fiscal note                                                               
was zero to the state, the  school districts would have some cost                                                               
to develop a  fair assessment tool.  He asked  the sponsor for an                                                               
estimate to the cost of a fair assessment tool.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  replied that, a  final exam could  be used                                                               
for  any class  using a  text book.   For  classes that  required                                                               
actual  production,  it  could require  individual  time  from  a                                                               
teacher,  which  was the  reason  the  Anchorage School  District                                                               
required an  $85.00 challenge fee.   He opined  that scholarships                                                               
for  fees would  be available,  if necessary.   He  declared that                                                               
there was not a mandate to  design a separate assessment tool for                                                               
every student.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER  suggested  that school  districts  share                                                               
standards and approaches, which could lead to more consistency.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:18:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON directed attention  to page 1, lines 10-                                                               
11,  which stated  that a  school district  "shall" establish  as                                                               
assessment tool, and she suggested a  need for the language to be                                                               
more flexible.  She proposed  that this could be better addressed                                                               
as each course challenge arose.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:19:31 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DRUMMOND  expressed  agreement  that  assessments                                                               
should only be required when a course was challenged.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:19:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON indicated  that it  was not  the sponsor's                                                               
intent  to  have  a challenge  assessment  established  in  every                                                               
district  for  each class  offering,  but  merely to  ensure  the                                                               
response  to  a  student  request.    The  district  would  still                                                               
determine the definition for mastery  and the determination for a                                                               
passing grade.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:20:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS opened public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:21:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS  asked about a  requirement for  advance assessments                                                               
versus creation of an assessment  when the course was challenged,                                                               
and how this program would  work in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough                                                               
School District.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
GENE STONE,  Assistant Superintendent,  Matanuska-Susitna Borough                                                               
School  District, said  that the  circumstances were  tailored to                                                               
each situation  in order to have  this program work.   He relayed                                                               
that the student consulted with  a guidance counselor, a teacher,                                                               
and  an  administrator,  all  prior  to  allowing  a  student  to                                                               
challenge  a  course.   He  described  that the  on-line  support                                                               
programs could be  used to determine the level  of mastery, which                                                               
would allow for a shorter  course completion time and recovery of                                                               
the credits.  He  stated that it made no sense  to have a student                                                               
sit through a full semester class  if they had already mastered a                                                               
significant  part of  the  course.   He  explained that  students                                                               
could also receive both high  school and college credit by taking                                                               
a  college level  course,  and then  demonstrating  mastery.   He                                                               
referenced  a  situation  whereby  a  student  failed  the  first                                                               
semester of a  course, but stayed in the course,  and then passed                                                               
the end  of year examination,  which demonstrated mastery  of the                                                               
entire subject.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:25:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER asked  how many  students succeeded  with                                                               
their challenges.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. STONE  replied that the  challenge option was  only available                                                               
to students  when the  teachers had a  high degree  of confidence                                                               
for  success.   He offered  his  belief that  this process  could                                                               
become more frequent.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked  if the school district  had a stock                                                               
of assessments, or would develop new ones.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR.  STONE responded  that the  school district  had invested  in                                                               
APEX  Learning  for  credit  recovery,   but  that  other  school                                                               
districts would need  to determine what was going to  be used for                                                               
an assessment tool.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  asked if the school  district would share                                                               
its assessment tools.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. STONE  replied that it  would be  necessary to invest  in the                                                               
APEX  Learning on-line  courses, but  that the  other assessments                                                               
were  the standard  teacher generated  tests  of the  curriculum,                                                               
including year-end final examinations to demonstrate mastery.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:28:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS explained that the  aforementioned APEX Learning was                                                               
an on-line  credit recovery and  advanced placement course.   She                                                               
noted that there was a proprietary cost involved with APEX.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:29:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER  asking  if  the  final  examination  for                                                               
Algebra I did encompass the  entire scope of the year, questioned                                                               
whether  a  final  examination  was  a  full  assessment  of  the                                                               
students understanding of the range of the course.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. STONE  replied that this  would be necessary for  each school                                                               
district to  determine, and possibly  augment the  assessment for                                                               
certain courses.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:30:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BRUCE  JOHNSON,  Executive  Director, Alaska  Council  of  School                                                               
Administrators, stated  support for  HB 190,  and said  that seat                                                               
time  was becoming  increasingly obsolete  in some  classes.   He                                                               
declared  that  it was  appropriate  to  have the  determinations                                                               
placed under the  purview of each school district.   He suggested                                                               
that the  standards based assessments  results could be  used for                                                               
determinations, as well  as a variety of other  tools which could                                                               
be deployed on  an individual basis.  He opined  that this was in                                                               
the  best interest  of  students, and  that  the standards  would                                                               
evolve and make the assessment process much easier.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:32:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   SADDLER  questioned   whether  testing   out  or                                                               
challenge programs  were being  implemented in  other educational                                                               
systems.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. JOHNSON replied  that it had been a standard  in other states                                                               
and universities for  some time, and that  many nationwide school                                                               
districts were now implementing this approach.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:32:57 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  asked if  there were associated  costs to                                                               
the programs in the other states.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. JOHNSON  offered his belief that  in the two states  in which                                                               
he  had worked,  Illinois and  North Dakota,  there had  not been                                                               
significant costs.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:33:31 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HERB  SCHROEDER, Vice  Provost,  University  of Alaska  Anchorage                                                               
(UAA),  Alaska Native  Science and  Engineering Program  (ANSEP),                                                               
stated his  support for HB 190.   He declared that  ANSEP classes                                                               
had  "raised  the  bar  for   education  for  our  students,"  as                                                               
incentives  were provided  to the  students.   He reported  that,                                                               
although  most ANSEP  students  completed  college courses  while                                                               
still  in high  school, many  would not  receive equivalent  high                                                               
school  credit.   He declared  that this  was a  de-motivator for                                                               
hard work, and  that students needed encouragement  to take these                                                               
college courses.  He pointed out  that proposed HB 190 provided a                                                               
mechanism for students to be rewarded for academic excellence.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:35:26 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MIKE   HANLEY,   Commissioner,   Office  of   the   Commissioner,                                                               
Department of Education and Early  Development (EED), in response                                                               
to  a request  by  Representative Seaton,  reflected  on page  1,                                                               
lines 10-11 and  the concern for the  language stipulating "shall                                                               
establish  an assessment  tool."   He offered  his interpretation                                                               
that, although  this would be  a school  district responsibility,                                                               
it  did  not  necessarily  require  any  response  prior  to  the                                                               
challenge for a course.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:36:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked for  his interpretation of assessment                                                               
tool preparation as a practical matter.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER  HANLEY  opined that  it  was  not difficult  for  a                                                               
school to prepare an assessment  for testing out of most courses.                                                               
He declared that  it would be a task for  a school district which                                                               
had not  thought of  assessment for  challenges, but  that school                                                               
districts would be prepared if the proposed bill was passed.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LEDOUX  inquired  about what  was  an  acceptable                                                               
delay for an assessment to test out of a class.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER HANLEY  hypothesized that the school  district would                                                               
encourage  the appropriate  action  to meet  the requirements  of                                                               
law.  He  offered his belief that it behooved  the district to be                                                               
prepared.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:39:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if it  would be appropriate to alter                                                               
the language  in the  proposed bill to  allow the  districts some                                                               
latitude for preparation.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:40:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON   indicated  that  preparation   time  was                                                               
inherent in  the process  to implement a  policy, as  the current                                                               
version would  allow school districts  to develop  their policies                                                               
ahead  of time.   He  offered  his belief  that school  districts                                                               
would  request teachers  to  prepare  assessments appropriate  to                                                               
their   courses,  which   could   include   the  standard   based                                                               
assessments, independent assessments, or  final examinations.  He                                                               
surmised  that it  did  not  require a  school  district to  drop                                                               
everything,  and  immediately  develop an  assessment  for  every                                                               
class.    He  declared  that teachers  would  already  have  some                                                               
assessment tool  for the end of  the class.  He  allowed that the                                                               
most important aspect  for each school district  was to determine                                                               
the  bar  for  mastery  of  a  course,  currently  a  90  percent                                                               
assessment  in  the  Anchorage  School  District.    Although  he                                                               
defined mastery as the ability to  move on to the next course and                                                               
succeed,  he  declared  that  the   state  should  not  make  the                                                               
determination of mastery  for each school district.   He reported                                                               
that  data  from  previous  testimony   in  the  House  Education                                                               
Standing Committee  indicated that  "most kids  that drop  out of                                                               
school have  already passed  the high school  exit exam,  and the                                                               
reason they're  dropping out is  because they're held  in courses                                                               
that are not challenging ...."                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:43:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LEDOUX  expressed  her   concern  for  a  student                                                               
interested  in testing  out of  a class  which was  necessary for                                                               
graduation.  If  the district was slow to provide  an option, and                                                               
the student  did not take the  class and ultimately did  not pass                                                               
the assessment,  there could be  a difficulty.  She  declared her                                                               
assumption that  "the districts will  get their act  together and                                                               
provide  an  assessment in  a  reasonably  timely manner."    She                                                               
opined that this could be revisited  at a later date, if this was                                                               
not the case.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:44:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS expressed her  agreement with Representative LeDoux,                                                               
offering  her belief  that the  school  districts understood  the                                                               
necessity for supporting students in  a progressive way, and that                                                               
the proposed bill provided another tool for attaining that goal.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:45:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER related that the  intent of HB 190 was not                                                               
an  immediate  mandate  for each  school  district  to  establish                                                               
assessment tools for  every class, but to  create the assessments                                                               
as  needed  by  reasonable  interpretation.   He  suggested  that                                                               
school  districts  determine  the   classes  most  likely  to  be                                                               
challenged, and prepare  those assessments.  He  advocated that a                                                               
"B" grade was sufficient for  mastery, although this policy would                                                               
be  defined by  each  school  district.   He  requested that  the                                                               
school districts maintain data for  the number of challenges, and                                                               
the percentage of successful challenges.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:46:31 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON directed attention  to the Anchorage School                                                               
District  policy  for course  challenge,  as  it had  established                                                               
parameters that would be helpful to other school districts.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:47:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS, in response to  a comment by Representative Seaton,                                                               
asked to clarify whether the  student transcript should note that                                                               
a course was credited by examination.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON shared  that this  was the  policy of  the                                                               
Anchorage School  District, and  that each school  district could                                                               
determine its own policies.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS closed public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:47:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE P.  WILSON, directing  attention to page  1, lines                                                               
10 - 11,  maintained her concern for the  "shall" language, which                                                               
she opined required an assessment  tool for every course provided                                                               
by the  school district.   She  suggested a  conceptual amendment                                                               
which would better define the limitations.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:49:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  GATTIS  expressed her  agreement  for  a timeline  to  the                                                               
challenge and testing interval.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:49:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE    SEATON    cautioned    that   it    would    be                                                               
counterproductive to  place a deadline  in statute.   He declared                                                               
that  the most  important aspect  of  the proposed  bill was  the                                                               
requirement  for each  school district  to act.   He  pointed out                                                               
that any  course that was being  offered would have a  teacher to                                                               
easily make an assessment.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:51:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND  suggested that  students be  required to                                                               
indicate  an  interest for  a  challenge  at course  registration                                                               
time.    She  expressed  agreement with  earlier  testimony  that                                                               
school districts  would prepare assessments once  a challenge had                                                               
been requested.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:52:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  GATTIS  pointed  out that  many  course  assessments  were                                                               
already in place.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:53:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER  suggested  that a  conceptual  amendment                                                               
inserting  "within a  reasonable  time  following a  demonstrated                                                               
need" would better clarify the intent.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:53:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX opined that  "reasonable time" was implicit                                                               
in the language of the proposed bill.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER  shared  that  a  school  district  could                                                               
determine that  a final  examination was  sufficient to  meet the                                                               
intent of the proposed bill.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:54:39 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER moved to  adopt Conceptual Amendment 1, as                                                               
follows:                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 10, after "shall establish"                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
         Insert ",within a reasonable time following a                                                                          
          demonstrated need,"                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON  objected  for discussion  and  asked  for                                                               
clarification that this was a conceptual amendment.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON removed  his  objection.   There being  no                                                               
further objection, Conceptual Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:56:19 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON moved to  report HB 190, as amended, out                                                               
of   committee   with    individual   recommendations   and   the                                                               
accompanying   fiscal  notes.      There   being  no   objection,                                                               
CSHB 190(EDC)  was  moved  from   the  House  Education  Standing                                                               
Committee.