05/12/2007 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

                                                                                                                                
     SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 6(SED)                                                                
     Relating to civics education and a citizens' advisory task                                                                 
     force.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This  was the  first hearing  for this  resolution in  the Senate                                                               
Finance Committee.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:18:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TOM  WRIGHT,  Staff to  Representative  John  Harris, the  bill's                                                               
sponsor by  request of the  Alaska Association of  School Boards,                                                               
explained that this resolution would  establish a six person task                                                               
force to  review the findings  of the 2006 Alaska  Civic Learning                                                               
Assessment  Project  (ACLAP)  which  had been  conducted  at  the                                                               
direction  of the  Legislature.  The proposed  task force,  which                                                               
would consist of two individuals  appointed by the Speaker of the                                                               
House, two  appointed by the  Senate President, one  appointed by                                                               
the Governor  and one member  of the Department of  Education and                                                               
Early Development,  would develop a list  of recommendations that                                                               
would be provided to the Legislature  within the first 30 days of                                                               
the 2008 Legislative Session.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Wright  reminded the Committee  that the ACLAP  was conducted                                                               
the  prior  year to  discuss  how  the State's  education  system                                                               
"could improve  civics learning among  K-12 students". A  copy of                                                               
the ACLAP  "Final Report  and Policy  Brief" dated  November 2006                                                               
[copy on file] had been included in Members' packets.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:19:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
In  response  to  a  question from  Senator  Thomas,  Mr.  Wright                                                               
affirmed that  civics was currently  taught in  schools. However,                                                               
the   Alaska   Association   of  School   Boards   (AASB)   asked                                                               
Representative Harris  to sponsor  this legislation in  an effort                                                               
"to  enhance and  encourage curriculum  development  in order  to                                                               
help  better  prepare students  as  far  as civics  education  is                                                               
concerned".                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:19:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Huggins, a  member of  the  Senate Education  Committee,                                                               
disclosed  that  one  issue  discussed  during  that  Committee's                                                               
hearings  on this  resolution was  whether  "this would  manifest                                                               
itself as  a mandatory  curriculum" component.  The determination                                                               
was that it  would not: AASB assured the Committee  that it would                                                               
be viewed as "a convincing argument" rather than a mandate.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:20:39 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  moved to report  the resolution  from Committee                                                               
with individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:20:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Without objection, SCS CS HCR  6(SED) was REPORTED from Committee                                                               
with two previous  fiscal notes: $18,500 fiscal note  #1 from the                                                               
Legislative Affairs  Agency and  $3,000 fiscal  note #2  from the                                                               
Department of Education and Early Development.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:21:47 AM