05/11/2007 08:00 AM Senate SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

        HCR  6-CIVICS EDUC/ CITIZENS ADVISORY TASK FORCE                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:11:28 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STEVENS announced consideration of HCR 6.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
TOM WRIGHT,  staff to Speaker  of the House John  Harris, sponsor                                                               
of HCR  6, said that  the bill was  introduced at the  request of                                                               
the Association of  Alaska School Boards (AASB). In  2006 a group                                                               
was formed  called the Alaska  Civil Learning  Assessment Project                                                               
to  discuss the  ways civic  learning could  be improved  in K-12                                                               
education. The resolution follows up  on the work of the project,                                                               
which  wants   to  focus  on   civics  curriculum   and  teaching                                                               
strategies for educators.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
He added that  the bill is fairly straightforward  and the recent                                                               
changes included in the committee substitute are acceptable.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:13:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
IAN  LAING,  staff  to  Chair  Stevens,  said  that  the  CS  was                                                               
originally created  for the companion  bill, SCR 5,  and includes                                                               
changes  relating  to  the  creation   of  the  task  force,  the                                                               
appointment of  members, travel reimbursement, and  the reporting                                                               
date of the task force.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
He added that the reimbursement for  travel and per diem was also                                                               
limited,  and  the   fiscal  note  in  the   packet  reflects  an                                                               
additional member added to the task force.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:15:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  WRIGHT explained  that  there are  leftover  funds from  the                                                               
grant  received to  begin the  process of  creating a  task force                                                               
that will be used for travel assistance.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS asked  how many members would be on  the task force                                                               
if the CS is passed.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  LAING replied  that there  will be  six primary  members and                                                               
some  others  appointed by  the  task  force coordinators;  these                                                               
secondary members  will be based  around the Anchorage  area, and                                                               
thus won't be traveling.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:16:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MARY BRISTOL,  with the Alaska Civic  Learning Assessment Project                                                               
(ACLAP), said  that she is  in favor of  the CS; she  related her                                                               
work experience and said that  the ACLAP determined that there is                                                               
a lack of widespread civic  knowledge. Overall there's a need for                                                               
improvement  and  the  ACLAP  supports  providing  resources  for                                                               
improvement throughout the state.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:18:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS agreed  that many people could  improve their civic                                                               
knowledge and asked  if Ms. Bristol was happy with  the CS before                                                               
the committee.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
She replied that she was.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:19:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HUGGINS  said he's supportive  of the concept,  and asked                                                               
what the marketing strategy for the project is.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. BRISTOL replied that the task  force will have the support of                                                               
the AASB, and  there's a network of teacher  support available as                                                               
well.  They'll help  to  put in  place  supportive policies;  the                                                               
network is  there for  raising awareness  and moving  the project                                                               
along.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
She added  that she doesn't see  the need for a  mandate; courses                                                               
are in place in Alaskan schools, they just need to be improved.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:21:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGGINS made  a  motion to  adopt  the Senate  committee                                                               
substitute  to  CSHCR  6, labeled  25-LS0799\E,  as  the  working                                                               
document of the committee.   There being no objection, the motion                                                               
carried.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGGINS  motioned  to   report  SCS  CSHCR  6(SED)  from                                                               
committee  with   individual  recommendations   and  accompanying                                                               
fiscal notes. There being no objection, the motion carried.