Legislature(2021 - 2022)BUTROVICH 205
02/19/2021 09:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: "national Landscape and Policy Trends in Early Literacy" by Education Commission of the States | |
| SB8 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 8 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 42 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
SB 8-PRE-K/ELEM ED PROGRAMS/FUNDING; READING
10:02:26 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 8
"An Act relating to early education programs provided by school
districts; relating to school age eligibility; relating to
funding for early education programs; establishing early
education programs and a voluntary parent program; relating to
the duties of the Department of Education and Early Development;
relating to certification of teachers; establishing a reading
intervention program for public school students enrolled in
grades kindergarten through three; establishing a reading
program in the Department of Education and Early Development;
establishing a teacher retention working group; and providing
for an effective date."
He called Senator Begich to the table.
10:02:56 AM
At ease
10:03:11 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting.
10:03:17 AM
SENATOR TOM BEGICH, speaking as sponsor of SB 8, said he would
highlight the complex components of the bill, the need for which
was reinforced by the earlier presentation. He said today he
would talk about how the continuum works and why it makes sense.
In 2019 he started working with Governor Dunleavy and Education
Commissioner Johnson to draft legislation that would build on
his earlier pre-K bill and also tie that into reading. He was
convinced that the connection between pre-K and reading is
critical and that support from the department is also critical.
He wanted a bill to turn the curve on reading in Alaska and
ensure that every child can read at grade level by third grade,
a goal shared by all on the committee. The bill is rooted in
evidence and research and based on the successes seen in states
like Oklahoma, Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, and Colorado.
SENATOR BEGICH said that to turn the curve, investments in
education are necessary today. The results of the investments
won't be seen overnight, but they will be seen over time. It all
starts with prekindergarten. Universal, voluntary pre-K has the
ability to change lives. Research shows that the greatest
improvements for pre-K students are amongst those who are
economically disadvantaged and dual language learners. Over 100
languages are spoken in his Anchorage district alone. Throughout
rural Alaska and in the state, many students are dual language
learners. This disproportionately impacts the poorest
populations in both rural and urban areas.
10:06:17 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said that establishing universal, voluntary pre-K
across Alaska will have significant and lasting impact for
children. The research is clear. Pre-K without continued
investments in evidence-based reading instruction does not work,
and the state will not see gains from high-quality pre-K without
substantial reading instruction. Both are required and must work
side-by-side.
SENATOR BEGICH noted that he provided the research the committee
has asked for. This includes the Alaska pre-elementary research
compilation and the multigenerational Perry Preschool study.
This shows four key outcomes: fewer teen pregnancies, higher
likelihood of high school graduation, higher likelihood of
holding a job with higher earnings, and less likelihood of
needing state support programs. He highlighted a document that
includes the Perry Preschool and also the Carolina Abecedarian
Project. The committee packet contains many other reports on the
effect of universal pre-K. He noted that some of these studies
were referenced in the earlier presentation.
10:08:42 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said that from his perspective the pre-K element
was key, but the learning process in working with the governor,
commissioner, and superintendents has helped him understand the
full relationship between the reading component, the pre-K
component, and the support for teachers, which was emphasized in
the prior presentation, to ensure that they can do the job they
are being asked to do. Practically, this means the fiscal notes
will look different. The pre-K early education program is a
high-quality program to prepare students for reading readiness,
allowing students to enter kindergarten armed with the knowledge
and tools for future academic success.
SENATOR BEGICH said studies the state has done show that when
this pre-K was provided, whether in Nome or Mat-Su, it has
always led to greater achievement by third grade and those
achievements hold by eighth grade. That pre-K experience is
limited in Alaska. Thirty-five school districts offer some level
of pre-K through state and federal grants. SB 8 takes away that
uncertainty and gives every school district opportunity to join
or not join a pre-K program. It is voluntary and only for four-
and five-year-olds. It does not compete with the 17 Head Start
programs in Alaska. It holds them harmless and ensures local
control of pre-K programs. It sets universal standards but
control remains at the local level.
SENATOR BEGICH said a crucial element of the bill is the
investment to prepare teachers. The Perry Preschool study says
that high-quality preschool can save up to $7 [for every dollar
spent] in long-term government expense by reducing the need of
remedial education, involvement in the criminal justice system,
and public assistance programs. He asked, "If we don't offer
opportunity to our kids, what are we doing with our educational
system?"
10:11:35 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said SB 8 offers school districts the ability to
develop high quality, early education programs that are
culturally appropriate and tailored to the students through a
three-year grants process based on Alaska's current, successful
pre-K efforts. In year one the lowest 10 percent of school
districts, the first cohort, would be eligible to apply for the
three-year grants. The second cohort would begin in year two,
and the third cohort in year three, etc. The program is spread
over six years to reduce the impact and focus on where the need
is greatest. It is an eased-in process that is also a terminal
process. After every district has been offered the opportunity
[to develop a pre-K], the grant program terminates.
SENATOR BEGICH said that during the three years of the grant
program, the districts will work on developing programs with
high quality elements. Those are detailed in the bill. Early
education capacity will systemically be built in those lowest
performing school districts with limited or no pre-K. Pre-K
potentially could reach virtually every student in the state. He
stressed that pre-K will be voluntary and high quality. No one
is forced in this bill to put a child in pre-K.
SENATOR BEGICH said that the fiscal note is higher because it
reflects every district taking advantage of this program,
although not every district will take part in the program. The
districts that have a pre-K program that the department will
sign off on will count pre-K students as one half of an ADM,
Average Daily Membership. They will count as half of a student.
DEED must certify that the pre-K program meets the highest
standards.
10:14:26 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said the second part of the bill is about
parental and local control in the process of helping children
learn to read. He and Senator Hughes both share this desire to
make reading work for kids. They have been working on this issue
and came to the same conclusion from different angles. They want
to improve the lives of children. The two components of the
reading program are the intervention services and the reading
program. The earlier presentation showed that assessments early-
on make a difference in reading. Those assessments must come
with an individual reading program for each student to respond
to reading deficiencies. Parents and classroom teachers are
engaged in that process. The state lays out the best practices
based on science. The teachers and parents figure out how to use
those so a child can read by third grade. These two components
are key to successful outcomes by eighth grade and by
graduation. It will take years to see the outcomes, but some
will be seen fairly soon. Pre-K data from the state shows that.
10:16:23 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said teachers must be prepared to do their jobs.
This is the component that the governor and commissioner
stressed with him. It is a piece that he had missed. The state
should provide support for reading programs for districts, which
it is required to do by the constitution and law. Up to 10
struggling schools in this bill can apply for an on-the-ground
reading interventionist who will come from the state. That
specialist will be present in the school district for a year to
train up the workforce. The research-based reading instruction
is focused on the five components of reading: phonemic
awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and reading
fluency. Reading specialists train teachers, model evidence-
based reading instruction, convene community gatherings, and
provide reading interventions for struggling students. DEED
reading intervention specialists funded with a five-year federal
grant will also support existing school staff, engage and build
community understanding of the evidence-based reading programs,
and work with local teachers and support staff to improve
reading scores.
10:17:50 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said it is a continuum. No one component can do
it alone. Both pre-K and a good reading program are necessary.
The evidence in North Carolina and Tennessee underscores that.
Those studies are in the documentation he provided. Pre-K alone
would fail just as reading without supports to train teachers
how to teach reading or without ensuring that kids come prepared
to understand the reading instruction would also fail.
SENATOR BEGICH said that is why he, the governor, and the
commissioner wrote their principles on a board almost a year and
a half ago to combine these things. It costs money to do this.
That resource is something the legislature has been talking
about this year, but this senate will support a lot of different
ideas but very few will potentially transform the entire
population of the state. Legislators have talked about education
being transformative. The leadership on this committee
represents a vision of education in this body. That vision
should be comprehensive. SB 8 and SB 42 underscore that. These
are comprehensive approaches that are designed to transform
education.
CHAIR HOLLAND suggested presenting the sectional at a different
time to allow for testimony.
SENATOR BEGICH expressed his preference to hear from the invited
guests.
CHAIR HOLLAND called on Commissioner Johnson to comment on SB 8.
10:20:51 AM
MICHAEL JOHNSON, Ph.D., Commissioner, Department of Education
and Early Development, Juneau, Alaska, thanked the committee for
working together on reading legislation. They have been working
on this for a number of years. They do not need a bill that
makes a statement. They need a bill that makes a change. If they
believe reading is that important, then there is no state in
this country that needs to be more aggressive in facing their
problems because the outcomes are so low. Every moment the
committee spends on this issue is important. Several years ago
the State Board of Education endorsed that kind of aggressive
approach by making it the number one priority in the Alaska
Education Challenge. SB 8 and SB 42 both have three parts. Some
students don't arrive at kindergarten ready to learn how to read
and need prekindergarten supports. Some need in-school pre-K,
some need supports such as from Parents as Teachers. Some may
not need any of those and have access to literacy opportunities
at home. That is why it is voluntary. If the state invests a lot
in pre-K, the state has to invest in programs of quality and
must follow it up with evidence-based practice and
accountability. Some schools need intensive supports in order to
provide quality learning programs. Yesterday the country landed
another rover on Mars. As he watched the team celebrate on TV,
he thought that all of the many team members had learned to
read, and probably by third grade. He hopes that all of them
could work together on a bill that makes change so that every
student in the state can know what it is like to celebrate that
kind of achievement. It begins with learning to read.
10:25:12 AM
SENATOR STEVENS commented that the commissioner is right; change
is required because the state has such problems. He asked where
the state is succeeding in pre-K.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON responded that some great things are
happening across the state. Many districts have implemented
quality pre-K programs. The state board adopted new Alaska Early
Learning Guidelines to support quality pre-K. The department is
trying to move forward as the legislature works on a bill. Some
districts have district-supported programs. There are Head Start
programs and some private early learning programs. There are
programs such as Best Beginnings. Through some of the settlement
agreements, studies have been done on impacts of pre-K on some
of the rural districts, namely Lower Kuskokwim. That can be
provided to the committee. Targeted pre-K programs do help
students arrive at kindergarten ready to learn to be on the
trajectory of reading proficiency by the end of third grade.
Even in the last few months, elevating this conversation has
resulted in some districts focusing resources and attention on
developing strong K-3 reading programs.
CHAIR HOLLAND reported that 35 of 54 districts offer some pre-K.
He asked the commissioner how many schools offer pre-K.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON replied he would follow up with the
information.
SENATOR BEGICH estimated that about 10 percent of kids who would
be eligible are currently in some form of a pre-K program.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON responded that it depends on what type of
pre-K is included in that statistic.
SENATOR BEGICH said he stresses the quality of pre-K because
there can be haphazard pre-K programs. The governor asked him
from day one what he meant by pre-K and he replied quality pre-K
with evidence that it is doing what it says. That is why he and
the governor were able to come to common ground.
10:29:15 AM
At ease
10:29:58 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND asked the remaining invited testifiers to speak at
another meeting. He held SB 8 in committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| ECS - Alaska Senate Ed Policy Resources.pdf |
SEDC 2/19/2021 9:00:00 AM |
|
| K-3 Literacy_AK_Senate_Feb_2021_Final.pdf |
SEDC 2/19/2021 9:00:00 AM |