04/23/2021 09:00 AM House FINANCE

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 19(FIN)                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to allocations for the special                                                                            
     education service agency; extending the special                                                                            
     education service agency; and providing for an                                                                             
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:37:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Merrick indicated  that SB  19 was  last heard  in                                                                    
committee on April 19, 2021.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Merrick OPENED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:37:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JIM  SLATER, SELF,  PELICAN (via  teleconference), indicated                                                                    
that  one of  his children  had  autism. He  shared that  he                                                                    
served as president of the  Pelican City School Board, which                                                                    
was  one  of  the  smallest   districts  in  the  state.  He                                                                    
explained  that there  were no  specialists employed  by the                                                                    
school  district  for  autism   or  other  disabilities.  He                                                                    
detailed  that prior  to the  creation of  Special Education                                                                    
Service  Agency  (SESA), the  district  only  had access  to                                                                    
coordinators   that    facilitated   the    development   of                                                                    
Individualized Educational  Plans (IEP) and testers  who set                                                                    
benchmarks.  There was  no  regular  input from  specialists                                                                    
that could develop and modify  curriculums. He reported that                                                                    
SESA  provided crucial  input for  IEPs.  In  addition, SESA                                                                    
also  provided  parents  and  teachers  ongoing  sources  of                                                                    
information regarding  progress, further  modifications, and                                                                    
materials from their lending  library. He appreciated SESAs                                                                     
extra support  of his son  during the pandemic  while school                                                                    
was closed.  He shared that  a staffer from SESA  along with                                                                    
his wife instructed  the child for a short  period each day.                                                                    
The son would  continue his lesson for the  remainder of the                                                                    
day under  SESAs  guidance. His  son advanced  several grade                                                                    
levels in  math in  a sixth month  period and  currently his                                                                    
son was  advancing in reading under  further assistance from                                                                    
SESA. The  model of regular remote  engagement was extremely                                                                    
effective. He  clearly believed that  without SESA,  his son                                                                    
would not receive the education  he needed. He believed that                                                                    
to be true of all the children SESA assisted.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Ortiz had  and inquiry of Mr.  Slater who dropped                                                                    
off the line.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:41:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ERIC  GURLY, EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR,  ACCESS ALASKA,  ANCHORAGE                                                                    
(via  teleconference),  related  that the  agency  supported                                                                    
center for independent living  philosophies for persons with                                                                    
disabilities  and seniors  via grants  and Medicaid  waivers                                                                    
for consumer  directed personal care assistance.  The agency                                                                    
was working with  youth across the state  and partnered with                                                                    
SESA.  He acknowledged  that rural  communities had  limited                                                                    
options   in  performing   such  services   as  transitional                                                                    
services to help youth  seeking employment. His organization                                                                    
was strongly  supported by  SESA who  provided collaboration                                                                    
and  training  for  organizations   like  his  who  provided                                                                    
 essential  support   for  services.  He  urged  members  to                                                                    
support the bill and SESA.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:43:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Slater was back online.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Ortiz  restated his  question. He inquired  if he                                                                    
was  correct that  there  were no  other  resources for  IEP                                                                    
services in  his district besides SESA.  Mr. Slater answered                                                                    
in the negative. He related that  Pelican was too small of a                                                                    
school  district to  have a  special education  teacher. The                                                                    
school  district contracted  with  an agency  (facilitators)                                                                    
that  helped  develop  the  IEP  through  input  from  SESA,                                                                    
teacher, and parents. The IEP  was executed with the help of                                                                    
SESA on a regular basis.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Ortiz clarified that SESA  played a major role in                                                                    
consulting  with the  organization  that  was contracted  to                                                                    
develop the IEP. Mr. Slater  responded, "That's correct." He                                                                    
furthered that  the contractor filled out  the paperwork and                                                                    
wrote the IEP under the  guidance of the school district and                                                                    
SESA.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:46:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carpenter  asked if  he had heard  Mr. Slater                                                                    
correctly   that   his   sons   performance   outpaced   the                                                                    
expectations during  the COVID crisis. Mr.  Slater responded                                                                    
in  the affirmative.  Representative Carpenter  wondered how                                                                    
the Pelican  school district continued to  provide education                                                                    
during COVID.  Mr. Slater  replied that  in March  2020, the                                                                    
school   district  moved   to  an   online  curriculum.   He                                                                    
elucidated  that prior  to COVID  input was  provided on  an                                                                    
irregular basis. When  the school shut down,  the school did                                                                    
not  have anyone  to  work  with his  son.  SESA stepped  in                                                                    
meeting with  his son Jim,  every day. During the  time, his                                                                    
son made huge  gains in 6 months moving  from a kindergarten                                                                    
level of  math to a  third grade  level. The model  had such                                                                    
success,  it  was  continued with  regular  school  back  in                                                                    
session.  He specified  that SESA  was engaged  on a  weekly                                                                    
basis with Jims  teacher and  contact was much more regular.                                                                    
The  IEP  stayed  on  track.   The  model  had  proven  very                                                                    
effective.  Representative  Carpenter  asked  if  the  model                                                                    
included  a   daily  30  minute   meeting  from   SESA  with                                                                    
instruction primarily carried out  by his mother. Mr. Slater                                                                    
responded in  the affirmative. He  added that  currently the                                                                    
interaction  was  continued  with   Jims   teacher  and  his                                                                    
success had continued in the in-school model.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Ortiz clarified  that if  he was  really talking                                                                    
about a  paraprofessional rather  than a teacher  related to                                                                    
Jims   direct  instruction.  Mr.   Slater  answered  in  the                                                                    
affirmative.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:50:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Merrick  CLOSED  public  testimony.  She  had  not                                                                    
received any amendments to the bill.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Foster  MOVED  to  report   CSSB  19(FIN)  out  of                                                                    
Committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CSSB 19(FIN) was REPORTED out  of committee with a "do pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and  with  one previously  published  fiscal                                                                    
note: FN2 (EED).                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:52:31 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:54:36 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED