03/27/2024 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

                     SB 29-CIVICS EDUCATION                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:39:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  ALLARD   announced  that  the  final  order  of business   would                                                      
be  CS  FOR  SENATE  BILL  NO.  29(FIN),   "An  Act  relating   to  civics                                                      
education,   civics   assessments,   and  secondary    school  graduation                                                       
requirements; and providing for an effective date."                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:40:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR    GARY   STEVENS,    Alaska   State    Legislature,    as   prime                                                      
sponsor,   presented   CSSB   29(FIN).     He  paraphrased   the   sponsor                                                      
statement   to  SB  29  [included   in   the  committee   packet],   which                                                      
read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
          SB 29 is intended to improve awareness of the                                                                         
      importance of civics education in Alaska.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
      While   most   Americans    agree   on   the   importance    of                                                           
      preparing  young  people   for citizenship   in  a democracy,                                                             
      civics  education   has received   diminishing   attention   in                                                           
      schools   over  the  past   couple   of  decades.   There  has                                                            
      been  a  gradual   paradigm   shift  in   preparing   students                                                            
      first  for  college   and  jobs,  responding   to  increasing                                                             
      accountability     demands,     and    heavy    emphasis     on                                                           
      mathematics,   reading,   and  writing.   Experts   believe   a                                                           
      decline  in   civic  engagement,   such   as  the  decline   in                                                           
      voting   rates   among  young   voters   since   18-year-olds                                                             
      were  given  the  right  to vote  in  1972,  may  be a  direct                                                            
      result  of  the  decrease   in  emphasis  placed   on  civics.                                                            
      Coupled  with  the  present   day political   climate   we are                                                            
      observing, many are calling for a return to civility.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
      One  response  to  this  decline  in  civic  engagement,   has                                                            
      been  for states   to develop  content   standards  in  civics                                                            
      or  government,   which  occurred   in  the  1990s  and  early                                                            
      2000s.  This   was  an  effort  to  ensure   students  have   a                                                           
      basic  understanding    of   the  fundamentals    of  how  our                                                            
      government   works,  of  the  documents   on  which   American                                                            
      democracy   is  based,   and  of  basic   democratic   values.                                                            
      Notwithstanding    state  efforts   to  improve   instruction                                                             
      in  the  core  academic   disciplines,   states   should  also                                                            
      establish   statewide    assessments    aligned   with   their                                                            
      civics standards.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
      While  many   individuals   and  organizations    have  sought                                                            
      to address   the poor  condition   of civics   education,  the                                                            
      problem   remains    acute.   Strong    state   policies   are                                                            
      needed   to   establish    and   reinforce   the   fact   that                                                            
      preparation   for civic  life  is  equally  as  important  for                                                            
      preparation   for higher   education  and  careers.   In fact,                                                            
      preparation   for  active  citizenship   was  a  foundational                                                             
      principle   of   public   education   in   America   from  its                                                            
      beginning,    and   it   is   a  principle    that   must    be                                                           
      reaffirmed by each generation.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
      By  passing  SB  29,  Alaska  will  join   with  other  states                                                            
      in an  effort  to  restore  attention   to the  importance   of                                                           
      civics   education   in  our   schools,   and  ultimately    in                                                           
      steadying civic engagement within our country.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
      I appreciate your consideration of this legislation.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENTATOR STEVENS added that the bill would task the state with                                                                  
reviewing and modernizing state standards for civics.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:43:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE    STORY  asked  Senator   Stevens  how  he  came  up  with                                                      
the  70   percent   cut  score   and  why   it  was  so   important   that                                                      
students must pass a test to get their diploma.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR   STEVENS  replied   they  can  take  the  class   and  pass,  and                                                      
then  not  take   the  test  at  all.    He  said  that  the   test  would                                                      
consist  of  approximately    25 questions   and  further  explained   why                                                      
taking a class would be more beneficial.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   STORY  pointed   out that  there  is  not a  fiscal  note                                                      
for  districts   to be  able  to  provide  a  staff  person  for  a  part-                                                      
time class.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS   expressed   his annoyance   that  each  time  he  dealt                                                      
with  education,   the first  thing  he  heard  was  "unfunded  mandate."                                                       
He  said  billions   are   given  to  education   and   school  districts                                                       
should  be  expected   to  provide  basic   education,   which  he  opined                                                      
is citizenship.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:46:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TIM    LAMKIN,    Staff,    Senator    Gary    Stevens,    Alaska    State                                                      
Legislature,    answered    questions   during   the   hearing   on   CSSB
(FIN)   on   behalf    of  Senator    Stevens,   prime    sponsor,   and                                                      
explained   that  the  test  is  based  on  an exam  designed   for  those                                                      
who  are   seeking  U.S.   citizenship,   and   a  passing   score  is  60                                                      
percent.     The  original  bill   had  that  same  figure,   but  in  the                                                      
grading  system,   70 percent   is  a "C-minus"   which  he  described  as                                                      
a reasonable minimal passing score.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:47:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE     HIMSCHOOT     asked    what    standards    the    U.S.                                                      
Department   of  Homeland   Security  used  when   creating  the  test  as                                                      
well as who decided "this is what kids need to know."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR   STEVENS   articulated   that  it  was   not  just  directed   to                                                      
kids but for any entering citizen.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE    HIMSCHOOT   reiterated   her  question   regarding   the                                                      
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR.  LAMKIN  said  it was  developed  federally   and  he could  dig  into                                                      
the specifics regarding the development of the test.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:48:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR ALLARD welcomed invited testifiers.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:48:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LISA   BOUDREAU,    State   Policy   Director,   iCivics/CivXNow,     gave                                                      
invited  testimony   in support   of CSSB  29(FIN).    She  stressed  that                                                      
CivXNow   ("the  coalition")   recognized   that  the  issue   is  urgent,                                                      
and  she  would  speak   to  solutions  that   exist.    She  pointed  out                                                      
that  since   2021,  20   states  have   adopted  22  policies   aligning                                                       
with  the  coalition's   policy   recommendations,    and  she  offered  a                                                      
brief  explanation    as  to  what  goes  into  the  recommendations    as                                                      
well  as  speaking   to survey   results.    Civics  has  been  neglected                                                       
over  the  past  50  years  and  44  percent  of  school  districts   have                                                      
cut  back   on  instructional    time   over  the   last  20  years,   she                                                      
explained.      State   legislators   outside    of  Alaska   have   taken                                                      
notice   and  she  highlighted   examples   from  several   states.    She                                                      
said  the  key  to  the  coalition's   policy  recommendations    is  that                                                      
more  time  must  be  spent   on  civics  in  schools  so  that  students                                                       
can  walk  away  with  the  knowledge  and  skills  necessary   that  come                                                      
from   high  quality   civics   education.      The  bill   would   create                                                      
course  time  for  civics  in  high  school  and  civics  tests  for  high                                                      
school  graduation,   and  dedicated   course  time  on  civics  would  be                                                      
the  answer   to  what  ails  the  nation,   she  opined.    She   further                                                      
explained   that  the  coalition   is  investing   its  time   in  working                                                      
directly  with  the  Alaska  Council   of School  Administrators    (ACSA)                                                      
and   various   Tribal   councils   to   create   online   resources   and                                                      
training.    She  thanked  the  committee   for  the time  and  attention                                                       
and welcomed questions from committee members.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:53:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOHN  PUGH,   Former   Chancellor,   University   of  Alaska   Southeast,                                                       
gave  invited  testimony   in  support  of  CSSB  29(FIN).    He provided                                                       
a brief  personal   and  professional   background  and  highlighted   his                                                      
vast   government   experience.     He   offered   his  belief   that  the                                                      
importance    of  the   bill   is   the  knowledge    gained   about   how                                                      
government   works,  key  documents   that  formed  the  government,   and                                                      
learning  about  elected   officials  are  key  for people   to engage  in                                                      
their  civic   responsibilities.      He  gave  an  example  of  research                                                       
where   individuals    who  have   this   knowledge   engage   more   than                                                      
others   who  do  not   and  are   active   in  student   government   and                                                      
clubs,   as  well  as  legislative    internships.     Students   who  get                                                      
knowledge   and  engagement   in  civics   at  an  early   age  carry  the                                                      
knowledge   forward   and  become  active  voters   and  participants   in                                                      
local  and  federal   government,   he  said.    He  concluded   that  the                                                      
bill  alone  may  not  stop  the  decline   in young  people   voting  but                                                      
could increase engagement in civic activities.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:57:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR    ALLARD   noted    the   morning's    time   constraints    and                                                      
requested that committee members keep questions to a minimum.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:57:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR   RUFFRIDGE   inquired   about   the  intent  of   the  bill  and                                                      
asked whether state government would be included.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR.  LAMKIN  replied   that  is  agreeable.    He  added  that  there  may                                                      
be  no  wrong  answers   to  the  bill   and  the  ultimate   goal  is  to                                                      
improve   young  people's   participation   and   understanding   of  what                                                      
it  is  to  be   a  citizen;   therefore,   a  state  government    format                                                      
would be appropriate in this context.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:58:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE    STORY   drew  attention   to  the   effective   date  of                                                      
July  1,  2024,  noting  that  the  curriculum   needed  to  be developed                                                       
by  the  board,   and  she  asked  whether   a  2025  timeline   would  be                                                      
needed.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR.  LAMKIN  explained   that  if  the  sectional   analysis   were  taken                                                      
up,  he  would  have  noted  a  consideration   to  adjust  the  timeline                                                       
to 2025 or 2026.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   STORY  expressed   confusion   regarding  the  option  of                                                      
taking   the   class   or  the   test.     She  further    discussed   the                                                      
district's   curriculum   and  whether  one  would  receive   a secondary                                                       
school diploma unless the student has completed a semester.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  LAMKIN  clarified   that  on page  2,  line  3, the  options   are to                                                      
take  the  class,   take  the  test,  or  have  a  waiver.    Any  of  the                                                      
three would allow one to continue, he said.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE    STORY  sought  affirmation   that  one  would  not  need                                                      
to take a class.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. LAMKIN confirmed that was correct.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE    STORY   asked  whether   Senator   Stevens   considered                                                       
project-based   learning   in  relation  to  motivation   towards   civics                                                      
rather than having tests.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. LAMKIN responded that that was presumed to occur, but staff                                                                 
are trying to be cautious not to be overly descriptive as they                                                                  
approach the project.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
10:01:19 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR ALLARD announced that CSSB 29(FIN) was held over.