Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205
04/07/2017 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB102 | |
| SB103 | |
| SB104 | |
| SB99 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 99 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 102 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 103 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 104 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 104-EDUCATION CURRICULUM
8:40:49 AM
CHAIR HUGHES announced the consideration of SB 104.
8:41:11 AM
BRITTANY HUTCHISON, Staff, Senator Anna MacKinnon, Alaska State
Legislature, reviewed SB 104 on behalf of the sponsor. She
addressed concerns of public testifiers. She said SB 104 is
completely voluntary. The state plans to pay for the fiscal note
and additional staff, if needed, curriculum research and
professional development, but it will not come out of DEED funds
or district funds. It would come out of the Alaska Education
Innovation Grant Fund. The bill will not touch local control.
The goal is to provide a curriculum in math and English to
students in schools that don't have the necessary resources to
come up with their own curriculum. It provides a three-year
review reprieve to help the commissioner in implementing the
Alaska Education Challenge.
8:42:33 AM
MS. HUTCHISON summarized that the three bills are not meant to
make up for the difference in the BSA reduction. The bills
should provide funding and cost savings to school districts and
provide a funding stream to bridge the achievement gap and bring
curriculum, students, and instruction in line with 21st Century
technology.
8:43:09 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked what the impetus for the bill was. Many
districts testified that the bill would have no impact on them.
MS. HUTCHISON replied that Senator MacKinnon wrote a letter a
few years ago to the State Board of Education regarding common
curriculum to help districts. The sponsor has been contacted by
smaller schools with a request for English and math curriculum
help.
SENATOR BEGICH said that is a persuasive answer.
SENATOR STEVENS asked if the department could discuss the
implementation.
8:45:05 AM
CHAIR HUGHES requested clarification of the fiscal notes for SB
104. It says that (DEED) must purchase and provide curriculum
for the seven test districts and make it available to all
districts.
MS. HUTCHISON explained that the department will purchase
curriculum using the new Alaska Innovation Education Grant Fund.
CHAIR HUGHES asked if the department will pay for the quantities
the districts need.
MS. HUTCHISON offered to find out.
8:46:34 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked what happens if the Innovation Education
Grant Fund does not pass.
MS. HUTCHISON replied it would come out of the Alaska Higher
Education Fund.
8:47:16 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked how the department would implement the
program.
8:47:29 AM
PAUL PRUSSING, Deputy Director, Teacher and Learning Support,
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), answered
questions related to SB 104. He replied that it would be very
challenging for the department to implement because they don't
have a content specialist and the testing of the curriculum
would be extensive and costly. Math would be cost $328 per
student, so for Anchorage it would be about $30 million. The
reviewing, testing, and implementing of the curriculum would be
expensive. He shared his experience with the Reading First
Curriculum and the work and expense involved. Eventually, they
discovered an additional need to have supplemental programs for
unique populations. The fiscal note is indeterminate because
there are so many unknowns.
8:50:07 AM
SENATOR GIESSEL appreciated the need for a curriculum process.
She asked how a school district chooses a curriculum.
MR. PRUSSING explained that teachers know their kids and what
works for them. There is discussion amongst districts and they
share curriculum.
8:51:22 AM
CHAIR HUGHES asked if other states have taken this on. She said
it sounds complicated.
MR. PRUSSING said he researched for three days, including
talking with Education Northwest, a regional resource, and
didn't find much information. A few states have undertaken this
with varying degrees of success.
8:52:05 AM
SENATOR COGHILL said it is good information. He spoke of
developed curriculum and the pressure to buy it. He asked if
cyber education is changing the curriculum makeup.
8:53:17 AM
MR. PRUSSING said that some districts are not buying textbooks
any more. There is a market for a state's unique needs and
vendors are reacting to those needs.
8:54:03 AM
MS. TESHNER explained the indeterminate fiscal note for SB 104.
There would be a need for three positions; two content
specialists, one in math and one in Language Arts, and one
support staff.
CHAIR HUGHES asked about the department purchasing and providing
curriculum to districts.
8:55:07 AM
MR. PRUSSING explained that the state would be providing the
curriculum to any district that would like it. It could be
expensive because some may want books; some technology.
8:55:44 AM
SENATOR COGHILL asked if the department has done this before.
8:56:06 AM
MR. PRUSSING replied that the department has provided resources
to districts. In 2005 the department worked on a project for
lesson plans which were available on line. It was not used very
much.
SENATOR COGHILL recalled an Alaska History curriculum.
8:57:03 AM
CHAIR HUGHES commented that the department would provide
evidence-based curriculum to ensure that districts receive a
quality product.
8:57:47 AM
MR. PRUSSING asked what happens when the kids are not successful
when using a department-provided curriculum. He spoke of the
importance of local knowledge and the need for yearly
professional development.
8:58:42 AM
SENATOR STEVENS voiced concern about the role of local control
in this process.
MR. PRUSSING thought the bill would change the role of local
control because the curriculum might not have the approval of
the local school board.
9:00:07 AM
CHAIR HUGHES pointed out that the curriculum is optional, and a
district could continue with what they are currently doing.
9:00:29 AM
MR. PRUSSING referred to page 1, line 9, which says the State
Board shall approve curricula used by the five largest
districts.
9:00:41 AM
SENATOR GIESSEL pointed out that it also includes the Regional
Education Attendance Areas (REAA).
9:01:02 AM
MS. HUTCHISON stated that the bill is voluntary and local
control is not being touched. In the first section, the
curriculum approval and review is only for the first three
years. There will be curriculum available, but no one must use
it. The bill provides a break for three years from having to
establish new curriculum.
CHAIR HUGHES summarized that it gives the department the ability
to approve the curriculum for five districts.
9:03:17 AM
MS. HUTCHISON corrected that since the five largest districts
and the two REAAs have curriculum that is already approved, the
department will approve it and make it available to everyone.
They will allow it to be used for three more years.
9:03:53 AM
SENATOR GIESSEL suggested to use "the board shall approve
curricula currently used by" on page 1, line 9.
CHAIR HUGHES thanked Senator Giessel.
SENATOR COGHILL moved to report SB 104, version J, from
committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal
note.
CHAIR HUGHES announced that without objection, SB 104 moved from
the Senate Education Standing Committee.
She commented that it would be FY19 or FY20 before the Education
Innovative Grant Fund would be available to districts. She asked
the sponsor to consider making something available sooner.