Legislature(2009 - 2010)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/09/2010 03:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation on Fairbanks Lbc Annexation | |
| SB109 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| *+ | SB 109 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 109-REPEAL SECONDARY SCHOOL EXIT EXAM
4:32:41 PM
CHAIR OLSON said the next order of business to come before the
committee was SB 109.
TOM OBERMEYER, aide to Senator Davis, said the High School
Graduation Qualifying Exam (HSGQE) was initiated in 2001 and was
fully implemented in 2004. He said it has become a high stakes
hurdle that in many views has harmed many students in Alaska
while exacerbating the 2007 court finding that the state was
violating students' constitutional rights to an education
without providing proper assistance and direction, particularly
in rural districts. He said it may be argued that the state does
not need the HSGQE and all school districts already require
assessment tests to determine student progress and competency.
The Center on Education Policy reported in August 2008 that most
states have alternatives to the high risk exam. The current
Alaska high school exam was changed by the Board of Education
and made a little less difficult at the inception and has since
been combined with the No Child Left Behind test.
He pointed out that the test represents a substantial expense at
about $1.5 million per year as part of a $48 million, seven-year
annual renewable contract with Data Recognition Corporation
(DRC). He said whether or not the test is doing what it was
intended to do is questionable. Nothing has indicated that the
test has better prepared students for college or has determined
conclusively that students were receiving diplomas but lacking
basic skills. He explained that many students who fail the test
are dropping out of school or ending up with a Certificate of
Attendance which has no value in the job market. It is time to
review the exam and see if it is time to eliminate it. He noted
that the Department [of Education and Early Development] (EED)
and the Board [of Education] have taken a contrary opinion.
SENATOR MENARD asked if $1.5 per year is the cost to administer
the test.
4:36:54 PM
MR. OBERMEYER replied yes, the average is about $1.5 million.
SENATOR MENARD said Terra Nova is the test that many are wishing
to go to. She asked what the cost would be to administer that
test.
SENATOR DAVIS said SB 109 only repeals the HSGQE and she was not
able to provide that information. She said it was up to the EED
and Board of Education to decide if Terra Nova would be used.
SENATOR MENARD said she knows about the Terra Nova test and
should have asked how much less the cost of administering this
test would be.
SENATOR THOMAS commented that any test does not necessarily
create change, but rather what results from the test, such as
earlier intervention, creates change. He commented that some
people say earlier intervention, according to tests already in
place, will have a better outcome than waiting until the 10th
grade to take a test with a large impact.
SENATOR DAVIS said she is not recommending anything; that SB 109
is to repeal the HSGQE. She mentioned that some tools are
already in place for assessments and testing in earlier grades
and the EED has to decide what else to do. She pointed out that
WorkKeys is supposed to go into effect next year and said she
does believe pre-K education is important. She said a system
that gives a test at grade 10, with three years to pass, or else
a piece of paper to say the student attended, is a disservice to
children and needs to be looked at and replaced.
SENATOR MENARD said she has heard the MatSu school district is
not opposed to SB 109 and asked if Senator Davis has heard from
other districts.
SENATOR DAVIS said she has heard from a lot of districts and
that the committee packets contain some of the information and
more will come from public testimony.
4:40:46 PM
DOUG CONBOY, Superintendent of Schools, Kashunamiut School
District in Chevak, said Kashunamiut School District supports SB
109. He said several aspects of standardized testing have a
negative effect on his district's students, which are 98 percent
Cup'ik. Students in Chevak do not understand some terms used in
testing such as "curb;" there are no curbs in Chevak and
students do not know what a curb is. Students don't have a
concept of the term "park" as there are none in Chevak. He
provided an example of a multiple choice question about the
appropriate means of transportation to a hospital - an
automobile, public transport or an airplane. Chevak students
correctly answered "airplane" which was counted as wrong in the
standardization process. He did not believe any standardized
test can be detailed enough to consider the wide range of
[students'] experiences. He cautioned against substituting HSGQE
with something else because one size does not fit all.
SENATOR THOMAS said he has been told assistance is allowed for
some people and asked if assistance aids Mr. Conboy's students.
MR. CONBOY replied that too much dialogue with the student
compromises the test; means of assisting a student with the test
are quite limited.
SENATOR THOMAS asked if other tests already in place should be
able to trigger remediation and getting kids to the point where
they are able to go on to vocations or college.
MR. CONBOY said he believes so. He said teachers who work with
students daily and have a relationship with them are up to the
task of remediating those issues. The student must also have
some ownership as well; a student who is oppositional is hard to
turn around.
4:44:56 PM
SENATOR KOOKESH said he thinks that the end result of the test
is the worst part of it. He has seen kids in his village who
don't pass the HSGQE and get a Certificate of Attendance which
effectively ends their life because the student cannot go to
vocational schools, college, into the military and possibly
can't join some unions without a high school diploma. He thought
we need to find a way to get kids a high school diploma yet the
HSGQE is stopping them from doing so.
MR. CONBOY agreed and apologized if his testimony gave any
indication that he did not agree.
SENATOR KOOKESH said he just wanted to go to the next step: not
only is the test something he does not agree with but he also
does not agree with the end result.
MR. CONBOY said a double standard exists: a student who meets
the requirements for graduation as set forth by the local school
board and district, but does not pass the HSGQE, is not allowed
to graduate. Other students pass the HSGQE but don't have all
the needed credits and so cannot graduate. He does not believe a
"double shot" at the students is the right way to do business.
4:46:23 PM
BENJAMIN AGIMUK, student at Kashunamiut School District in
Chevak, supported SB 109. He said some kids do well in school
but get very nervous about these big tests and their brains do
not function right. He said students who get A's and B's but
don't pass the test, even after the retakes, are not able to
graduate. He expressed the opinion that this is unfair. He said
he knows at least one student exists in every village who is
smart enough but cannot pass the HSGQE test because he or she
gets nervous. He believes these kids can get a diploma but do
not because of the HSGQE test; they will only get a Certificate
of Attendance even though they have A's and B's. He said that
person is being left behind.
CHAIR OLSON asked Mr. Agimuk what grade he is in.
MR. AGIMUK replied 10th grade.
CHAIR OLSON asked if Mr. Agimuk had taken the HSGQE.
MR. AGIMUK replied no.
SENATOR KOOKESH asked if Mr. Agimuk is saying that a person can
go through high school, get all A's and B's, and then be failed
by one exam at the end. He asked if Mr. Agimuk did not agree
with that.
MR. AGIMUK said he does not agree with that because students can
get really nervous and their brains don't function right. He
said it is certainly unfair for the student. He pointed out that
those students will not be able to get scholarships or go on
with school even though they had good enough grades.
SENATOR MENARD complimented Mr. Agimuk on his testimony.
SENATOR THOMAS asked if Mr. Agimuk is a good student.
MR. AGIMUK replied yes.
SENATOR THOMAS asked Mr. Agimuk if he anticipates passing the
test.
MR. AGIMUK replied, "Hopefully."
CHAIR OLSON asked what Mr. Agimuk would like to be when he gets
out of school.
MR. AGIMUK replied that he would like to be like Senator Olson.
4:50:01 PM
JOHN ALCANTRA, Director of Government Relations, National
Education Association - Alaska (NEA), supported SB 109. He
mentioned the savings of $1.3 to $1.6 million per year as shown
on the fiscal note for SB 109. He suggested more savings would
be made through children not missing instruction in order to
take the HSGQE. He recounted that some students pass the test in
their sophomore year and tell their parents they are "done with
high school." He mentioned a letter in the committee packet from
LaDawn Truce, president of the Kenai Peninsula Education
Association, which provides an eloquent description of the flaws
of the exit exam other than the cost.
SENATOR THOMAS said we do a lot of testing all through school.
He asked Mr. Alcantra if he thinks the HSGQE is being unfairly
judged and if standards will be lowered if the test is done away
with.
MR. ALCANTRA said he did not believe repealing the HSGQE would
be lowering standards because the test is a minimum bench mark
anyway. He felt that current testing from 3rd to 10th grade is
adequate. He pointed out that good students and smart children
have "a blip in difficulty" in passing a test. He said plenty of
assessment tools are available and the EED and the Board of
Education will come up with some alternatives.
4:53:28 PM
CHAIR OLSON said people in the business community have
complained for years about high school graduates being
inadequately prepared for the job market, particularly in
mathematics. He asked what Mr. Alcantra would say to these
business community members.
MR. ALCANTRA said quality teachers in every classroom would
allow these kids to get the best education possible. He said
asking village kids about curbs and paved streets isn't going to
help them do better math for a workplace. He said this exit exam
is keeping hundreds of kids from getting a diploma and being
able to move forward and better their lives. At every crossroad,
parents and teachers can do a better job at making sure their
children do better in math and every subject. Eliminating the
HSGQE will not keep kids from getting the best math or high
school experience possible.
SENATOR KOOKESH recounted that he worried for years about his
younger brother who did not do well in school. His brother went
into the military, spent time in Vietnam, came back and went to
college and got a Masters Degree. If an exam was in place, he
would not have gotten a diploma and never would have "made it."
MR. ALCANTRA said the letter from LaDawn Druce is about her son
who went to a post-secondary vocational educational program in
Oklahoma. He had not passed the HSGQE. He came back and passed
it 55 points above the cut score two years later. He was
employed at an Anchorage automotive dealership within 48 hours
of returning to Alaska and has worked his way up to service
advisor. Mr. Alcantra said failing the HSGQE can prohibit
getting into the military and most union apprenticeship
programs; it is hurting Alaska's kids.
4:57:01 PM
LES MORSE, Deputy Commissioner, Alaska Department of Education
and Early Development (DEED), said the state Board of Education
decided it was not wise to move away from this test at this time
and felt it was an important part of the accountability system.
The Board of Education adopted a resolution in opposition to SB
109. He mentioned data showing the number of graduates has
increased while dropouts have decreased since the exam was
implemented. The data suggests that the exam might be working.
CHAIR OLSON asked if it is correct that the Administration is
not in support of SB 109.
MR. MORSE replied that was accurate.
SENATOR KOOKESH said he did not know that was accurate.
MR. MORSE clarified that the Governor's office has not taken a
position. The DEED is bringing forward the position of the state
Board of Education.
SENATOR KOOKESH asked how many students in Alaska receive a
Certificate of Attendance. He said the number of graduates will
naturally increase because the population is growing. He said
fewer dropouts might occur when students stay in school even
with a Certificate of Attendance because they don't realize what
the certificate is as compared to a diploma.
MR. MORSE said the percent of graduates has increased, not just
the number of graduates. The total number graduates went from
6905 to 8008 last year; the percentage of the population went
from 61.4 to 67.5 percent. In 2009, the numbers are based on
11,863 students of which 8,008 graduated and 2,311 did not
graduate. Of those 2,311, 1,549 students passed all three parts
of the exam so they did not graduate for some other reason. 762
students did not pass one or more parts of the exam and received
a Certificate of Attendance.
5:00:50 PM
CHAIR OLSON asked if Mr. Morse agreed that students in rural
Alaska are at a disadvantage because they do not have the
vernacular of those raised in a city. He asked why rural
students should be penalized by a test that is biased toward
urban students.
MR. MORSE said he would be surprised if a question with that
level of bias was on the test. He said he will ask the
contractor if any question like that [about a curb] exists.
Every item on custom-made tests, including the standards based
exams and HSGQE, is reviewed for bias by a committee with
representation from all over Alaska. He said, it would be highly
unlikely that question would be on the test at that grade
because of extensive reviews for bias.
CHAIR OLSON referred to his experience of having flown many
Medivacs in rural and Western Alaska, and said a student who is
asked how grandma will get to the hospital will not say in an
automobile. He said he has not seen the test but stated that if
such a question is on the test, something is certainly wrong
with the test.
MR. MORSE said he agreed and was almost 100 percent sure that
question is not on the test; it would not have passed the bias
committee who would have said two correct answers are possible.
CHAIR OLSON asked Mr. Morse to get back to him about whether or
not that question is on the test.
5:02:55 PM
SENATOR KOOKESH said he is concerned about DEED not supporting
SB 109 at all without talking to people, like the testifiers
today, or members of the Legislature, such as himself, who are
opposed to the test. He said he expects DEED to lead, not keep
the status quo. He said he wants to hear the DEED say, "this
test may not work, so we are going to make modifications to it;
we're going to make it work." He said the DEED needs to look at
the fact that SB 109 is in front of the Legislature and there is
a concern.
MR. MORSE said he would not say no problems exist with the exam
and noted that adjustments have been made. He said next week a
meeting will be held to review standards, poll people who have
worked on the high school portion and conduct consequential
validity studies to learn the impact of the exam in the field.
He said such things are continuously looked at. He said the
Board of Education and DEED think the HSGQE fulfills a very
important purpose in the accountability system. The HSGQE is a
major driving force in comprehensive high schools that don't
fall under the No Child Left Behind accountability.
5:05:06 PM
SENATOR KOOKESH said he would be comfortable if DEED would say
the HSGQE would be kept as a measuring tool and as part of the
graduation process. He does not want to get the message that
the DEED doesn't care how a student does in school but will deny
a diploma for a student who fails the test.
SENATOR MENARD said that Alaska school board [Board of
Education] is often at odds with the Alaska Association of
School Boards. She would like DEED Commissioner, Mr. LeDoux, to
come and speak because she is getting conflicting information
that he may weigh in on getting rid of the HSGQE.
MR. MORSE said the Commissioner would make himself available.
5:06:59 PM
BENJAMIN ANDERSON AGIMUK, student at Kashunamiut School District
in Chevak, supported SB 109 for cultural reasons and
psychological reasons already stated. He said he has intelligent
friends who do not pass the test, are discouraged by the results
and are not willing to continue in school. He said these are
people who would probably go through vocational school more
quickly than other people. They are crippled because they cannot
pass a test that was not designed for them, even though they
would be successful people. He said he was going to describe
cultural reasons as well but those have already been said.
CHAIR OLSON asked what grade Mr. Anderson Agimuk is in.
MR. ANDERSON AGIMUK replied 11th.
CHAIR OLSON asked if he had taken the HSGQE.
MR. ANDERSON AGIMUK replied yes.
CHAIR OLSON asked if he passed.
MR. ANDERSON AGIMUK replied yes.
SENATOR KOOKESH asked if he was concerned about the other
students who may end up being penalized because they would not
get a diploma and would not be able to continue on in life to do
other things.
MR. ANDERSON AGIMUK replied yes. He said the people he knows are
pretty smart and do well in school. He said they do better in
technical classes and would be successful. He said they are
being crippled by the test and mentally discouraged to the point
of not feeling like going forward in school.
5:10:10 PM
CHAIR OLSON closed public testimony and held SB 109 in
committee.
5:10:29 PM
With no further business before the committee, Chair Olson
adjourned the meeting.
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