04/24/2001 02:24 PM House FIN

 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 133(HES) am                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
      An  Act   relating   to  a   two-year   transition   for                                                                  
      implementation  of the  public  high  school competency                                                                   
      examination  and to  establishing  a  secondary  student                                                                  
      competency  examination  as  a  high  school graduation                                                                   
     requirement; and providing for an effective date.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Williams  advised  that  there  had  been  a  MOTION                                                                  
PENDING  on Amendment  #2.   Vice-Chair Bunde  reiterated  his                                                                  
OBJECTION.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Bunde maintained that  other states  have held  to                                                                  
high  standards even  for the  children education  without  an                                                                  
Individual  Education  Program  (IEP).   He  stated  that  the                                                                  
"alternative  assessment",  determined by  each  district  has                                                                  
two faults.   The local school districts  may find it  cheaper                                                                  
and easier to reduce  the standard to the student rather  than                                                                  
raising the  student to a higher standard.   He added that  it                                                                  
is a problem  because each school  board would determine  what                                                                  
an   assessment  is.     There   is  no   statewide  standard                                                                   
established.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Lancaster commented  that  the intent  of  the                                                                  
amendment  was to  work with  the  Department and  the  Alaska                                                                  
State School Board Association.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
A roll call vote was taken on the motion.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
IN FAVOR:       Hudson, Lancaster, Moses, Whitaker, Croft,                                                                      
                Davies, Foster, Williams                                                                                        
OPPOSED:        Bunde, Harris                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Mulder was not present for the vote.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The MOTION PASSED (8-2).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Croft  MOVED  to  ADOPT  Amendment   #3.    He                                                                  
explained that  SB 105 had been  pending referral at the  time                                                                  
that the amendment  was drafted.  Representative Croft  stated                                                                  
that the  amendment was prepared  in that  context.  He  noted                                                                  
that  he would  WITHDRAW Amendment  #3 as  it was  not  needed                                                                  
with the passage of HB 105.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative Davies  stressed that it  would not be  harmful                                                                  
to have too much money  on the table.  He pointed out that  HB
 had further Committees to pass through before passage.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hudson MOVED  to report  HCS CS  SB 133  (FIN)                                                                  
out of  Committee with  the accompanying fiscal  note.   There                                                                  
being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
HCS CS SB 133 (FIN)  was reported out of Committee with a  "do                                                                  
pass" recommendation and  with a fiscal note #1 by Department                                                                   
of Education & Early Development dated 3/20/01.