04/07/2008 02:53 PM House FIN

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 285(FIN)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     An  Act  relating  to  the   power  and  duties  of  the                                                                   
     Department  of  Education   and  Early  Development  for                                                                   
     improving instructional  practices in  school districts;                                                                   
     and providing for an effective date.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:47:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GARY  STEVENS, SPONSOR,  explained that the  bill was                                                                   
introduced in  response to the  court case decision  of Moore                                                                   
et.  al.  vs.   State  of  Alaska,  which  pertains   to  the                                                                   
Legislature   fulfilling   its  constitutional   mandate   of                                                                   
overseeing school  districts and schools in  Alaska. The case                                                                   
concludes in part  that the Legislature is failing  this duty                                                                   
as regards schools with long-standing poor performance.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator Stevens  said the  bill calls  for the Department  of                                                                   
Education and  Early Development (DEED) to  provide direction                                                                   
to  schools  that  need  to  increase   student  achievement,                                                                   
including   making   decisions    regarding   personnel   and                                                                   
expenditures to improve instructional practices.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hawker stated  his  support of  the bill  and                                                                   
recommended  reading   Moore  vs.  State   for  understanding                                                                   
education issues.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Stoltze  asked a question about  athletic coaches.                                                                   
Senator  Stevens clarified  that  academic  coaches would  be                                                                   
hired to help improve scores.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
TIM LAMKIN,  STAFF, SENATOR  GARY STEVENS,  added that  it is                                                                   
not  the intent  of  the bill  to have  anything  to do  with                                                                   
sports coaches.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:52:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Chenault OPENED PUBLIC TESTIMONY.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
EDDY   JEANS,  DIRECTOR,   SCHOOL   FINANCE,  DEPARTMENT   OF                                                                   
EDUCATION  AND  EARLY DEVELOPMENT,  stated  the  Department's                                                                   
support for the legislation.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Crawford asked for  a description of  how the                                                                   
legislation would change things.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr.   Jeans   answered   that    the   legislation   provides                                                                   
clarification  in  statute  that DEED  as  the  Legislature's                                                                   
agent has the authority to intervene  and provide supervision                                                                   
over school districts.  One of the judge's criticisms  of the                                                                   
State  during the  lawsuit was  that utilizing  the No  Child                                                                   
Left  Behind  model, it  takes  too  long  for the  State  to                                                                   
intervene.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:55:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hawker asked if  DEED would intervene  at the                                                                   
individual  school level  or  at the  district  level when  a                                                                   
school  is identified  as  needing intervention,.  Mr.  Jeans                                                                   
answered  that  the  legislation  covers  both  district  and                                                                   
school  levels, but all  interventions  would be through  the                                                                   
district  administration,  working   with  the  local  school                                                                   
board. The Department would not go directly into a school.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
PUBLIC TESTIMONY CLOSED.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Meyer referred to the fiscal note.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Stoltze  MOVED to REPORT HCS CSSB  285(HES) out of                                                                   
Committee   with    individual   recommendations    and   the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal  note. There  being NO OBJECTION,  it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
HCS CSSB  285(HES) was REPORTED  out of Committee with  a "do                                                                   
pass" recommendation and with  attached fiscal note #1 by the                                                                   
Department  of Education  and  Early Development  and  Senate                                                                   
Letter of Intent.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
AT EASE        3:57:45 PM                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
RECONVENE      7:57:13 PM