04/25/2001 08:40 AM House EDU

HB 171-ALASKA HISTORY CURRICULUM                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE  announced that the  next order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO.  171, "An Act relating to a  curriculum for Alaska                                                               
history; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 1341                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE  stated that Representative Kapsner,  sponsor, had an                                                               
amendment she  would like to  offer.  He  made a motion  to adopt                                                               
Amendment 1, 22-LS0070\P.1, Ford, 4/21/01, which read:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, line 19:                                                                                                           
             Delete "school board"                                                                                              
             Insert "governing body"                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, following line 22:                                                                                                 
             Insert a new subsection to read:                                                                                   
                    "(b)  Notwithstanding (a) of this                                                                           
          section,    a    governing    body    may    waive                                                                    
          completion of the curriculum described under (a)                                                                      
          of this section as a requirement for graduation                                                                       
          for a student who transfers into the district                                                                         
          after  completion of the student's junior year or                                                                     
          for a student who receives special education                                                                          
          services."                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
          Reletter the following subsection accordingly.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, line 26:                                                                                                           
             Delete "."                                                                                                         
     Insert ";                                                                                                                  
                    (3)  "special education" has the                                                                            
     meaning given in AS 14.30.350."                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE objected to allow  Representative Kapsner to speak to                                                               
the amendment.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MARY  KAPSNER,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  came                                                               
forth as  sponsor of HB 171.   She stated that  individual school                                                               
districts can choose that [the  Alaska history class] be a stand-                                                               
alone class  or be integrated  into current curricula.   She said                                                               
she thinks this is one of  the things that makes school districts                                                               
most comfortable  with the bill.   She added that  the Department                                                               
of  Education   and  Early  Development   (EED)  has   been  very                                                               
cooperative in creating "modulars."                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAPSNER  explained that  the first portion  of her                                                               
amendment deletes "school board" on  page 3, line 19, and inserts                                                               
"governing  body".   She  said  it  was  unclear to  some  people                                                               
whether school  board meant  regional school  board or  the state                                                               
school  board; inserting  "governing body"  clarifies that  it is                                                               
the local school board.  She  explained that on page 3, following                                                               
line 22, a [new sub section  (6)] will be inserted:  Finally, she                                                               
said, "special education" will be defined in statute.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Number 1457                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BUNDE  asked  why   special-education  students  would  be                                                               
excluded from taking Alaska history.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAPSNER   responded  that  the  intent   of  this                                                               
language is for  the school district to determine  who can finish                                                               
the course and who may not be able  to.   She stated that the EED                                                               
thought  that different  school  districts  would have  different                                                               
standards, and  since this would  be a requirement, she  said she                                                               
didn't want  some special-education  students not  to be  able to                                                               
graduate because they couldn't finish this course.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BUNDE stated  that a  "regular" student  who did  not pass                                                               
this course  would be denied a  diploma, but a person  who had an                                                               
IEP (Individual  Education Plan) would basically  be guaranteed a                                                               
diploma.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAPSNER  replied that it  is at the  discretion of                                                               
the local school district.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Number 1579                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
A roll  call vote  was taken.   Representatives  Wilson, Stevens,                                                               
Joule, and  Guess voted for  Amendment 1.   Representatives Green                                                               
and Bunde voted  against it.  (Representative  Porter was absent)                                                               
Therefore, Amendment 1 was adopted by a vote of 4-2.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Number 1600                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STEVENS  moved to report  HB 171, as  amended, out                                                               
of   committee   with    individual   recommendations   and   the                                                               
accompanying fiscal notes.    He commented that there  is so much                                                               
misunderstanding about  Alaska's history  among students,  but he                                                               
knows  of districts  that do  attempt to  include the  curriculum                                                               
from kindergarten through  12th grade.   He added  that there was                                                               
a  discussion during  the last  hearing about  how many  teachers                                                               
that  come  to  [Alaska's]  schools without  training  in  Alaska                                                               
history are required  to study it.  Therefore, he  said he thinks                                                               
there is a tremendous amount of knowledge [among educators].                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BUNDE  announced  that  there  being  no  objection,  CSHB
(EDU)  was   moved  from  the   House  Special   Committee  on                                                               
Education.