03/23/2004 03:03 PM House HES

HB 405-SCHOOL PERFORMANCE DESIGNATION/REPORT                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0119                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 405, "An  Act relating  to reports on  school and                                                               
school district  performance; and  relating to  accountability of                                                               
public  schools  and  school  districts;  and  providing  for  an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 3:05 p.m. to 3:07 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 0195                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON announced for the  record that Representatives Gatto                                                               
and Seaton have joined the meeting.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 0202                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARL GATTO,  Alaska State  Legislature, testified                                                               
as  sponsor  of HB  405.    He  told  the members  that  [school]                                                               
designators are a way to  identify whether schools are doing well                                                               
or poorly.   Representative  Gatto explained  that there  are two                                                               
sets of  designators which  are different, one  set on  the state                                                               
level and one set on the  federal level.  This fact causes double                                                               
the  work  for   districts,  so  this  bill   changes  the  state                                                               
designators   to    comply   with   the    federal   designators.                                                               
Representative Gatto  told the  members that  the state  uses the                                                               
terms  distinguished,  successful,  deficient, or  in  crisis  as                                                               
designators,  while the  federal  designators are  distinguished,                                                               
proficient,    in    improvement,    corrective    action,    and                                                               
restructuring.  This  legislation would reduce the  burden on the                                                               
schools, he reiterated.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WILSON commented  that the  schools  would likely  welcome                                                               
this change.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO agreed.   He said that  the school districts                                                               
are supportive of this change.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0349                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  asked if the change  of designations would                                                               
in any way impact on going  tracking that has been conducted over                                                               
a period of time.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
LES  MORSE, Director,  Assessment and  Accountability, Department                                                               
of Education  and Early Development,  testified in support  of HB
  and answered  questions from  the members.   In  response to                                                               
Representative Seaton's  question, he  told the members  that the                                                               
change in  designators would have  no impact.  He  explained that                                                               
the  designator system  was to  come into  effect and  would have                                                               
first  been  required  this  fall.    Mr.  Morse  clarified  that                                                               
inconsistency problems associated  with two different designators                                                               
would occur if this legislation does not pass.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0451                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  moved to report CSHB  405(EDU), Version I,                                                               
out  of   committee  with  individual  recommendations   and  the                                                               
accompanying  fiscal  notes.   There  being  no  objection,  CSHB
(EDU),  Version  I,  was  reported   from  the  House  Health,                                                               
Education and Social Services Standing Committee.