Legislature(2021 - 2022)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

03/30/2021 03:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ SB 72 SEC. SCHOOL CIVICS EDUCATION TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+= SB 17 ENERGY EFFICIENCY & POLICY: PUB. BLDGS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
               SB 72-SEC. SCHOOL CIVICS EDUCATION                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:32:28 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HUGHES announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 72                                                                  
"An Act  relating to civics  education, civics  examinations, and                                                               
secondary school  graduation requirements;  and providing  for an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
[CSSB 72(EDC) was before the committee.]                                                                                        
3:32:39 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GARY  STEVENS, Alaska State Legislature,  Juneau, Alaska,                                                               
sponsor of  SB 72, said the  bill is important to  him because he                                                               
realizes  when  free  public  education  started  in  the  United                                                               
States,  one  of the  reasons  for  education  was to  develop  a                                                               
citizenry  so  that  people  going   into  schools  would  become                                                               
citizens,  learn  what it  means  to  become  a citizen  in  this                                                               
country,  and  to  participate  in  votinga   means  of  being  a                                                               
citizencertainly, what everyone is doing in the capitol.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
He explained the bill is a  recognition that there has been a lot                                                               
of apathy in  the vision in this country. A  lot of focusrightly                                                                
so in many waysis  on mass science  sort of at the expense of the                                                               
liberal  arts  in terms  of  history,  politics, and  law.  Other                                                               
states have  been looking into  [civics education], so  Alaska is                                                               
not the only one.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS  said  developing  a curriculum  with  exams  in                                                               
civics is  important. The curriculum  should include  things like                                                               
flag etiquette  and all those sorts  of things to make  sure that                                                               
people are  more involved  in the  government, register  to vote,                                                               
and  they take  leadership positions  like committee  members are                                                               
doing.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
He  explained   that  SB   72  is  one   effort  to   restore  an                                                               
understanding of  what it means  to be an American  citizen among                                                               
our youngest  generations and to  teach them about what  it means                                                               
to be in  the system of government that the  country has. He said                                                               
to reverse  the noted [civics  apathy] trend, he thinks  the bill                                                               
importantly makes an  investment in the future of  our country as                                                               
well as recognizes the cultural diversity of Alaska.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
He  detailed  the  bill  includes  an exit  exam  on  civics  for                                                               
graduating seniors, not necessarily a need  to pass it in a high-                                                               
stakes  exam, but  students  are  subject to  take  it. The  bill                                                               
directs the Alaska Department of  Education and Early Development                                                               
(DEED)who   has  been  quite cooperative  in  the  legislationto                                                                
develop  a unique  Alaskan civics  and curriculum  assessment. An                                                               
important  part of  the bill  is to  recognize the  importance of                                                               
including Alaska Native tribal government system as well.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:35:07 PM                                                                                                                    
TIM   LAMKIN,  Staff,   Senator   Gary   Stevens,  Alaska   State                                                               
Legislature,  Juneau,  Alaska,  explained  the  bill  before  the                                                               
committee had  quite an  evolution. There have  been a  number of                                                               
task forces over the years that  have come forward with a variety                                                               
of recommendations, one of them  consistently being to review and                                                               
update the State's  standards and even to  develop curriculum for                                                               
the state, and that is what SB 72 reflects.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  LAMKIN  said  version  I  that came  out  of  the  Education                                                               
Committee  steps away  from the  high-stakes naturalization  test                                                               
administered  by the  U.S. Department  of  Homeland Security  and                                                               
instead embraces the  idea of the state  developing an assessment                                                               
that would be administered through DEED.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
He noted another important component  of SB 72 would recognize to                                                               
include  not  only  traditional  American  and  state  government                                                               
studies, but  very importantly, Alaskan Native  tribal government                                                               
systemsinvited  testifiers are  available to specifically address                                                               
that.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HUGHES asked for the sectional analysis for SB 72.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:36:37 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. LAMKIN  paraphrased the following  sectional analysis  for SB
72:                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1                                                                                                                
     AS 14.03.076  relates to public  schools, adding  a new                                                                    
     section  directing the  State  Board  of Education  and                                                                    
     Early  Development  to  develop the  curriculum  and  a                                                                    
     related  assessment aligned  with  our state  standards                                                                    
     regarding  government and  citizenship to  include U.S.                                                                    
     federal  government,   Alaska  state   government,  and                                                                    
     Alaska   Tribal  government;   and  that   it  requires                                                                    
     students to  take the  assessment established  there in                                                                    
     order  to receive  a high  school  diploma. Of  course,                                                                    
     there would  be some  exceptions available  as detailed                                                                    
     in  the  bill  for  students with  special  needs,  but                                                                    
     schools  are to  document on  student transcripts  that                                                                    
     they have  taken the exam;  in this case,  we purposely                                                                    
     did not include  a requirement that they  pass the exam                                                                    
     per se, but that they simply take it.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Section 2                                                                                                                
     AS  14.07.168  relates  to  reporting  requirements  by                                                                    
     State Board,  and to include  in their annual  report a                                                                    
     description   of  that   civics  curriculum   that  was                                                                    
     developed  and  of  the   student  performance  on  the                                                                    
     assessment that was described.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Section 3                                                                                                                
       There is an effective date in Section 3 of July 1,                                                                       
     2022.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:37:58 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:38:08 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  HUGHES  reconvened  the  meeting  and  turned  to  invited                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:38:37 PM                                                                                                                    
DR.   MICHAEL  JOHNSON,   Commissioner,   Alaska  Department   of                                                               
Education,  Juneau, Alaska,  testified in  support of  SB 72.  He                                                               
thanked Senator Stevens, saying he  has not waivered for years in                                                               
making sure public education in  Alaska is built upon the purpose                                                               
of  civics education.  He  added everyone  can  regret that  more                                                               
policymakers  in the  country have  not  shared Senator  Stevens'                                                               
efforts.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
He said civics education is not  a new innovation, it is timeless                                                               
wisdom that  the country  has somehow  forgotten. He  noted Plato                                                               
said the following:                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Schools  should  create  good men  and  women  who  act                                                                    
     nobly. If  we have an  education system that  does less                                                                    
     than  that, all  our other  efforts for  life, liberty,                                                                    
     and the pursuit of happiness will be thwarted.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON  referenced a study from  the Woodrow Wilson                                                               
National Fellowship Foundation as follows:                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
   • Only 36 percent of Americans passed a multiple-choice U.S.                                                                 
     citizens test                                                                                                              
   • Less than 25 percent know why the United States fought the                                                                 
     British                                                                                                                    
   • Only 24 percent can name a single thing that Benjamin                                                                      
     Franklin was famous for                                                                                                    
        o 37 percent think he invented the lightbulbhe did not                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER  JOHNSON stated  the proof  that Senator  Stevens is                                                               
right to introduce SB 72 is noted in the study as follows:                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
   • 74 percent of people 65 and older scored the bestanswering                                                                 
     at least 6 out of 10 questions correctly                                                                                   
   • Only 19 [percent] of those 45 and younger passed                                                                           
        o That is 81 percent scoring 59 percent or lower on that                                                                
          particular exam                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER  JOHNSON said  although  he does  not have  specific                                                               
data, he is  confident that everyone would be alarmed  by how few                                                               
Alaskan citizens  understand Alaska Native history  and layers of                                                               
tribal governance.  The presentation in the  House Tribal Affairs                                                               
Committee  on  March 4,  2021  is  a  great example  what  Alaska                                                               
specific  civics education  could look  like viapresentation   by                                                               
the First Alaskans Institute.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:41:10 PM                                                                                                                    
He stated SB 72  is not a new coat of paint  on the Alaska public                                                               
education system, the bill is  a much-needed effort to repair the                                                               
foundation.  Civics  education  is  about purpose  and  a  public                                                               
education  system  without  clear   purpose  is  more  expensive,                                                               
ineffective,  and corrosive  to the  country's society.  A public                                                               
education system with purpose is  more efficient, more effective,                                                               
and improves the country's society.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
He explained  the legislature's  purpose statement  for education                                                               
in AS 14.03.015 is clear. It says:                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     It  is the  policy of  this state  that the  purpose of                                                                    
     education  is to  help ensure  that  all students  will                                                                    
     succeed in  their education and work,  shape worthwhile                                                                    
     and  satisfying  lives  for themselves,  exemplify  the                                                                    
     best values  of society, and be  effective in improving                                                                    
     the character and quality of the world about them.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON said  the statute is a  great description of                                                               
the outcome of  an education purposed with civicsit   is also the                                                               
vision  statement for  the  State Board  of  Education and  Early                                                               
Development  (State  Board).  Alaska   spends  over  160  billion                                                               
pennies  each  year on  its  public  education system  and  every                                                               
single penny should have a purpose related to civics education.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
He noted  during the  previous several months  his fear  has been                                                               
that  the State  will  lower  the bar  and  settle  for less.  Of                                                               
course,  everyone wants  schools to  be open,  but he  hopes that                                                               
that  is not  the  new benchmark  for the  state.  Open is  good,                                                               
purposeful,  and  effective  is  essential,  and  at  times  more                                                               
difficult.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON  noted a few  months after giving  his going                                                               
to  the Moon  speech,  John Kennedy  addressed  a growing  public                                                               
questioning of why the country should  spend all that money to go                                                               
to the moon. The President said in a speech later that year:                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     We choose  to go to the  moon in this decade  and other                                                                    
     things not because they are  easy, but because they are                                                                    
     hard,  because that  goal will  serve  to organize  and                                                                    
     measure the best of our energies and skills.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON  explained going to  the moon was  not about                                                               
improving  the  moon, it  was  about  making America  better.  He                                                               
added:                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Let's not storm the capitol,  let's teach kids to read.                                                                    
     Let's inspire  them to  run for  school board,  run for                                                                    
     mayor,  and even  run for  the legislature.  Let's show                                                                    
     them how to work together  to create good policy. Let's                                                                    
     teach them how  to value liberty and never  take it for                                                                    
     granted.  Let's  show  them  how  to  embrace  what  is                                                                    
     difficult because it makes us  better and makes us more                                                                    
     thankful.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER  JOHNSON concluded  his comments  with a  quote from                                                               
President Kennedy's original Go to the Moon speech:                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     For while we cannot guarantee  that we shall one day be                                                                    
     first, we can  guarantee that any failure  to make this                                                                    
     effort will make us last.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:44:22 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MYERS commented he was  intrigued with the bill at first,                                                               
noting  constituency support.  However,  he  felt dismayed  after                                                               
reviewing the committee  substitute (CS) for SB 72.  It took what                                                               
was a straight  forward, concrete proposition and  turned it into                                                               
something a bit more amorphous.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
He noted Commissioner Johnson talked  about the education and how                                                               
it should  connect to society  values and purpose;  however, some                                                               
of the changes in bill lost  those values and purpose. Instead of                                                               
talking about an  exam that simply examined  the understanding of                                                               
government that  we expect out  of people coming to  our country,                                                               
the  legislation now  has  a curriculum  and  an assessment  that                                                               
includes  government  citizenship  and a  history  of  government                                                               
systems in the United States.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MYERS  argued one of  the problems the country  is having                                                               
these days  is not  just that  we have  not educated  children on                                                               
government  and citizenship,  but that  we do  not agree  on what                                                               
that means anymore,  what the purpose of government  is, and what                                                               
does it mean  to be a good  citizenover  the last 40  or 50 years                                                               
those have changed.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  MYERS  said  the  CS  makes him  hesitant  to  agree  to                                                               
teaching a set of  values when he does not know  what that set of                                                               
values is.  He asked Commissioner  Johnson if DEED  could provide                                                               
an  idea of  direction  that they  want to  go  in creating  that                                                               
curriculum.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:46:46 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON replied  the bill sponsor is  best to answer                                                               
some of  his question  on changes.  However, the  department will                                                               
not be  the only one  creating the standards and  curriculum. The                                                               
State Board  has laid out  a process that  involves stakeholders,                                                               
communities, and  educators in developing  any kind  of standards                                                               
and curriculum to  make sure it is representative,  that there is                                                               
a public process,  and there is opportunity for  public input and                                                               
comment on anything the State Board adopts.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
He added fundamental to purpose is  also fact and his hope is the                                                               
curriculum,  and the  standard includes  facts and  history about                                                               
the United States, including the unique history of Alaska.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:48:08 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEVENS  commented he  is not  exactly sure  what Senator                                                               
Myers is  getting at. The bill  is about politics, but  it is not                                                               
political. He  said he  does not  think there  is any  attempt to                                                               
teach anyone about being a  Republican or Democrat, the intent is                                                               
to understand  what it means  to be  an American citizen  and the                                                               
commissioner has a  great grasp of that. The State  is doing this                                                               
really well in some places,  noting there are government teachers                                                               
he has  met throughout Alaska who  are doing a tremendous  job in                                                               
educating  their  kids  and  what  it means  to  be  an  American                                                               
citizen, what  our history  is all about,  and the  importance of                                                               
voting and participating.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
He noteda   little off the  topiche  was a  different generation,                                                               
and he could  not vote until he was 21.  That was the requirement                                                               
in Alaska  and the  United States,  and he voted  when he  was in                                                               
college. The  ability to vote  meant so  much to him,  he studied                                                               
it, he learned about it, and he  knew what was going on from high                                                               
school classes.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS stated  there are some great  teachers out there,                                                               
he  had some  great  teachers  when he  went  through school  who                                                               
really made  students proud  to be an  American citizen,  and not                                                               
about party politics  and the issues that  legislators deal with,                                                               
but rather the bigger picture of what it means to be a citizen.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS said  he is  not sure  what Senator  Myers means                                                               
about values, but he thinks  the value of citizenship rises above                                                               
all the other issues.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  HUGHES thanked  Commissioner  Johnson  for his  passionate                                                               
presentation and asked that he provide his comments in writing.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:50:35 PM                                                                                                                    
LA  QUEN  N?AY  LIZ  MEDICINE  CROW,  President  and  CEO,  First                                                               
Alaskans Institute, Kake, Alaska, testified  in support of SB 72.                                                               
She thanked  Senator Stevens and  the committee for  inviting the                                                               
First Alaskans Institute  (FAI) to share a few words  about SB 72                                                               
and about  the potential  that FAI sees  in the  legislation. She                                                               
stated she was  happy to see the CS containing  a simple sentence                                                               
to include within civics education  the tribal government systems                                                               
as well; to that point is what she really wants to speak to.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
She  noted  she is  a  product  of  the Alaska  public  education                                                               
system, attending school  in Kake and Juneau.  When preparing for                                                               
her testimony  she tried to recall  at any time when  her schools                                                               
ever  mentioned anything  relevant to  her as  a Tribal  citizen.                                                               
However,  her  connection to  her  Tribe  is strong  through  her                                                               
family  and  community,  she  is   an  enrolled  citizen  of  the                                                               
Organized  Village of  Kake, and  her family  and many  community                                                               
members  have  been  involved  in   ensuring  that  their  tribal                                                               
government is strong and taking care of its citizens in Kake.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
She said  she has  been able  to watch and  learn very  much from                                                               
what it means  to be someone who cares about  their community and                                                               
who  steps forward  to serve  and take  care of  the things  that                                                               
communities need to be addressed.  However, not once did she ever                                                               
have to  opportunity to  learn about  the sovereignty,  about her                                                               
tribal  government, what  a  tribal government  was,  how it  was                                                               
different from  state government,  how state  government, federal                                                               
government,   and  tribal   governments   are  three   sovereigns                                                               
operating  in   present  day   Alaska.  There   was  a   void  of                                                               
understanding  the critical  role of  tribal governments  and the                                                               
wellbeing of all of Alaska.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. MEDICINE CROW stated what  she really appreciates about SB 72                                                               
is that  the bill is saying,  "We will no longer  erase one third                                                               
of that sovereignty picture that we  have in Alaska, that when we                                                               
talk about what it means to be  a citizen." She said too often in                                                               
Alaska's  history  the  divisiveness and  the  racial  inequities                                                               
between Alaska Native peoples and  those who now call Alaska home                                                               
have  allowed us  to  blindside  our own  best  interests in  the                                                               
education that our children receive.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:54:02 PM                                                                                                                    
She noted FAI provides an  Alaska Native governance and protocols                                                               
training. Legislatorsas   elected officialsare   making decisions                                                               
everyday about the wellbeing of  Alaskans, but she questioned how                                                               
legislators could  make those decisions  with the  best available                                                               
information  if legislators  never had  a chance  to learn  about                                                               
tribal governments.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
She  detailed there  are  229 tribal  governments  in Alaska  and                                                               
those 229  tribal governments have  created an  incredible Alaska                                                               
Tribal  Health  Care  System, which  she  believes  all  Alaskans                                                               
probably know of better today  then they did before COVID-19. The                                                               
Tribal Health  Care System  has exemplified  the power  of tribal                                                               
governance and  about what can  happen when people are  in charge                                                               
of  their own  destiny, which  is  essentially the  same kind  of                                                               
story Alaskans put forward in their pursuit to become a state.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
She said there  should not be a tension between  tribal and state                                                               
governments in Alaska. There should  be an opportunity for people                                                               
to  understand that  "one,  plus one,  plus  one, equals  three."                                                               
Three chances for  children in Alaska to know more,  to be better                                                               
citizens, to  understand what  it means  when somebody  says they                                                               
are  a  tribal citizen  and  understand  where that  relationship                                                               
comes from and how long it has been in Alaska.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
She pointed  out the  federally recognized  tribes in  Alaska are                                                               
modern  manifestations of  the indigenous  people in  Alaska that                                                               
long predates  the United  States and the  State of  Alaska. That                                                               
inherent  sovereignty that  the  tribal governments  have is  not                                                               
dissimilaralthough   it  is   differentfrom   state  and  federal                                                               
sovereignty.  She asked  committee members  to imagine  the power                                                               
the children  of Alaska  will have if  they can  understand those                                                               
three concepts,  know how to  make informed decisions,  and build                                                               
relationships because of it.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  MEDICINE  CROW   remarked  Alaska  has  yet   to  have  that                                                               
opportunity  and   has  stifled   its  own  development   by  not                                                               
previously including [the three  concepts]. The legislation is an                                                               
opportunity to change that and  the trajectory of where the state                                                               
goes. She said she  cannot imagine what it would be  like to be a                                                               
child learning about these things,  inquiring about these things,                                                               
learning   how   to    critique   these   things,   understanding                                                               
responsibility the legislature  has to themit  is  not just about                                                               
the  benefits that  state  citizens receive,  it  also about  the                                                               
responsibilities.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS. MEDICINE  CROW stated the  same applies to the  Alaska tribal                                                               
governments  and  the  federal government.  By  including  Alaska                                                               
Native  tribal  governance within  the  civics  education of  the                                                               
public education students, she explained the following:                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     I  believe  that we  will  also  make some  really  big                                                                    
     shifts in some of the  racial dynamics that have played                                                                    
     too long  a part  and strangled  the growth  of Alaska,                                                                    
     because our history is imbedded  in the civics and when                                                                    
     you have a better understanding  of history, you have a                                                                    
     better  understanding  of   your  responsibility  as  a                                                                    
     citizen.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
She said  that is why she  wanted to testify today,  and to thank                                                               
Senator Stevens and the cosponsors for SB 72.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:57:41 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HUGHES thanked Ms. Medicine  Crow. She added she personally                                                               
needs  an  education  in tribal  governments  and  suggested  the                                                               
committee  invite   her  back  for   a  presentation   to  better                                                               
understand tribal governments.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
She asked her  if she would be working  with Commissioner Johnson                                                               
to help  the department as  they develop the  [tribal government]                                                               
curriculum.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. MEDICINE  CROW answered yes.  She added Alaska  Native elders                                                               
and ancestors have already created  cultural standards for Native                                                               
education so  there is a  good foundation and framework  to build                                                               
from.  FAI  is ready  to  stand  behind Commissioner  Johnson  to                                                               
create a  robust curriculum and  assessment that  reflects Native                                                               
people and its tribal governance.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:59:02 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  HUGHES commented  that tribal  governance is  an important                                                               
area of  focus and  responsibility for  the Senate  Community and                                                               
Regional Affairs Committee.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON thanked Ms.  Medicine Crow for her inspiring                                                               
presentation. She concurred  with Chair Hughes on  the benefit of                                                               
a tribal  governance presentation,  hopefully during  the current                                                               
legislative session.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:00:08 PM                                                                                                                    
JENNIFER  KNUTSON,  Senior  Director of  Teaching  and  Learning,                                                               
Anchorage  School  District,   Anchorage,  Alaska,  testified  in                                                               
support of  SB 72.  She thanked  the previous  testifiers because                                                               
she  is  excited  about  what they  said.  The  Anchorage  School                                                               
District (ASD) is happy that civics is  a focus of SB 72. ASD has                                                               
been  embedding  civics  into  its  social  studies  and  history                                                               
courses in grades 6-12 in  alignment with standards. However, the                                                               
bill provides  an opportunity for  the district to work  with the                                                               
State and  [Alaska Native] tribal  groups to  review, strengthen,                                                               
and focus its curriculum and instruction.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
She said  she was excited  about the discussion  on strengthening                                                               
the understanding  of Alaska  Native governance.  ASD has  had an                                                               
opportunity to  develop its Alaska  studies curriculum  for third                                                               
grade  by partnering  with elders  and cultural  consultants. The                                                               
recently completed studies provided the  students with a rich and                                                               
highly accurate curriculum  that allowed them to  learn about the                                                               
place  where they  live. The  curriculum touched  on some  of the                                                               
government  pieces via  partnering with  cultural consultants,  a                                                               
big  strength that  benefited  the district.  She  stated she  is                                                               
excited about the possibilities from  the bill for the ASD civics                                                               
instruction.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  KNUTSON explained  students  will benefit  from a  statewide                                                               
curriculum by ensuring they have  the needed skills and knowledge                                                               
for meaningful  participation in  public life as  strong citizens                                                               
in  today's  world.  The  curriculum  will  also  help  districts                                                               
reflect on  what they are  doing to potentially  strengthen their                                                               
current social studies and history course.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
She referenced the assessment component  of the bill and said ASD                                                               
is   pleased   with   the   adjustments,   including   assessment                                                               
development in  conjunction with  the curriculum.  The assessment                                                               
will provide  feedback not  only for how  students are  doing and                                                               
what their  skills are,  but teachers,  districts, and  the State                                                               
will receive  feedback about the students'  knowledge and skills.                                                               
The  assessment   feedback  allows  for   continuous  instruction                                                               
adjustments  to ensure  students  are  growing and  demonstrating                                                               
their skills to be successful in life.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. KNUTSON  said ASD  appreciates the  student civics  test will                                                               
show up  on their  transcripts. ASD has  a formal  assessment for                                                               
its students  who are doing World  Languages to obtain a  Seal of                                                               
Biliteracy and  that shows up on  their transcriptsan  attractive                                                               
recognition to  colleges and businesses.  ASD thinks  that having                                                               
the  civics  assessment  information on  their  transcripts  will                                                               
reflect  their  good  citizenship knowledge  for  application  in                                                               
their post K-12 educationa  similar  transcription benefit to the                                                               
Seal of Biliteracy.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:04:28 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. KNUTSON summarized  ASD finds a lot of  positive aspects with                                                               
the bill  and appreciates the  work that  has gone into  the team                                                               
that  has   improved  the  legislation.  ASD   looks  forward  to                                                               
partnering   with   the   State  and   [Alaska   Native]   tribal                                                               
organizations on  the curriculum  and assessment  components, and                                                               
ensuring that  they are  high quality,  rigorous, and  aligned to                                                               
the assessment.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HUGHES asked if the  World Language assessment that appears                                                               
on  student   transcripts  indicates  the  score   that  students                                                               
received.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS.  KNUTSON  answered  no.  She   explained  students  take  the                                                               
assessment (there is criteria to  receive the Seal of Biliteracy,                                                               
like  grade  point  average) but  the  transcript  indicates  the                                                               
student passed the assessment.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:05:40 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HUGHES asked  her to confirm that  the transcript indicates                                                               
that the student passed the assessment.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. KNUTSON answered yes.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  HUGHES noted  the Senate  Education  Committee had  policy                                                               
discussions  regarding  SB  72  and  changes  were  made  by  the                                                               
committee,  but members  knew the  Senate Community  and Regional                                                               
Affairs Standing  Committee would hear  the bill next to  do some                                                               
further work.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
She  said  she  shares  the  same  concerns  that  Senator  Myers                                                               
expressed, but  she wants to work  with the bill sponsor.  One of                                                               
her concerns  is if  the legislature  tasks teachers  to instruct                                                               
the  students  in  the  civics   material,  will  the  curriculum                                                               
motivate  and engage  students when  they know  that it  does not                                                               
matter whether  they pass  or fail.  She suggested  requiring the                                                               
assessment score  appear on the  transcript so the  student knows                                                               
they would  carry the score  with them, and they  would hopefully                                                               
want to get a passing score on their transcript.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HUGHES  explained she knows there  are concerns, especially                                                               
when getting  something up  and running.  The committee  does not                                                               
want high  school seniors  to initially  not graduate  because of                                                               
the    assessment.   She    noted    receiving   feedback    from                                                               
superintendents  regarding "unfunded  mandates." Many  districts                                                                
including ASDare   already doing civics. Aligning  with what DEED                                                               
might produce assures  that a district covers all  their bases so                                                               
students could do well in their assessments.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HUGHES  raised the question  of moving towards  a pass/fail                                                               
assessment  and   asked  Ms.  Knutson  what   she  thought  about                                                               
initially  including the  score on  the transcript  but with  the                                                               
goal  over  several  years  of  requiring  the  student  pass  to                                                               
graduate.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:08:02 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. KNUTSON recommended focusing first  on the curriculum that is                                                               
engaging and allows students to  practice what they have learned                                                                
where they  are not memorizing everything.  The curriculum should                                                               
allow students  to make connections  between the  different parts                                                               
of  government  and  what  that   means  to  be  a  citizen.  The                                                               
assessment should align to the  curriculum for measuring what the                                                               
district  is  teaching   the  students.  Having  a   score  on  a                                                               
transcript is  not necessarily  going to  be a  motivating factor                                                               
for how well a student does or how much they know civics.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  HUGHES   noted  an  assessment  actually   can  include  a                                                               
portfolio  that  shows  activities   and  engagement,  perhaps  a                                                               
student showing up at a city council meeting.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
She said  she is  "kind of  shocked" that  Ms. Knutson  would say                                                               
that  a student's  grade might  not motivate  them. Students  are                                                               
motivated  to  get good  gradessome   students  are notbut   most                                                               
students do  not want to fail  their course work and  recording a                                                               
score would motivate them.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HUGHES asked  Ms. Knutson if she is sure  that she wants to                                                               
stick to  her statement that  posting a score would  not motivate                                                               
students.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:10:08 PM                                                                                                                    
MS.  KNUTSON agreed  that there  are a  lot of  students who  are                                                               
intrinsically motivated by having good  grades and seeing that on                                                               
their  transcripts. However,  she would  like to  see assessments                                                               
linked to  the instruction  so that students  see the  outcome of                                                               
what they are learning.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
She  said she  appreciates what  Chair Hughes  said about  having                                                               
different  means of  assessing students  where they  are able  to                                                               
demonstrate that they are learning as opposed to a fill-in-the-                                                                 
blank assessment.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HUGHES asked Senator Stevens if  he had any comments as the                                                               
bill sponsor.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS stated  he appreciates  the  testimony from  the                                                               
three  individuals. He  noted  Ms. Medicine  Crow  used the  word                                                               
"responsibility," a  word he  will say in  the future  because he                                                               
thinks it is  the responsibility being a citizen to  know what is                                                               
going on, to vote, and to participate.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
He noted he stated earlier that  there are a lot of good teachers                                                               
out there  and a lot of  school districts are doing  a great job,                                                               
but  not everyone  is,  and some  are  not doing  it  at all.  He                                                               
remarked  that  starting  the  instruction   must  be  with  good                                                               
curriculum.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
He  added that  one thing  not addressed  is the  requirement for                                                               
DEED  to  provide  an  annual  report to  the  House  and  Senate                                                               
education committees, so the legislature  knows what is going on.                                                               
He  said  in  time  the  legislature  might  want  to  make  more                                                               
restrictionslike  posting the scorebut  he  is not sure posting a                                                               
score is the right way to start.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS  remarked  that  a   lot  of  citizens  are  not                                                               
motivated  and a  lot could  not pass  the immigration  test, but                                                               
passing a  test is  not required  if anybody  wants to  vote. The                                                               
[proposed civics  instruction] begins an improvement  of students                                                               
in Alaska to help them  become more knowledgeable; that report is                                                               
very important and having that  on the transcript is important as                                                               
well.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:12:52 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HUGHES  asked the  sponsor if  there was  a list  of school                                                               
districts  that are  or are  not offering  [civics], and  at what                                                               
grade level. She  noted someone shared that in  her community the                                                               
Alaska Native  Studies instruction  occurs in the  freshman year,                                                               
but government civics  is as a senior where  taking an assessment                                                               
might be a problem due to the four-year difference.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS replied there is  not a lot of consistency across                                                               
the state  and the  legislation might  bring some  consistency to                                                               
the [civics instruction].                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
He asked Mr.  Lamkin to comment on what the  school districts are                                                               
doing.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:13:54 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. LAMKIN  noted he was alerted  to the question and  during the                                                               
last 24 hours  he has carefully reviewed the websites  for all 54                                                               
school districts.  He said at this  time he has not  been able to                                                               
drill deeply, but  at the surface there are  three districts that                                                               
specifically reference  "civics," "Inupiaq Studies"  in Northwest                                                               
Arctic,  or   "Native  History"   in  the   Yukon-Koyukuk  School                                                               
District.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
He detailed  there is  a lot of  civics-type activity  out there,                                                               
typically referenced  as "social  studies" which  includes United                                                               
States history, world history,  United States government, current                                                               
events,  economics, and  the statutory  requirement of  a half  a                                                               
credit for a semester in Alaska  studies. That data is out there,                                                               
but  there  is  quite  a  diverse and  colorful  variety  of  the                                                               
districts' approaches  to thata  part of  local controlbut  there                                                               
is  no   clearinghouse  or  central   location  to   receive  the                                                               
curriculum or  certainlyto  his knowledgenot  an  assessment that                                                               
is on civics or government in order to graduate.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  LAMKIN  noted  there  are  end-of-course  exams  that  would                                                               
contribute to a  grade. With Alaska studies, there  is the simple                                                               
fact that they have to take the exams.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:15:25 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HUGHES thanked him for his  time and effort to try to tease                                                               
out the  information. She  asked if  he gets  further information                                                               
and drills  down any further to  let the committee know  when the                                                               
committee brings the bill back up.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
She  asked if  some  of  the districts  require  the courses  for                                                               
graduation.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  LAMKIN  answered  that  state  law  requires  each  district                                                               
requires  students to  complete  three years  of social  studies.                                                               
Students  may  choose  between subjects  such  as  United  States                                                               
history,  United States  government,  current  events, and  world                                                               
history but they must take half credit in Alaska studies.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:16:24 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  HUGHES  recognized  that Senator  Wilson  had  joined  the                                                               
committee meeting.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
She  said because  the  committee  did not  focus  on the  tribal                                                               
government  piece  in  the   [Senate  Education  Committee],  the                                                               
committee will  address tribal government. She  suggested offline                                                               
or committee  meeting discussions  with rural  superintendents to                                                               
provide  input,  an  important  part  the  committee  should  not                                                               
neglect.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:17:04 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HUGHES held SB 72 in committee.                                                                                           

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB 72 v. I Sectional Analysis.pdf SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM
SB 72
SB 72 v. I Supporting Document-Civics Research AK-Gov Citizenship Standards 2006.pdf SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM
SB 72
SB 72 Sponsor Statement Feb 2021.pdf SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM
SFIN 2/1/2022 1:00:00 PM
SB 72
SB 72 Summary of Changes Version A to I.pdf SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM
SFIN 2/1/2022 1:00:00 PM
SB 72
SB 17 v. B Summary of Changes 3.26.2021.pdf SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM
SB 17
SB 17 v. B Legislation.pdf SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM
SB 17
SB 72 v. I Legislation.PDF SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM
SB 72
SB 72 Fiscal Note DEED 3.19.21.pdf SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM
SB 72