Legislature(2011 - 2012)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/27/2012 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB6 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 6 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 6-PREKINDERGARTEN SCHOOL PROGRAMS/PLANS
8:05:03 AM
CO-CHAIR THOMAS announced the consideration of SB 6. He said SB
6 was heard last year along with several presentations on the
importance of early childhood education and the economic value
of Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) programs. He said many of the major
Alaskan organizations involved in early childhood education
provided information; Best Beginnings, Alaska Head Start and
Rural Alaska Community Action Program, Inc. He said the
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) presented
an update on their Pilot Pre-K Project. He noted that Senator
French led a group of legislative aides to Allakaket and Mento
to see their Pre-K programs in action. He said there was also a
statewide council on early childhood education that initiated
meetings in May, 2011 and was scheduled to present a final
report in June, 2012.
He asked for a motion to adopt the proposed committee substitute
(CS) for SB 6.
8:06:21 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER moved to adopt the CS for SB 6, labeled 27-
LS0058\I, as the working document.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS objected for the purposes of discussion.
8:06:43 AM
THOMAS OBERMEYER, Staff to Senator Bettye Davis, Alaska State
Legislature, sponsor of SB 6, said the CS would change the age
for a student enrolled in a public Pre-K program from four and
five years of age to four years of age. He said the CS would
provide for the inclusion of Pre-K students in the student count
without providing for an exception for the first year of the
program in order to allow for an estimated count. He said the CS
would change the inclusion from part-time student to not more
than half-time student. He noted that the change was significant
because it would potentially cut the fiscal note in half.
SENATOR STEVENS asked why the fiscal note was cut in half.
MR. OBERMEYER answered that the original bill counted Pre-K
students as full-time rather than half-time.
8:09:03 AM
SENATOR DAVIS said Alaska should have a statewide Pre-K program.
She noted the proven benefits from other states and emphasized
the importance of a Pre-K program.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked if there were any substantial changes in
the bill from the CS.
SENATOR DAVIS replied that the changes were noted by Mr.
Obermeyer.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked if the changes noted by Mr. Obermeyer were
the only ones.
SENATOR DAVIS answered yes.
MR. OBERMEYER said the Pre-K program would be optional to school
districts and DEED would be obliged to provide funding if a
district elected to participate. He noted that parental
participation would not be mandatory.
8:11:43 AM
SENATOR FRENCH joined the meeting.
SENATOR DAVIS noted that Pre-K would be similar to kindergarten
as an optional enrollment program. She said parents had a better
understanding that early education prepared children for first
grade. She said the state could not go wrong by initiating a
statewide Pre-K program and noted that nothing would be taken
away from other programs.
SENATOR FRENCH said he would go over some of the results from
the Alaska Pilot Pre-Kindergarten Project (AP3) Year Two Report.
He said the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) provided
information on vocabulary and receptive language development
from age 2 years 6 months, to age 7 years and 4 months. He said
PPVT was an English language assessment that was used with large
numbers of early childhood settings for many years and was known
for its correlation to later school success. He said PPVT
allowed for national comparison and for growth model use in a
pre and post methodology.
8:15:06 AM
SENATOR FRENCH said PPTV measured different aspects of learning
and boiled down to how much children were growing in relation to
normal growth patterns. He said 78 percent of AP3 students had
shown more than expected growth.
He said the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of
Learning Third Edition (DIAL-3) was a separate set of tests for
screening cognitive developmental delays in children who were
ages 3 years to 6 years 11 months. He said DIAL-3 had three
subtests that measured motor, concept and language skills. He
said fall versus spring results for the total score percentages
increased from 12 percent to 41 percent for the top quartile and
decreased from 47 percent to 24 percent for the bottom quartile.
He said the AP3 program was pushing kids up the ladder and
worked on the bottom just as strongly as it worked on the top.
8:19:29 AM
SENATOR FRENCH said the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale
(ECERS) was a multi-valued test that measured: Space and
Furnishings, Personal Care Routines, Language-Reasoning,
Activities, Interaction, Program Structure, and Parents and
Staff. He said ECERS reached the same conclusions as in the
other test that AP3 students had higher rates of growth. He
noted that the structured set of measurements had shown that the
money being spent on AP3 was going to good use.
He said some of the AP3 kids were not moving up, but generally
most children were making large strides in their development. He
noted that some detractors had pointed out that a Pre-K program
put children in school at too early of an age. He said every
piece of data shows that Pre-K programs work.
8:22:29 AM
SENATOR FRENCH noted the recent Senate Judiciary Committee's
Crime Summit and the presentation given by Annie Pennucci, a
researcher for the Washington State Institute for Public Policy
(WSIPP). He said Ms. Pennucci addressed the long term benefits
from a Pre-K program that included lowered crime rates, reduced
cost in special education, decreased grade repetition, improved
high school graduation rates, lowered child abuse rates and
higher paying job attainment. He said the AP3 program should
continue to be pushed out until it was available statewide for
any child.
SENATOR STEVENS asked if the long term cost savings from a Pre-K
program could be quantified.
SENATOR FRENCH answered that he did not know and would get back
to the Senator with information. He noted that WSIPP had
analysis that showed upfront Pre-K investment made more over
time.
SENATOR STEVENS responded that it was easy to say "this causes
that" without proof. He said reviewing the facts and figures
would be valuable.
8:25:47 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER asked if SB 6 would satisfy recommendations in
the Moore Case Settlement.
SENATOR FRENCH answered that the Moore Case Settlement addressed
poor performing schools and SB 6 would move kids up the ladder.
He said it may take a few years, but SB 6 would certainly be
within the keeping of the spirit of the Moore Case Settlement.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS commented that DEED would be asked to address
the bill's fiscal note and impact regarding the Moore Case
Settlement.
8:27:25 AM
LYNN REYNOLDS, representing himself, Wasilla, said he was
concerned about funding a Pre-K program and the effects ofgroup-
learning at an early age.
LOLITA BRACHE, representing herself, Homer, said she was an
educator and an advocate of early childhood education.
8:35:01 AM
JOHN ALCANTRA, Director, Government Relations, National
Education Association-Alaska (NEAA), Anchorage, said NEAA
supported Pre-K programs.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS announced that public testimony was closed.
8:37:03 AM
CYNTHIA CURRAN, Director, Teaching and Learning Support,
Department of Education and Early Development, Juneau, said the
fiscal note was originally written for full-time and the amount
would change if the CS was adopted. She said DEED would redo the
fiscal note from $83 million to approximately $41 million.
She said with regard to the Moore Case, AS 14.17.905 was amended
by adding a new subsection to read:
A school district may not include in the average daily
membership of a school, students who are four years of
age, if the students are enrolled in a program that
receives funding, other than funding under this
chapter.
She said DEED would like to seek the opinion of the attorney
general due to the possible impact on the Moore Case Settlement.
8:38:29 AM
LES MORSE, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Education and
Early Development, said SB 6 may or may not affect the Moore
Case Settlement. He said there were Pre-K components in the
Moore Case Settlement and DEED would ask the attorney general
for his opinion.
SENATOR DAVIS asked in which way the language in SB 6 would
impact the Moore Case Settlement. She said there could not be a
negative impact from SB 6 and the money was set aside regardless
if the state moved forward with a Pre-K program.
MR. MORSE answered that there was funding language that had to
be clarified. He said he did not think there would be a problem,
but he would like the attorney general to weigh in.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS responded that contacting the attorney general
would be helpful.
8:41:01 AM
SENATOR FRENCH said there was a very strong Pre-K component in
the Moore Case Settlement. He noted there was a rational in the
settlement to include a Pre-K component.
MR. MORSE responded that he would not want to speculate having
not directly participated in the settlement discussions.
SENATOR FRENCH asked if $6 million ($2 million over three years)
was appropriated for Pre-K via the Moore Case Settlement and the
annual amount was similar to the funding for AP3.
MR. MORSE answered that was accurate.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked if it was reasonable to say that the new
fiscal note would be simply derived from cutting the previous
fiscal note in half.
MR. CURRAN answered yes.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS responded that the fiscal note would be
approximately $41.8 million.
CO-CHAIR MEYER said the fiscal note did not include additional
cost to facilities, assuming there was room for additional
students at schools. He asked if DEED had an idea on added
classroom space expense if schools were maxed out.
MR. MORSE answered that DEED did not know. He said DEED did not
have information on classroom capacity.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS responded that the questions regarding the
fiscal note were fairly critical items that DEED would have to
address.
8:44:47 AM
At ease from 8:44 a.m. to 8:46 a.m.
8:46:40 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER noted that the next committee meeting would
address a bill with a parents-as-teachers component, a subject
that could combine with a Pre-K program. He asked the SB 6
sponsors if it would be prudent to hold the bill to address an
updated fiscal note and possible parents-as-teachers tie in.
SENATOR DAVIS asked if Senator Meyer meant for the two topics to
come forward at the same time, not to actually combine them in
one bill.
CO-CHAIR MEYER answered correct.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS responded that there was no intention to try to
make one bill out of two.
SENATOR FRENCH replied that was a fair approach and a new fiscal
note was coming forward. He noted that he would like to get back
to Senator Stevens with a dollar value for Pre-K programs.
8:48:26 AM
CO-CHAIR THOMAS stated that SB 6 would held in committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K Pilot Report - Year One.pdf |
SEDC 2/27/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 6 |
| Pre-K Pilot Report - Year Two.pdf |
SEDC 2/27/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 6 |
| Pre-K Pilot Summary - Year One.pdf |
SEDC 2/27/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 6 |
| SB0006A.PDF |
SEDC 2/27/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 6 |
| SB006-EED-ESS-2-24-12.pdf |
SEDC 2/27/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 6 |