04/05/2018 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 104                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the duties of the state Board of                                                                       
     Education and Early Development; and relating to                                                                           
     school curriculum."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:06:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Bishop  stated that there were  two fiscal notes,                                                                    
and outlined the fiscals notes.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:08:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BRITTANY HARTMANN, STAFF,  SENATOR ANNA MACKINNON, discussed                                                                    
the bill. She  stated that curriculum was one  of the "vital                                                                    
levels that we  need to pull" in order  to improve education                                                                    
and  educational  outcomes  for  all  Alaska  students.  She                                                                    
stated that the bill  sought to improve educational outcomes                                                                    
for  all Alaska  students by  providing the  best curriculum                                                                    
available.   She  remarked   that  the   bill  charged   the                                                                    
Department  of Education  and Early  Development (DEED)  and                                                                    
the  Board of  Education to  find  and approve  of the  best                                                                    
curriculum  in  the  world. The  curriculum  would  be  made                                                                    
available to  five school districts through  and application                                                                    
process; and would  be tested in a  three-year pilot program                                                                    
for its  appropriateness and effectiveness. She  stated that                                                                    
the  curriculum  would  become available  to  all  districts                                                                    
after the pilot  program. She announced that  there would be                                                                    
incentive payments to those participating schools.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:09:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon stated  that there  was a  portion about                                                                    
Individual  Education  Programs   (IEPs);  and  a  reporting                                                                    
mechanism for DEED and parents  to understand the curriculum                                                                    
used  in   all  districts.   Ms.  Hartman  replied   in  the                                                                    
affirmative.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Bishop MOVED  to REPORT  SB  104 from  committee                                                                    
with individual  recommendations and attached  fiscal notes.                                                                    
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CSSB  104(FIN) was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass" recommendation  and with  two new fiscal  impact notes                                                                    
from the Department of Education and Early Development.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:10:17 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:13:23 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED