Legislature(2009 - 2010)CAPITOL 106
02/04/2009 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Regional Boarding Schools | |
| Early Childhood Programs | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 4, 2009
7:59 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Cathy Engstrom Munoz, Vice Chair
Representative Bryce Edgmon
Representative Wes Keller
Representative Peggy Wilson
Representative Robert L. "Bob" Buch
Representative Berta Gardner
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Paul Seaton, Chair
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW(S):
REGIONAL BOARDING SCHOOLS
- HEARD
EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
HARRY WHITE, Principal
Galena Interior Learning Academy
Galena, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided an overview of the Galena Interior
Learning Academy.
BILL HUTTON, Director
Mt. Edgecumbe High School
Sitka, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided an overview of the Mt. Edgecumbe
High School boarding program.
CYNTHIA CURRAN, Director
Teaching and Learning Support
Department of Education and Early Development
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented an overview of Head Start grants
and early learning programs.
EDDY JEANS, Director
School Finance and Facilities Section
Department of Education and Early Development
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding the state's
early childhood programs.
ABBE HENSLEY, Executive Director
Best Beginnings
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented an overview of Best Beginnings, a
statewide program designed to increase early literacy and
prepare children for kindergarten.
LORALEE PETERSON, Early Childhood Consultant
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided information about training
requirements for those working in early childhood development.
MARK LACKEY, Treasurer
Alaska Head Start Association
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided information about the Head Start
program in Alaska.
ACTION NARRATIVE
7:59:45 AM
VICE CHAIR CATHY ENGSTROM MUNOZ called the House Education
Standing Committee meeting to order at 7:59 a.m.
Representatives Munoz and Wilson were present at the call to
order. Representatives Buch, Keller, Edgmon, and Gardner
arrived as the meeting was in progress. Vice Chair Munoz said
Representative Seaton is attending his father's 100th birthday
celebration.
^OVERVIEW(S):
^REGIONAL BOARDING SCHOOLS
8:01:09 AM
VICE CHAIR MUNOZ announced that the first order of business
would be an overview of regional boarding schools.
HARRY WHITE, Principal, Galena Interior Learning Academy (GILA),
specified that the academy has graduated 159 students since its
start in 1997 and presently has 114 students enrolled. The goal
was to reach 150 students through word-of-mouth advertising, he
said, but since this method did not work it is being changed.
Since implementation of the qualifying exam, the academy has had
a 100 percent success rate for its graduates passing the exam.
Only one student did not pass the exam by graduation and that
student passed the next year.
8:02:39 AM
MR. WHITE noted that the academy offers vocational options. A
new career health strand includes two classes, allied health and
medical terminology, for which college credit is given, so the
expenses are paid for by the "tech prep" program. In addition,
over 20 students have graduated from the two Certified Nursing
Assistant (CNA) courses that were offered by the academy. Mr.
White explained that academy students receive introductory
vocational classes by their sophomore year. By their junior
year, students spend a quarter- to half-time in vocational
classes. If students complete vocational training by graduation
they can become certified and, if not, they can come back and
finish those programs.
MR. WHITE discussed cosmetology as one example of the academy's
vocational training. Students can enroll during their sophomore
year and participate half-time during their junior and senior
years. To become cosmetology certified under state and federal
guidelines, a student must complete 1650 hours and pass written
and practical tests, he said. The academy had one student do
this upon graduation and the rest have come back for one or two
years. There are 36 students currently enrolled in cosmetology
and 3 adults are finishing from previous years. One adult is in
training to become an instructor in the academy's cosmetology
program, he noted. The academy has enough equipment and student
interest to double the size of its program from six chairs to
twelve, but the program cannot expand without the funding to
remodel a larger facility. Of the 16 cosmetology graduates, 13
are working in the industry throughout the state, 2 are raising
families at home, and 1 is working out of the profession.
8:05:05 AM
MR. WHITE reviewed the academy's aviation vocational program.
All expenses are paid for students enrolled in this program,
except for the test fee, he said. In the last five years, eight
private pilots have completed the academy's program and two have
completed instrument pilot programs. The two who completed the
instrument programs are going to school in Fairbanks and working
for Everet's Air, a 100 percent success ratio. One of the
academy's private pilots is teaching ground school at Elmendorf
Air Force Base. All day instruction is currently being offered
in the academy's aviation program, he continued, as well as
night classes for adults. One of the day classes is also on the
Internet through a district correspondence program that is
offered to about 800 high school students. The aviation program
is limited to 10 students and 9 students are currently enrolled.
MR. WHITE outlined the academy's culinary arts vocational
program. He said the greatest success has been the
certification of eight students in safety and sanitation health.
Every restaurant is supposed to have someone with this
certification, he added. Most of the academy's students are
using this as a job and a means to move forward as they go
through other postsecondary instruction. Next year the academy
is implementing ProStart, a two-year program by the National
Restaurant Association that enables a person to work in any
restaurant in the nation.
8:06:12 AM
MR. WHITE highlighted the automotive vocational program. He
pointed out that the academy's automotive instructor has all of
the eight possible Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)
certifications. The academy is working toward certification by
the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF)
so that students will be able to get jobs in any mechanics shop
anywhere. Five adults have completed the automotive program and
are now in one part or another of ASE certification.
MR. WHITE said the academy is coordinating with Mount Edgecumbe
High School to ensure that the two schools are not working for
the same students. Since it is a school of choice, the academy
tries to offer as much as it can to the students of Alaska. The
academy hopes to attract the 500 homeless kids in the state's
urban areas who are not going to school, he added, because
educating them is a better way to go than future incarceration.
Mr. WHITE explained that many rural residents do not have a
driver's license, so the Galena Interior Learning Academy offers
driver's education. The state will be needing workers with a
Commercial Driver's License (CDL) as a result of the Alaska
Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA), he said. The academy graduated
15 students last semester, has 15 this semester, and a CDL class
is planned for this spring.
8:07:54 AM
MR. WHITE noted that 18 students have completed the academy's
twice-offered line service technician class. A line service
technician certificate is required to load fuel in any airplane
anywhere, he explained. A hospitality program with Princess
Cruises has also been offered twice, he continued, and those
students are now working in Denali National Park and Preserve
and in different motels in Fairbanks. Most of these students
are using this work to go on to postsecondary education. In
addition, the academy has completed three programs for adults -
plumbing, carpentry, and electricity - through the Alaska Works
Partnership. Each of those three programs had 10 students.
MR. WHITE said the academy's cost of education per student is
$26,000-$30,000, depending upon whether there are 150 or 100
students. The more students the less the costs since the
academy's expenses stay the same whether or not all the beds are
full.
8:09:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER complimented Mr. White on the academy's
impressive campus and the engaged teachers, community, and
students. He asked for a description of the connection between
the boarding school and career training.
MR. WHITE said he believes the boarding school's vocational
programs require more academic credits in English, math,
science, and social studies than any school in the state. The
career pathways are used as a carrot to get students to come to
the academy. Students can start the career pathways as juniors,
he explained, and it typically takes a thirteenth or fourteenth
year to finish the pathway. The thirteenth and fourteenth year
also attracts adults from other areas to come in and work. The
career pathways keep a student in school and the student goes to
work when he or she leaves the academy. The academy also offers
vocational classes at the community school.
8:10:54 AM
MR. WHITE, in response to Representative Wilson, explained that
the academy would like to provide one career medical program
because that is necessary in Alaska. The academy currently
offers two high school classes in allied health and medical
terminology where students get high school as well as college
credit through a "tech-prep" program. Those are the initial
classes necessary for any medical training, he said. The
academy has twice offered CNA training to adults, but is hoping
to eventually foster its own students to move into those health
programs instead of pulling adults from other places.
MR. WHITE, in further response to Representative Wilson, said
the academy requires four credits each in English, math,
science, and history, and a total of 26 credits to graduate.
Thus, the vocational programs end up being electives.
8:12:19 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER shared her personal history of attending
a boarding school for three years, which gives her an
understanding of what it is like from the student's perspective.
She asked whether Galena students have any unique qualities or
assets that help them to see the opportunity that they have.
MR. WHITE replied that the academy's population is unique in the
family-type atmosphere that is provided. The academy regulates
everything, and for high school students this regulation can be
difficult, he said. However, along with the specific bed, wake,
and meal times, the academy provides lots of activities and
community involvement such as after-hours snow machine clubs.
He said he thinks this is why students come to the academy and
for the most part stay. In addition, the academy provides after
school tutors for any student having a hard time. The academy
offers 480 minutes of school per day as compared to the state
standard of 300. A detention or suspension is done at night or
on weekends rather than during the school day. The staff knows
all the students on a first name basis, although this may not be
as possible when the academy grows to 300 students. The academy
stays in contact with the parents and the grading system is done
on line to allow parental access to the child's grades.
8:15:05 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER commented that all students have
opportunity, but not all of them can recognize it and be
inspired to take advantage of it. For young people who have
never left their very small communities, it would be quite a
challenge to imagine themselves leaving and living away from
their family and everyone and everything they know. A benefit
of the University of Alaska Scholars Program is that kids all
across the state now know at least one person who has gone to
the university and this plants the seed that they could do this
too. She said she thinks the academy is doing this same thing
and the trick is ensuring that all kids know about it.
MR. WHITE responded that the academy's largest challenge is
getting the word out. He said the academy is going to begin
advertising this year, rather than relying on the current method
of word-of-mouth. The other challenge is keeping the students
once they come. The hope is that the advertising will let
students know exactly what the academy is and what it offers so
that when they come the academy is exactly what they expected.
8:16:57 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER noted that a down side of boarding
schools may be the impact on the students' home community
schools when the most motivated kids leave and possibly never
return to that community. She asked whether it would be
feasible for the academy to provide intensive, month-long
programs for students to attend and then return to their home
school. An intensive program would be where just one class is
offered all day every day, she clarified.
MR. WHITE said the first issue would be funding this type of
program because there is presently no funding that he is aware
of. The academy does provide three different summer programs
that are three weeks to a month in length, he pointed out. He
explained that the academy does not necessarily get the highest
academic students from the small villages because grades are not
considered when accepting students. The academy feels that its
hands-on, close touch policy and after-school tutor program
result in successfully raising students that originally came
with very poor grades. The academy does not want to negatively
affect any village school, he added.
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER clarified that she was careful not to say
the brightest or the best students, but those who are somehow
motivated to reach out to the opportunity.
8:19:48 AM
MR. WHITE, in response to Representative Keller, said there is a
huge amount of room for the academy to expand and space-wise
there is already enough room for 300 students. However, he
continued, most of the existing buildings were designed for the
military and would need remodeling in order to expand, and
unless the academy makes the list for capital improvement
projects, there is no money for remodeling.
MR. WHITE, in response to Representative Edgmon, stated that the
transfer from the U.S. Air Force is complete and the academy is
now paying all of the utilities, which total over $100,000 per
month. The facilities were designed for a large number of
military people, so it is a struggle without a greater number of
students and a greater amount of support, he said. Therefore, a
number of the buildings are in cold storage.
8:22:42 AM
BILL HUTTON, Director, Mt. Edgecumbe High School, referred
members to a report entitled, "Thirty Years Later: The Long-Term
Effect of Boarding Schools on Alaska Native Adults and
Communities", written by researchers from the Institute of
Social and Economic Research (ISER). He complimented the Galena
Interior Learning Academy for its outstanding program and noted
that Mt. Edgecumbe High School ("Mt. Edgecumbe") has been
working with the academy. He said Mt. Edgecumbe believes it is
in the business of providing an array of educational
opportunities for all of Alaska's teenagers that wish to
participate. Mt. Edgecumbe started as a federal school in 1947,
closed in 1982, then reopened as a state school in 1985.
Presently, there are 378 students representing over 100 Alaska
communities with 348 students live in the dormitory, the most
since the late 1950s.
8:24:36 AM
MR. HUTTON acknowledged that there is student attrition. He
said 23 students went home this fall, a 20 percent decrease from
last fall. The students left due for a variety of reasons:
homesickness, request of a parent, family emergency, and
inability to safely co-habitate in a dormitory setting. Twenty-
seven students did not return in January and although this is a
25 percent decrease from the previous year, it is still more
than is desired. The high school goes through a number of
admission applications, he continued, but only about 35
applicants were not accepted in August 2008 for this school
year.
8:25:39 AM
MR. HUTTON related that 81 percent of alumni respondents cited
the higher quality of education as the reason they attended Mt.
Edgecumbe. Examples of this higher quality education include a
genetics program that provides four University of Alaska credits
to the student, an oceanography class where the students work
directly with the "Scripps Institute", and a wide array of
classes such as trigonometry, calculus, advanced chemistry,
physics, Pacific Rim studies, animation, video production, and
Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish languages. Seventeen students
are signed up with the Alaska Native Science and Engineering
Project (ANSEP) to pursue either engineering or science in
college or university. Moreover, 70 students will be building
their own computer this year with parts provided by ANSEP.
Those students who take and pass trigonometry and chemistry
before graduating from college can then keep their computers.
8:27:48 AM
MR. HUTTON reported that according to an ISER survey, 56 percent
of Mt. Edgecumbe's students start college and 29 percent of
those graduate within 5 years. He said Mt. Edgecumbe also has
very good career technical programs of which welding is the most
successful. Six students graduated from that program over the
last three years and are employed at various places around
Alaska, making between $60,000 and $85,000. There is also a
residential construction program, a certified nursing assistant
(CNA) certification program, emergency trauma training (ETT),
and small engines.
MR. HUTTON noted that one of Mt. Edgecumbe's challenges is 300
students wanting permits or driver's licenses. The lack of a
driver's license is a barrier, particularly for joining unions
or getting a job. The school has a liaison with the University
of Alaska for driver's training, but he said students will be
using his personal car for the training because of some concerns
expressed by the state.
8:29:55 AM
MR. HUTTON explained that students must maintain and clean their
own rooms and have cleaning detail for other areas. If students
are not performing as well as they should there is a mandatory
tutorial right after school from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. All
students must attend mandatory study time from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30
p.m. Students are also responsible for doing their own laundry.
However, there are still recreational activities such as a dance
every two weeks, kayaking, paint ball, open gym, rock climbing,
a ropes course, cultural programs, and a variety of leadership
options. Life at the school is exciting with all of the after-
school activities and social gatherings, he said.
MR. HUTTON allowed that Mt. Edgecumbe does have some challenges
such as crowded dormitories. A waiver must be obtained every
year because the rooms have 5-6 students in them. There is no
music program because the school does not have enough teachers.
The buildings were built in the 1940's and are in need of
attention. Even the newest building, completed in 1986, needs a
new roof.
MR. HUTTON concluded by saying that Mt. Edgecumbe is an
exciting, dynamic place to be. To follow up on some of the
things stated by Representative Gardner, Mr. Hutton said he
thinks students have to have courage and a sense of adventure.
There is a pride in attending Mt. Edgecumbe High School.
8:33:21 AM
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON said she was impressed with the enthusiasm
of Mt. Edgecumbe students when she taught a state government
class there. The boarding schools are successful because of the
parents, the parents being the faculty and families within the
community that adopt the kids, she opined. In addition,
boarding schools are successful because of the controlled
routine that is provided and the requirement that students take
responsibility.
8:35:28 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER agreed with Representative Wilson. She
asked how often do students who attend boarding school return to
their home communities to live.
MR. HUTTON cited a question on page 11 of the ISER alumni survey
that asks whether the alumnus returned to his or her community
after graduating from high school. Fifty-seven percent of the
respondents said yes, he related. However, he said he believes
the survey is slightly flawed because it was a voluntary survey
with 126 respondents. He further related that 81 percent of the
respondents that returned to their home community said they
returned within 1 year, 12 percent said within 5 years, and 7
percent said within 10 years.
^EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS
8:37:54 AM
VICE CHAIR MUNOZ announced that the next order of business would
be an overview of early childhood programs.
The committee took an at-ease from 8:39 a.m. to 8:40 a.m. due to
technical difficulties with the witness microphone.
8:39:53 AM
CYNTHIA CURRAN, Director, Teaching and Learning Support,
Department of Education and Early Development, explained that
there is a three-person team within the Department of Education
and Early Development that is focused on Head Start grants and
early learning programs. This team issues grants to Head Start
and Early Head Start grantees serving Alaskan children. She
continued:
This unit provides technical assistance and resources
to grantees in the area[s] of early childhood
education, school readiness, health, nutrition, early
development, and administration. This unit partners
with other systems development initiatives to address
specific issues for young children, birth to five
years, and their families through federally-funded
Alaska Head Start Collaboration Project. This unit
works on increasing early literacy skills, family
literacy skills, early learning skills, and parenting
skills for all populations in Alaska. [The team
works] to increase access to voluntary, affordable,
and quality early care and education, and establishing
a sustainable early childhood literacy and learning
system with accountability for outcomes.
MS. CURRAN said the early learning guidelines have been
published under "Assessment Accountability" on the Department of
Education and Early Development's web site. This unit works to
help disseminate those guidelines and provide training for
groups that are using the early learning guidelines, she
explained.
8:41:43 AM
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON asked how many children participate in the
100 Head Start programs across the state.
EDDY JEANS, Director, School Finance and Facilities Section,
Department of Education and Early Development, said he believes
that about 3,000 children are being served.
8:42:53 AM
ABBE HENSLEY, Executive Director, Best Beginnings, offered her
thanks to the legislature for establishing a committee devoted
to education. She said the vision of her organization is that
all Alaska children begin school ready to succeed [slide 2 of
Ms. Hensley's PowerPoint presentation]. It is about creating an
environment and systems that help children to do this, she
continued. It sounds simple but is actually quite complicated.
Too many children are starting school unprepared and when
children start behind they rarely catch up [slide 3]. This lack
of readiness contributes to low scores on standardized tests,
poor performance on high school graduation exams, and a high
school dropout rate in Alaska that is one of the highest in the
nation.
MS. HENSLEY pointed out that young brains are very busy [slide
4]. At birth there are few synapses in the brain, she said, but
they increase dramatically by age three. A young child develops
about ten quadrillion synapses. As a child grows older a
pruning process takes place so that a child has the number of
synapses necessary to do the work that he or she is doing.
During this time of brain activity, learning activities provided
by parents and other adults are absolutely critical. These
activities include reading, singing, dancing, motor skills,
communication, and social and emotional development.
8:46:01 AM
MS. HENSLEY explained that investing in early learning is the
very best kind of economic development that any state can make.
Best Beginnings is pursing solutions to meet this challenge by
focusing its efforts in three areas: that parents are a child's
first and most important teacher; that quality, affordable, and
accessible early care and education programs should be available
for families wherever they live; and that early learning should
be a priority for all Alaskans. She said these three areas are
from the eleven recommendations issued in September 2006 by the
Ready to Read, Ready to Learn Task Force. In regard to the
aforementioned, she distributed to members a Best Beginnings
publication entitled, "Report to Alaska 2008".
MS. HENSLEY said Best Beginnings is a statewide collaboration of
businesses, philanthropic organizations, government agencies,
educational institutions, faith-based entities, and individuals.
She drew attention to the list of Early Learning Council members
shown on slide 6. Early learning is everybody's business and
everybody has a role to play, she noted.
MS. HENSLEY stressed that early learning matters because it
impacts success in school which impacts success in later life
[slide 7-8]. "The cost of not investing in the early years far
outweighs the cost of making that investment," she said.
Moreover, it can be a personal investment in the future that
ensures there will be doctors, nurses, and other workers to
provide the necessities for one's own benefit and care.
8:48:45 AM
MS. HENSLEY highlighted the first of the three areas of focus,
[learning at home], that Best Beginnings is working on [slide
9]. This work includes public service announcements (PSAs) that
are broadcast by radio and television across the state, she
said. For example, one television PSA explains why early
learning is important for the business community and another
focuses on reading. Through a grant from the Alaska Children's
Trust, Best Beginnings created booklets for parents based on
Alaska's Early Learning Guidelines. The booklets outline
activities that parents can do with their babies, toddlers, and
preschoolers. Best Beginnings was charged with producing the
booklets in various languages. Booklets in Spanish have been
completed, Yup'ik and English versions are in progress, and
other languages are to follow. Another of Best Beginnings'
literacy activities is the Imagination Library. It is a low
cost way to put books into the hands of children in communities
and schools across the state, she said. Best Beginnings is also
supporting other local initiatives such as the "ABC Read and
Talk With Me" project in Anchorage.
8:53:01 AM
MS. HENSLEY discussed the second of the three areas of focus,
learning away from home [slide 10]. She said Best Beginnings is
bringing people and resources together to ensure that every
family that wants an away-from-home program for their children
has one that is of high quality. Through a grant from the
state, Best Beginnings developed a quality rating and
improvement system for Alaska which the Department of Health &
Social Services now has. Best Beginnings is also working to
bring ideas to Alaska that have been found to be positive and
productive elsewhere.
MS. HENSLEY addressed the third area of focus, [new thinking].
She advised that making sure all children are successful will
require a big cultural shift in Alaska. She said Best
Beginnings is working to make that happen through its public
engagement campaign as well as by bringing together other
members of the early childhood community to discuss, coordinate,
and collaborate efforts. Best Beginnings recently submitted a
proposal to the Partnership for America's Economic Success to
put on a business summit in the fall. Co-sponsors of this event
include: Northrim Bank, Providence Hospital, and the Alaska
State Chamber of Commerce.
8:55:41 AM
MS. HENSLEY said success will be achieved when everybody in
Alaska feels that early childhood learning is vital to the state
and understands that making the investment will provide lasting
dividends. Once this happens, both public and private funds
will be committed, families will be engaged in their children's
education from the beginning, and quality programs will be
accessible to all.
MS. HENSLEY related that several organizations collaborated to
set early childhood legislative priorities for 2009. [These
organizations are listed on slide 13: Alaska Childcare Resource
and Referral Network, Best Beginnings, Alaska Association for
the Education of Young Children, Alaska Head Start Association,
and Alaska Infant Learning Program Association.] The
legislative priorities set by these organizations are: Denali
KidCare, Child Care Assistance, Infant Learning Program, Quality
Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), Parents as Teachers, Head
Start, Pilot Preschool Program, and Best Beginnings.
8:57:47 AM
MS. HENSLEY noted that the Pilot Preschool Program is in the
governor's budget for $2 million. It is designed to serve about
500 four-year-olds through competitive grants to school
districts. She said Commissioner LeDoux has asked her to work
with the Department of Education and Early Development to pull
together a group of people to figure out what this plan ought to
look like so that it is not just a "cookie-cutter" type of
program.
MS. HENSLEY said Best Beginnings is a public-private partnership
and such a partnership requires the leveraging of state dollars
and private funding [slide 14]. She said Best Beginnings is
looking forward to continuing its excellent relationship with
the state and to receiving some state funding through the
Department of Education and Early Development, along with
funding from private partners. Best Beginnings is looking for
support for the work it is doing in: promoting early literacy
through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library; developing local
partnerships in communities; and educating parents and others
through the public engagement campaign.
9:00:04 AM
MS. HENSLEY specified that pulling all of this together is
really all about making connections among families, programs,
providers, and the general public to ensure that the very
littlest children get what they need to be productive citizens
in the future. This needs to be a comprehensive early childhood
system that looks at everything as a whole, not just isolated
programs. She said she is working with Commissioner LeDoux to
determine what the best governance entity for early childhood
should be in Alaska. This is mentioned in the state's Early
Childhood Comprehensive Systems Plan, she continued. In
addition, it is required by federal legislation that re-
authorizes Head Start and it is in the Ready to Read, Ready to
Learn recommendations. This will bring all the players together
to coordinate comprehensive services. Bringing the public and
private sector together does not create additional government.
Rather, it ensures better use of the available resources and
that Alaska's children have the very best outcomes.
9:01:44 AM
MS. HENSLEY, in response to Representative Gardner, explained
that purposeful baby talk is essentially paying close attention
to the baby. Oftentimes in this talk adults will use a special
name for the baby. For example, a grandmother might have a
certain, special name that she calls the baby for ever after.
The talk is directed at engaging the child and is a special
relationship. Even very tiny babies are responsive to this kind
of interaction, she explained.
MS. HENSLEY, in response to another question from Representative
Gardner, said the publications produced by Best Beginnings are
free and distributed through a variety of mechanisms. A poster
in English and Spanish tells about the availability of the
publications, she explained, and the publications are also
mentioned on the Best Beginnings web site.
9:04:24 AM
MS. HENSLEY, in response to a third question from Representative
Gardner, expounded on the legislative priority of Parents as
Teachers. She said this is a nationally recognized program that
was developed in Missouri. It is an evidence-based home
visiting program in which well-trained visitors go into homes to
work with parents, sometimes even before birth, and up until the
child enters school. There are several programs around Alaska
and all of them are funded by grants. They have demonstrated
success in better outcomes for children when they go to school.
She cited a study that showed children who had had this
experience were doing better in the third grade than those who
had not. The programs are organized in a variety of ways, with
the number of visits ranging from weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
In addition, all of the parents and children in the program
gather together periodically.
9:06:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER recalled a program in California where
parents attended once a week. It allowed teen parents to
participate and was part of the community college system. The
program later evolved into a cooperative pre-school.
MS. HENSLEY noted that in some locations there are not enough
children to warrant a group program, so doing something that
supports parents in the role of being their child's teacher is a
way to make sure that those kids get early learning experiences.
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER added that an additional benefit of the
California program was that the parents were supporters to each
other rather than someone else supporting a parent and teaching
that parent how to support the child.
MS. HENSLEY offered to ask the statewide coordinator for Parents
as Teachers to provide members with more information.
9:08:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH noted that the presentation was culminated
with expectations. He said there appears to be an impasse since
the fall 2007 Governor's Summit on Early Learning in regard to
what the state is doing about all of this.
MS. HENSLEY responded that Best Beginnings provided the
recommendations from that summit to the governor last spring.
Some of the proposals in the governor's budget are items that
were discussed at the summit, such as the increase in childcare
reimbursement rates for Denali KidCare, an increase to Head
Start, and the pilot pre-school program. She said she thinks
this indicates greater interest on the governor's part and she
is confident that both commissioners are committed to ensuring
that something happens. A statewide governance entity is a step
forward in ensuring better collaboration and formalized
coordination of efforts, therefore she thinks there is some
movement and people are feeling positive. A request has been
made to increase the early childhood budget by $400,000 and this
would help the work that Best Beginnings is doing.
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH remarked that a collective process appears
to be missing among the various interest groups that are all
trying to do the same thing. He said he would like to see more
collaborative work.
VICE CHAIR MUNOZ agreed with Ms. Hensley that the governor has
done a lot to expand early childhood in the budget.
9:13:20 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON said he knows from personal experience
that the state's Head Start programs are strapped for cash. He
asked for Ms. Hensley's observation on how all resources as a
whole could be disseminated.
MS. HENSLEY replied that the early childhood community is
grateful for the recognition that more resources need to go to
Head Start even though the increase in the governor's budget was
not something that the association had requested. She noted
that the private partners are being badly affected by the
economic downturn and are having to cut back. Doing the right
thing with fewer dollars is always a challenge, but she said
this will not stop people from continuing to advocate for
investment in early childhood over the other kinds of
investments.
9:16:41 AM
LORALEE PETERSON, Early Childhood Consultant, noted that she has
been working as an educator in the Kenai Peninsula for 28 years.
She said she is speaking for the peninsula's early childhood
organization. The organization's purpose is to assist with and
provide high quality early learning experiences for all young
children, and to assist in funding, training, and advocacy and
communication to build public will. She said the organization
is currently striving to ensure that parents, caregivers, and
early childhood teachers and programs have the knowledge and
support necessary for providing nurturing care.
MS. PETERSON reported that her organization is addressing the
educational requirements for workers in licensed early childhood
programs. Alaska requires that these workers receive 20 hours
of training per year and Alaska is one of only a few states that
do not require a higher degree of education for the early
childhood field. She said that in 2010 Alaska will require a
Child Development Associate (CDA) degree or equivalent.
Training is extremely limited on the Kenai Peninsula, she
explained, and the profession's low wages make the cost of
training very difficult. Her group is striving to create a
foundation to assist with more training opportunities, she
continued. Early childhood programs are struggling due to the
high cost of meeting all of Alaska's childcare regulations and
they will need assistance with developing training strategies to
meet the new regulations. She said her organization strongly
supports the proposed pilot pre-school program.
9:20:06 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER expressed her opinion that requiring a
CDA risks making it too difficult and expensive to provide
childcare as well as adding cost to parents. This could result
in caregivers changing to other professions and worsening the
current shortage of care giving facilities.
MS. PETERSON agreed, but said it is a "Catch 22". The low wage
creates a high turn over and makes it difficult to meet the
training requirements. She reiterated that Alaska is one of the
few states that has not implemented a higher degree of education
for working with young children. Preparing for this must be
looked at, she stressed.
9:22:17 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER asked who is required to meet licensing
requirements for childcare.
MS. PETERSON explained that a person caring for more than five
children must be licensed. The type of license depends on the
number of children being cared for: home provider, group home,
childcare center, and pre-school or after-school programs.
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER surmised it would be illegal for a
neighbor of someone with sextuplets to watch the children
without a license.
MS. PETERSON replied correct.
9:23:22 AM
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON recalled that last year there was a
movement to categorize childcare centers to help parents know
what type of training the caregivers had.
MS. PETERSON answered that there is no separate categorization
for the education happening in early childhood programs other
than what exists in current regulation, and the requirements are
all the same for every type of licensed early childhood program.
The state currently requires that everyone working with young
children, birth to five years, in a licensed facility have 20
hours of formal training per year. The CDA degree or equivalent
requires 120 hours of formal training and will create a real
struggle next year.
MS. HENSLEY said she thinks Representative Wilson is probably
referring to the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)
that was developed by Best Beginnings through a contract with
the Department of Health & Social Services and presented to the
department in January 2008. Best Beginnings requested that
funding be provided in fiscal year 2010 to run a field test of
the QRIS system. However, that funding did not come through and
Best Beginnings is now talking to the department about what
portions can be done with no resources or whether the
legislature would be interested in funding the field test.
9:27:15 AM
MARK LACKEY, Treasurer, Alaska Head Start Association, first
noted that he is Executive Director of CCS Early Learning, the
grantee that provides Head Start services in the Matanuska-
Susitna Valley, Chugiak, and Eagle River. He said several
Alaska Head Start Association (AHSA) documents are included in
the committee packets: "What is Head Start", "Fact Sheet 2008-
2009 Program Year", "Position Paper", "Critical Issues 2009",
and "Why Head Start Matters". He also drew attention to another
paper prepared by the Institute of Social and Economic Research
(ISER) entitled, "The Cost of Crime: Could the State Reduce
Future Crime and Save Money by Expanding Education and Treatment
Programs?"
9:30:25 AM
MR. LACKEY began his PowerPoint presentation by explaining that
Head Start is a federal program that began in 1965 [slide 3].
All Head Start grantees must meet and abide by federal
performance standards. Each Head Start program is governed by a
board of directors comprised of community members and a policy
council comprised mostly of parents. All Head Start services
are provided at no cost to the families and there is a
comprehensive focus on both the child and the child's family.
Health and developmental screenings are required for all
children that participate in the program. Alaska receives
approximately $27 million in federal funds for the Head Start
program and the state contributes about $7 million. The federal
grants come directly to local grantees, but a 20 percent non-
federal share is required to receive the grants.
9:33:18 AM
MR. LACKEY said monitoring and reporting of the Head Start
program is extensive [slide 4]. Over 5,000 regulations are
associated with Head Start, plus there are broader regulations
that apply to grants and fiscal reporting. An Early Alert
System works with individual programs to identify and solve any
problems or challenges as early as possible. Each program has
on-site program reviews that are conducted every three years by
teams of reviewers from across the country. Program Information
Reports (PIR) are required once a year and enrollment reports
are required monthly. Each grantee is required to publish an
annual report and there is a specific list for what needs to be
in the annual report. Lastly, each program is required to do an
annual self assessment; this is undertaken by staff, parents,
and the governing board members.
9:35:23 AM
MR. LACKEY specified that priority for Head Start eligibility is
given to low income families [slide 5]. Typically, the low
income population tends to have children that are more at risk.
Under Head Start performance standards, 90 percent of the
enrolled children must fall into the income guidelines. For
example, of the approximately 3,100 children served across
Alaska, 90 percent of them must be income eligible. He said the
10 percent of over-income children are usually eligible for the
program in some other fashion, such as a diagnosed disability or
special need. In addition to children with diagnosed
disabilities and special needs, priority is given to homeless
children, foster children, children who will attend kindergarten
the following year, and returning Head Start children.
MR. LACKEY said 17 Head Start grantees provide service in 100
Alaskan communities [slide 8]. Just over 3,100 slots are
available to children statewide for the fiscal year 2009.
However, a conservative estimate is that over 7,700 Alaskan
children are currently eligible for Head Start or Early Head
Start but are not receiving services. He said his personal
estimate is that the actual number is closer to 10,000 children.
9:39:03 AM
MR. LACKEY reviewed Head Start's educational services [slide 9]
and explained that they are different than for kindergarten
through twelfth grade. Since the children are so young and
their attention spans so short, the goal is to prepare them for
school and build a foundation for success. Therefore, the
educational skills are focused on pre-literacy, pre-math, social
and emotional development, language development, creative arts,
and physical health and development. He drew attention to page
2 of the paper entitled, "Why Head Start Matters", and noted
that Head Start children show gains in literacy and math.
MR. LACKEY described Head Start's family education and
empowerment services [slide 10]. The goal is to invest time and
effort into the child as well as the child's family so the child
will have parental support, he explained. Monthly home visits
are provided to each family by the child's teacher or other
staff member. During these home visits, Head Start staff works
with the parents to set goals for the family and the child and
provides any necessary help to meet those goals. Family
advocacy is also provided for families that need additional
assistance beyond home visits.
9:42:41 AM
MR. LACKEY informed members that Head Start also provides
health, dental, mental health, and nutritional services [slide
11]. He said Head Start performance standards require that
children be current on their immunizations, have a physical exam
that includes hearing and vision testing, and have a dental
exam. Consultants are provided to help with any issues that are
identified. Head Start is required to follow up on all
identified concerns to make sure any issues are resolved. He
drew attention to statistics in the aforementioned paper, "Why
Head Start Matters", regarding health, mental health, and dental
screenings.
9:43:55 AM
MR. LACKEY noted that the primary goal of Head Start is really
to provide early intervention [slide 13]. He referred to a
report in the committee packets entitled, "The Cost of Crime:
Could the State Reduce Future Crime and Save Money by Expanding
Education and Treatment Programs?" This report talks about the
success of early intervention for children, he continued.
Children are in a critical window of development when they are
very young, so developing a pattern for success in the child and
the child's family is crucial. Other goals are family
involvement and empowerment, developing an educational
foundation, social and emotional development, and addressing any
and all obstructions to learning whether that is health, dental,
or transportation assistance. In short, Head Start's goal is to
prepare young children for their school years, he said.
9:45:25 AM
MR. LACKEY discussed the AHSA paper entitled, "Critical Issues
2009", which outlines the actions needed for Head Start to be
successful [slide 14]. During the past couple of years Head
Start has developed a stronger relationship with the Department
of Education and Early Development, he said. The Alaska Head
Start Association worked with the department this past summer to
come up with a two-year plan that addresses how grantees could
provide further services. Two million dollars was requested for
this first year, which included $1.8 million in new funding to
serve approximately 200 more children. The request also
included an amount dedicated to preserving existing slots
because many of the grantees are facing the challenges of
increased costs for the existing slots. He said the association
is pleased that the governor has proposed $800,000 in her budget
for increased funding of Head Start. Although it is a small
step, this will allow more children to be served, he continued.
The association's position is that more can and needs to be
done, especially when one considers that there are 7,700
eligible children who are not being served.
9:47:49 AM
MR. LACKEY pointed out that a comprehensive state plan needs to
be developed and is considered a critical 2009 issue [slide 14].
He said the association supports the "pre-K" program and parents
as teachers, as these programs are needed and necessary within
Alaska. The association is advocating that a very coordinated
system be put in place that requires different programs and
services to work together, as well as written memorandums of
agreement that address eligibility or enrollment. Rather than
having different programs competing for children, he stressed
that the association wants these programs to work together to
serve as many children as possible.
9:49:02 AM
MR. LACKEY addressed the need for dedicated workforce
development funds [slide 14]. He said this is a current
challenge as well as a looming challenge. Under Head Start's
[2004] re-authorization, professional development mandates for
staff were put into place. The improvement in Head Start
teacher credentials is depicted in the chart on page 3 of the
paper entitled, "Why Head Start Matters", he continued. This
progress was made despite no increase in funding and the
challenge of Head Start staff balancing family obligations with
full-time jobs at low wages. The bar was raised again with the
December 2007 Head Start re-authorization which requires that by
September 30, 2011, 100 percent of Head Start teachers must have
an associates degree in early childhood education and by 2013,
50 percent of Head Start teachers nationwide must have a
bachelors degree or equivalent in early childhood education.
The last bar was not quite made by Alaska's Head Start teachers
and now the bar has been raised again.
MR. LACKEY said that along with no increased funding to meet
either of the mandates for improving teacher credentials,
Alaska's challenge is further amplified by the state's geography
and access to education. He stressed that funding, as well as
collaboration and communication with the university system, are
needed to help Head Start staff meet these requirements.
Another critical issue is increased health care access through
Denali KidCare, he added.
9:52:08 AM
MR. LACKEY noted that Alaska's Head Start facilities are in
desperate need of capital dollars, but there has been no federal
or state funding for capital investment. The challenges with
facilities are huge and need to be addressed. Increasing the
number of children served by Head Start cannot happen without
capital investment. He said another area of huge need is school
buses.
VICE CHAIR MUNOZ inquired whether the $800,000 increase in the
governor's budget would result in increased federal funding.
MR. LACKEY said no, the state is providing supplemental funds
for serving additional children in Alaska.
VICE CHAIR MUNOZ supported the coordination of effort and
recognized that pre-literacy is important to a student's later
success. She offered her concern over the lack of kindergarten
school buses in Juneau which may be preventing children from
attending school.
MR. LACKEY added that an inter-departmental group has now come
together and this group is pulling the public and private
partners together.
9:55:04 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON asked how the $800,000 will be disbursed.
MR. LACKEY said the bold type on the paper entitled, "Fact Sheet
2008-2009 Program Year", indicates the association's proposed
increase in enrollment numbers under a $2 million funding
increase. Given that the proposed increase is for $800,000
rather than $2 million, the numbers would have to be scaled
back, he explained. He clarified that the 2 million is the
increase that would be available without capital investment.
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON inquired whether Head Start will be
receiving any monies from the federal stimulus funds.
MR. LACKEY replied that the association is hoping so, but he
does not know whether the language in the current version of the
federal legislation will remain the same or whether the funds
would be for serving new children. He pointed out that any
funding for serving new children would need to be ongoing
funding.
9:56:28 AM
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON related that new studies show domestic
violence affects the brain development of young children. She
asked whether Head Start personnel are receiving training in how
to address this issue in the classroom. For example, the
studies indicate that where a child of domestic violence sits in
the classroom can affect brain development.
MR. LACKEY noted that Head Start has been addressing this kind
of thing with early childhood since 1965. Children cannot be
addressed in a vacuum, he said. All the issues in a child's
life must be addressed, such as violence, nutrition, family
dynamics, and any other challenges. Head Start's partnerships
with families helps to address these concerns and remove as many
of the challenges as possible.
9:58:36 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER inquired whether the increased education
requirements for Head Start teachers will result in the teachers
receiving higher wages.
MR. LACKEY responded that he does not know, but so far there has
been no increased funding to help in obtaining the degrees and
no increased funding for higher wages. Another concern, he
continued, is that once these teachers have more qualifications,
they will be able to take higher paying jobs elsewhere.
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER cited her personal experience with Head
Start through family members and being a foster parent. She
said she has seen studies that indicate that by second grade
there is no way to identify a child who has been in Head Start
versus those who were not. She asked how the 11 grantees were
chosen that are cited in the paper entitled, "Why Head Start
Matters", and whether the charts in the paper would look
different if all of the 17 grantees in Alaska had been included
in the statistics.
MR. LACKEY replied that the only reason all 17 are not included
is because the association did not get reports from all 17.
However, he said he does think it is a representative example.
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER commented that this might be true unless
the reason for those schools not getting in their reports is
because they are less organized and therefore less effective,
which would skew the results.
MR. LACKEY said correct, but he truly believes that these
statistics are representative of the gains that are being made.
It is important to keep in mind that Head Start is working to
raise the performance and the success of children who are
starting out with significant challenges in their lives, he
explained. So, those children must be compared to their peers
who do not have access to services like Head Start. They cannot
really be compared to children that have no challenges in their
lives because those children start much higher. Head Start is
trying to move its children up as far as it can.
10:01:46 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 10:02 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| DOC001.pdf |
HEDC 2/4/2009 8:00:00 AM |
|
| BB House Ed Comm 02.04.09 .ppt |
HEDC 2/4/2009 8:00:00 AM |
|
| Galena City School District HEC presentation.pdf |
HEDC 2/4/2009 8:00:00 AM |
|
| what is Head Start 8-26-08 final.doc |
HEDC 2/4/2009 8:00:00 AM |
|
| Head Start Critical Issues 09 - without footer.doc |
HEDC 2/4/2009 8:00:00 AM |
|
| ISER Reduce Crime by expanding education and treatment.pdf |
HEDC 2/4/2009 8:00:00 AM |
|
| Position Paper- Development and Implementation of Voluntary Pre-K in Alaska.pdf |
HEDC 2/4/2009 8:00:00 AM |
|
| House Education Committee - Feb 2009.ppt |
HEDC 2/4/2009 8:00:00 AM |
|
| HEC Mt. Edgecumbe talking points.doc |
HEDC 2/4/2009 8:00:00 AM |
|
| Priorities on Letterhead 02.09.doc |
HEDC 2/4/2009 8:00:00 AM |
|
| Why Books.pdf |
HEDC 2/4/2009 8:00:00 AM |
|
| ELC Members 01.09.doc |
HEDC 2/4/2009 8:00:00 AM |
|
| why hs matters 8-26-08 final.doc |
HEDC 2/4/2009 8:00:00 AM |