Legislature(2015 - 2016)CAPITOL 106
04/13/2016 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: Common Core Funding | |
| Presentation: Update on the Development of the Essa State Plan | |
| Presentation: Educating for the 21st Century | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
JOINT MEETING
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
April 13, 2016
8:03 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Senator Gary Stevens
Senator Berta Gardner
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Representative Wes Keller, Chair
Representative Paul Seaton
Representative David Talerico
Representative Harriet Drummond
Representative Ivy Spohnholz
MEMBERS ABSENT
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Senator Mike Dunleavy, Chair
Senator Cathy Giessel
Senator Charlie Huggins, Vice Chair
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Representative Jim Colver
Representative Liz Vazquez, Vice Chair
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Lora Reinbold
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
Representative Dan Ortiz
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: UPDATE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ESSA STATE PLAN
- HEARD
PRESENTATION: COMMON CORE FUNDING
- HEARD
PRESENTATION: EDUCATING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE TAMMIE WILSON
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented a report on Common Core funding.
SUSAN MCCAULEY
Interim Commissioner
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented "Update on the Development of the
ESSA State Plan."
MARGARET MCKINNON, Director
Assessment and Accountability
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented information on the "Update on the
Development of the ESSA State Plan."
TED DINTHERSMITH
Change Agent and Founder edu21c.com
Earlysville, Virginia
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented information on "Educating for the
21st Century."
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:03:35 AM
CHAIR WES KELLER called the joint meeting of the Senate and
House Education Standing Committees to order at 8:03 a.m.
Present at the call to order were Senators Gardner and Stevens
and Representatives Spohnholz, Talerico, Drummond, and Chair
Keller. Representative Seaton arrived shortly thereafter.
^Presentation: Common Core Funding
Presentation: Common Core Funding
8:03:49 AM
CHAIR KELLER announced a presentation on Common Core Funding.
8:04:10 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TAMMIE WILSON, Alaska State Legislature,
presented a report on Common Core Funding. She read from her
prepared statement:
On March 14th, 2016, House Majority members formally
requested a joint hearing of the House and Senate
Education Committees. This request is included in
members' packets. This is a preliminary presentation
on the matter of whether the Department of Education
and Early Development expended or is still expending
money in a manner that violates AS 14.07.020(b).
Due to the importance of the budget, a desire to
adhere to a 90-day session, and an ongoing effort to
gather more information on the issue, the purpose of
this presentation will be for clarification regarding
what the next hearing will cover, as well as to give
the Department of Education and Early Development and
the Department of Law an opportunity to prepare.
The primary issue is whether the Department of
Education and Early Development expended money in
violation of AS 14.07.020(b) in implementing Common
Core Standards. The laws of the State of Alaska are
taken seriously and should be adhered to. Legislative
intent is important when implementing state law and is
referenced frequently when interpreting different
statutes.
An important question to consider is:
Was it the legislature's intent with HB 278 that the
state would not track what curriculum was utilized in
our schools as long as the state was not paying for
it?
During the discussion of HB 278 in 2014, the intent of
the legislature was clear that Alaska did not want
Common Core Standards used in its schools. To be more
specific, the intent was that if the standards could
never be implemented by the department, state schools
would not have curriculum established by those
standards.
The Sitka School District, the Copper River School
District, the North Slope School District and Alaska's
Learning Network have adopted Common Core after this
legislation was passed. As legislators, we need to
find out how many other districts may have adopted
these standards after HB 278 became law and where
state funding to school districts is going.
Where is the accountability of the department to
adhere to state law and is the department monitoring
what standards school districts adopt?
Recent opinions on the issue by Legislative Legal and
The Department of Law inferred that because AS
14.07.020 (b) only applies to "implementing" the
standards, the state must continue to fund districts
that have already implemented Common Core Standards.
The definition of implement is: to fulfill; perform;
carry out.
The question becomes this: Does "implementing" as
written in the statute apply to the purchase of new
books and other materials that are used to teach
Common Core? If the answer is yes, it raises
additional concerns regarding ongoing expenditures by
the department to school districts that may have
adopted Common Core Standards. Additionally, the same
legal opinions mentioned above also indicate that
14.07.020 (b) only applies to the department's
expenditures and that with respect to its
applicability to school districts, it is "possible to
conceive of a scenario in which the department's
expenditures may be at issue."
How can you conceive a scenario in which the
department's expenditures would not be at issue when a
school district that is funded by the state implements
Common Core standards?
8:07:38 AM
She referred to an email from the Department of Education that
says school districts are not required to inform the department
if they adopt standards that differ from standards adopted by
the department. She also received a memo from the Department of
Law regarding a House amendment that was stripped out in the
Senate and an amendment made on the floor.
8:08:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLY thanked Representative Wilson.
SENATOR GARDNER requested a copy of her opening statement.
^Presentation: Update on the Development of the ESSA State Plan
Presentation: Update on the Development of the ESSA State Plan
8:09:36 AM
CHAIR KELLER announced a presentation on the development of the
state plan for the Every Student Shall Succeed Act (ESSA).
8:09:58 AM
At ease
8:11:00 AM
SUSAN MCCAULEY, Interim Commissioner, Department of Education
and Early Development (DEED), presented "Update on the
Development of the ESSA State Plan." She said she was happy to
have the opportunity to provide an overview of the work the
department has undertaken with regard to the new ESSA, which was
reauthorized and passed in December 2015. At the beginning of
the session, the committee received an overview of elements of
the law itself.
She said the purpose today is to inform the committee how the
department is proceeding to guide the work of developing
Alaska's state plan for ESSA.
DR. MCCAULEY began with the three elements of the state plan
under Title I: standards and assessment, accountability, and
school support and improvement.
8:12:48 AM
She explained that ESSA requires consultation, specifically with
the Governor, the legislature, State Board of Education,
districts, representatives of Indian tribes, teachers,
principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional
support personnel, paraprofessionals, and parents. The plan must
be made publicly available no less than 30 days before
submission and include assurance that comments were taken into
account.
8:14:07 AM
DR. MCCAULEY related the primary methods for stakeholder
involvement: advisory committee, focus groups, work groups,
state leadership, and the public at large. She said they are at
the beginning stage of the process.
The advisory committee is a 45-member committee to explore
options related to the three key elements of the ESSA state
plan. It supports the involvement of other stakeholders. They
reconvene as necessary to respond to input received through
other stakeholder involvement.
8:15:44 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER opened the meeting to questions.
SENATOR STEVENS asked who the 45 members are.
DR. MCCAULEY explained that the majority of the members were
recruited through districts that submitted a primary nominations
and several alternates. The department requested the district
pay attention to the language for consultation required in the
law.
SENATOR STEVENS asked if they are professionals.
DR. MCCAULEY responded that they are primarily current
practitioners: six superintendents or assistant superintendents,
14 central office administrators, 2 students, 9 teachers, 5
principals, 2 PTA members, 6 members of professional
organizations, including non-profits, and one university member.
CHAIR KELLER requested a copy of the names and Dr. McCauley
agreed to provide them.
8:17:56 AM
DR. MCCAULEY continued to say the committee reconvenes as
necessary to respond to input received through other stakeholder
involvement. They met five times by webinar from February
through March 2016. She explained some of the information
exchanges via webinar and Powernoodle. She noted the webinars
equalize status because comments are anonymous. In addition to
webinars, presentations, and meetings, members were asked to
respond in writing to suggested resources.
8:20:29 AM
DR. MCCAULEY said some members were asked to join work groups.
She noted the advisory committee met in person on April 6, 2016,
and the spring leadership conference followed on April 7 & 8,
attended by over 175 participants from around the state.
She described the Spring Leadership conference and the various
sessions. Currently, the department is analyzing the feedback
from the conference in order to identify emerging ideas of
stakeholders.
She provided examples of how ideas were gathered and showed
pictures of the conference. She said they asked participants to
complete an evaluation of the conference when it was over.
MARGARET MCKINNON, Director, Assessment and Accountability,
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), presented
information on the "Update on the Development of the ESSA State
Plan." She noted a tool called "Go Vote" was used to collect
data.
8:24:19 AM
DR. MCCAULEY participants were asked to share their level of
knowledge and comfort with ESSA and the state plan requirements,
before and after the conference. She showed how members plan to
continue to take part in the ESSA State Plan conversation and
how they will share the information gained.
8:26:11 AM
CHAIR KELLER asked for information about specific questions
asked of the advisory committee.
MS. MCKINNON said that information is being analyzed and could
be made available to committee members.
CHAIR KELLER noted the presence of Representative Reinbold.
DR. MCCAULEY suggested the department compile the information in
a document and send it to the committee.
8:27:30 AM
DR. MCCAULEY described the way the stakeholder outreach was
broadened. Focus groups will be formed that focus on job or
interest-related areas and make use of webinar or face-to-face
conferences. They will make abbreviated presentations on three
key elements and will provide input through Powernoodle or
surveys. She listed up-coming conferences where focus groups
could present.
8:30:33 AM
She described work groups that will use trends from emerging
stakeholders' voices to develop options for specific sections.
They will identify considerations for the various options and
make technical recommendations.
She discussed a highly technical subject as an example.
8:32:06 AM
SENATOR GARDNER referred to a school in her district that has a
highly gifted school-within-a-school. The neighborhood would
like to know how their school is doing outside of the highly
gifted program. She asked if this is an example of what Dr.
McCauley is referring to.
DR. MCCAULEY said yes. The current system would require the
performance of the school-within-a-school to be part of the
whole school. There is broad opportunity to be able to develop
an accountability metrix that could do that. Federal
requirements are not tightly prescribed and the state has more
leeway now. Even if school performance were to be required as a
whole, the state could consider that option. An accountability
metrix that works equally well across Alaska is very
challenging. The department was successful in the waiver to
allow private schools to have a separate metrix. It was not
possible under NCLB, but more possible through the waiver, and
even more possible under ESSA.
8:35:59 AM
SENATOR GARDNER suggested you still want to measure the
effectiveness of a specific program, as well as the whole
school.
DR. MCCAULEY addressed accountability indicators and examples of
technical issues that require special work groups.
8:36:43 AM
DR. MACAULEY turned to public-at-large feedback. The department
proposes to review materials and webinars posted to the Alaska
ESSA webpage and provide input and feedback through an online
survey.
8:38:04 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked if the public will only be involved via
webinars.
DR. MCCAULEY said that has not been determined and she hoped
not. She requested recommendations by the legislature on how to
involve the public. There is no formula for this process. It was
not allowed under NCLS so this is new work for the department.
SENATOR STEVENS suggested public hearings would be beneficial.
DR. MCCAULEY clarified that the broader plan is not in place,
but would include more than websites.
8:40:28 AM
CHAIR KELLER asked who would make these decisions.
DR. MCCAULEY said the advisory committee would not make the
decisions regarding methods for stakeholder input, the
department will, in collaboration with the State Board of
Education.
8:41:29 AM
CHAIR KELLER asked if the interpretation of federal law will be
done within the department.
DR. MCCAULEY said the department is seeking outside legal
counsel from various sources and watching what is happening
nationally as the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) develops
regulations. She noted the concern that the new law be developed
as it was intended, and not be inappropriately prescribed by DOE
regulations. It must return a great of control to the states and
prohibit DOE from repeating what happened under NCLB. She added
that the state has begun work without the new law in place.
8:44:26 AM
SENATOR GARDNER noted there were 175 attendees at the leadership
conference, but the survey has only 95 respondents.
MS. MCKINNON explained that the survey was done at the end of
the conference and some people had left.
8:45:16 AM
DR. MCCAULEY turned to the topic of state leadership. The State
Board of Education noted it wants the opportunity to review and
provide input well in advance of the department bringing them a
plan in its final form. Work on ESSA will take up a good part of
the board's meetings very soon. She described the meeting
timeline, noting the board will be kept up to date.
Dr. MCCAULEY said the department does not have a fully formed
plan as to how to engage the legislature. She requested input
from members as to how this should take place.
8:47:00 AM
CHAIR KELLER encouraged Dr. McCauley to include the Education
Committees during the interim.
DR. MCCAULEY identified the Governor, legislature, and state
board as state leadership members.
8:48:27 AM
DR. MCCAULEY shared DEED's timeline regarding ESSA, listing
milestones. She did not believe the federal legislation would be
completed until fall.
DR. MCCAULEY noted the department would be consulting with other
ESSA title programs, outside of Title I. They have to figure out
how to include stakeholder input and feedback from those
affected by the title programs.
She gave an example of librarian concerns. She said stakeholder
input opportunities will begin in May and there is an enormous
amount of work ahead.
8:52:25 AM
SENATOR GARDNER asked if will be hard to include educators who
don't work in the summer.
8:52:49 AM
DR. MCCAULEY listed methods to pull people together using title
funds. She thought summer was a good time to hold quality
meetings.
SENATOR GARDNER asked if the department has the resources to get
all the ESSA work done.
DR. MCCAULEY said the reductions to the department are
significant and she has concerns. She noted partnerships with
ACSA, AASB, and NEA-Alaska have been very valuable. The
department is doing its best to leverage partnerships to find
ways to develop the state plan. She stated that it causes her
some worry.
8:55:06 AM
CHAIR KELLER noted ESSA is federal legislation and has some
funding for implementation.
MS. MCKINNON agreed that ESSA funding can be used, but it comes
out of administration money that is being used for staff and
current work.
CHAIR KELLER thought many of the administrative costs were
covered by federal funds.
DR. MCCAULEY said those funds are allocated to staff that are
currently involved with monitoring and compliance work. ESSA
work is additional, new, and short-termed. The challenge is to
do this creative work well, in addition to regular work.
8:57:40 AM
SENATOR STEVENS brought up local control and asked what the
district's responsibility to ESSA will be.
DR. MCCAULEY said that question was brought up at the
conference. She opined that stakeholder involvement is important
and if they develop the plan well, it will reflect what local
communities want and be meaningful to the classroom teacher. The
question needs to keep being asked. For example, a metric that
has meaning for school accountability could be developed. There
could be multiple pathways for accountability that recognize
performance either through percent proficiency or through
attaining a certain level of growth.
She noted that the department still has to submit one state
plan, but there could be multiple pathways for accountability.
They have been working with Senator Murkowski's office on ESSA
reauthorization and want to react proactively on any
disconnects. Nothing has come out yet that requires a response.
9:02:11 AM
SENATOR STEVENS appreciated this process and hoped the local
focus is maintained.
CHAIR KELLER shared that early on in the ESSA process there was
a focus on local control. He asked if that is part of the intent
in the revisited ESSA process. He equated parents with school
boards.
9:03:47 AM
DR. MCCAULEY stated that the law itself primarily returns
control to states, but it does not comment on the degree to
which that control can or should be returned or given to the
local level.
CHAIR KELLER thought that was very important.
DR. MCCAULEY added that the law has some specific exceptions to
that. It says a local district can choose a high school
assessment other than the one selected at the state level.
CHAIR KELLER pointed out that it has to first be approved by
DEED and DOE.
DR. MCCAULEY emphasized the objected for the department is to
try to go forward with the development of the Alaska plan in a
manner that highly engages folks at the local level. There is a
need to keep that idea at the forefront of the process. Now that
there is room for creative thinking, such as with technology,
she said she is encouraged by the creative thinking being
brought to the process.
9:06:43 AM
CHAIR KELLER stated that parents are the key to success. The
perception of local control is in the context of parent rights.
9:07:53 AM
CHAIR KELLER noted the presence of Representative Kreiss-
Tomkins.
^Presentation: Educating for the 21st Century
Presentation: Educating for the 21st Century
9:08:58 AM
CHAIR KELLER announced a presentation on "Educating for the 21st
Century."
TED DINTERSMITH, Change Agent and Founder, edu21c.com, presented
information on "Educating for the 21st Century." He said he has
been to 49 states; in some states nothing about education will
change, but some will succeed in their attempts to improve
education by working together and determining what they want to
accomplish.
He provided his background in innovation venture firms. He spoke
of two instances that changed his life; one being the rate of
the advance of innovation and the impact it has had on society
and on the workplace. He urged people to focus on the impacts of
innovation. The second impact was the realization that schools
are training kids for jobs that don't exist.
He discussed misconceptions about what is needed to improve
education. He provided an example of his son's experience in
school and its narrow focus of thinking geared at passing
standardized tests.
9:15:16 AM
MR. DINTERSMITH addressed the need to change the focus in
schools to innovative thinking. He recalled the history of how
schools became narrow thinking entities. He said schools today
are doing exactly what they were asked to do in 1893 in a world
of manufacturing. He mentioned "A Nation at Risk" report in
1983, which concluded that if a foreign nation had imposed the
education system on the U.S., it would be declared an act of
war. However, the education system remained the same. He used an
analogy of trying to turn a covered wagon into a race car.
MR. DINTERSMITH addressed the process of change. He maintained
that facts and data and reports are not important. The key is to
focus on changing the minds of parents. He opined that emotion
is a big part of change. He said he made a film on the need for
change in education called "Most Likely to Succeed" and made it
available to schools. It makes people rethink everything about
education. He used Lawrenceville Prep School as an example of
the ills of memorization.
9:23:41 AM
MR. DINTERSMITH shared information about his involvement with
education at the government level and their lack of innovation.
He related the response to his film. He concluded that
mathematics, as usual, is outdated. He also stated that college
curricula is outdated. Students today feel disaffected.
9:28:17 AM
He suggested instead to challenge students to find ways they can
make the world better through what they know. He spoke highly of
the vocational path, rather than the academic path, because in
job training, students learn and retain more fundamentals and
can succeed in life.
9:32:33 AM
He discussed how people learn and he maintained that it is not
by memorizing data sources. Students learn by doing, by
interacting with others, and by being innovative and creative.
He suggested changing priorities in schools.
9:35:05 AM
MR. DINTERSMITH said Alaska is independent and innovative and
has great opportunities ahead if it chooses them. He offered to
help with "moving schools ahead."
9:36:55 AM
SENATOR STEVENS hoped to see the film. He asked if Alaska's
approach to ESSA will be successful. He inquired how Mr.
Dinthersmith ended up being creative, having come through the
old system.
MR. DINTERSMITH described his journey through education. He
learned a lot through independent study. He did a lot of
research long ago when calculus was not yet obsolete. He said he
also able to be innovative outside of school.
9:40:53 AM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD said federal education does not belong
in the schools and ESSA is a horrific way forward. She said Mr.
Dintersmith made her excited about education.
MR. DINTERSMITH gave examples of the success of innovative
thinking by students in Fort Wayne and Albuquerque. He
contrasted that with schools that focus on measurability and
facts. He noted teachers are more innovative than given credit
for.
9:48:08 AM
He provided advice about changing education. He said to first
"bring clarity to where you want to go." Ask what you want the
Alaska graduate to be good at. Allow teachers to develop
innovative programs and emphasize the need to train kids to
manage themselves.
9:50:05 AM
CHAIR KELLER said his district has an innovative superintendent
who believes that teachers are not data sources.
He asked if the film has been shown in Alaska.
MR. DINTERSMITH did not know.
9:51:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS listed Mr. Dintersmith's film
screening travel schedule.
MR. DINTERSMITH pointed out that the film raises questions, but
does not deliver answers.
9:53:03 AM
CHAIR KELLER thanked Mr. Dintersmith.
9:53:15 AM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Keller adjourned the Joint Education Committee at 9:53
a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| ESSA Work Plan-JointLegEduc_04_13_2016.pptx |
HEDC 4/13/2016 8:00:00 AM |
|
| Commitee Packet Rep. Wilson.PDF |
HEDC 4/13/2016 8:00:00 AM |