Legislature(1997 - 1998)
02/25/1997 03:06 PM House HES
| Audio | Topic |
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL
SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
February 25, 1997
3:06 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Con Bunde, Chairman
Representative Joe Green, Vice Chairman
Representative Al Vezey
Representative Brian Porter
Representative Fred Dyson
Representative J. Allen Kemplen
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Tom Brice
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
*HOUSE BILL NO. 114
"An Act relating to health care data and registration of births."
- MOVED HB 114 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 18
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Alaska
relating to changing the rate of a tax or license that supports a
dedication of its proceeds.
- MOVED CSHJR 18(STA) OUT OF COMMITTEE
*HOUSE BILL NO. 145
"An Act relating to certification of teachers."
- HEARD AND HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 121
"An Act relating to A.W. Brindle memorial scholarship loans; and
providing for an effective date."
- BILL POSTPONED
(* First public hearing)
PREVIOUS ACTION
BILL: HB 114
SHORT TITLE: HEALTH CARE DATA; BIRTH REGISTRATIONS
SPONSOR(S): HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES BY REQUEST
JRN-DATE JRN-DATE ACTION
02/05/97 242 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S)
02/05/97 242 (H) HES
02/25/97 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
BILL: HJR 18
SHORT TITLE: DEDICATED FUNDS: RATE MAY BE CHANGED
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) IVAN
JRN-DATE JRN-DATE ACTION
01/29/97 164 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S)
01/29/97 164 (H) STA, HES, JUD, FINANCE
02/04/97 (H) STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 102
02/04/97 (H) MINUTE(STA)
02/06/97 (H) STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 102
02/06/97 (H) MINUTE(STA)
02/11/97 (H) STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 102
02/11/97 (H) MINUTE(STA)
02/12/97 305 (H) STA RPT CS(STA) NT 4DP 1DNP 1NR
02/12/97 305 (H) DP: JAMES, HODGINS, DYSON, IVAN
02/12/97 305 (H) DNP: VEZEY
02/12/97 305 (H) NR: BERKOWITZ
02/12/97 305 (H) FISCAL NOTE (GOV)
02/12/97 305 (H) REFERRED TO HES
02/20/97 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
02/20/97 (H0 MINUTE(HES)
02/25/97 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
BILL: HB 145
SHORT TITLE: TEACHING COMPETENCY EXAM FOR CERTIF
SPONSOR(S): HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES
JRN-DATE JRN-DATE ACTION
02/18/97 381 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S)
02/18/97 381 (H) HES
02/25/97 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
BILL: HB 121
SHORT TITLE: WINN BRINDLE SCHOLARSHIP LOAN
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) WILLIAMS
JRN-DATE JRN-DATE ACTION
02/10/97 292 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S)
02/10/97 292 (H) HES
02/20/97 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
02/20/97 (H) MINUTE(HES)
02/25/97 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
WITNESS REGISTER
GAYLE WOLF, Student Intern
House Health, Education and Social Services Committee
Alaska State Legislature
Capitol Building, Room 106
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Telephone: (907) 465-3759
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided sponsor statement for HB 114
JOHN MIDDAUGH, MD; Chief
Epidemiology Section
Division of Public Health
Department of Health and Social Services
P.O. Box 240249
Anchorage, Alaska 99524-0249
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 114
MICHAEL H. MILLER
6737 Gray Street
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Telephone: (907) 586-2952
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on HB 114
REPRESENTATIVE IVAN IVAN
Alaska State Legislature
Capitol Building, Room 418
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Telephone: (907) 465-4942
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of HJR 18
TOM WRIGHT, Legislative Assistant
to Representative Ivan
Alaska State Legislature
Capitol Building, Room 418
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Telephone: (907) 465-4942
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on CSHJR 18(STA)
NANCY BUELL, Ed. D.; Director
Teaching and Learning Support
Department of Education
801 West Tenth Street, Suite 200
Juneau, Alaska 99801-1894
Telephone: (907) 465-8689
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 145
JUDITH ENTWIFE, Administrator, Teacher Education and Certification
Teaching and Learning Support
Department of Education
801 West Tenth Street, Suite 200
Juneau, Alaska 99801-1894
Telephone: (907) 465-2857
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 145
JOHN CYR, President
NEA-Alaska
114 Second Street
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Telephone: (907) 586-3090
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 145
JUDITH SNOW-ROSANDER
P.O. Box 129
McGrath, Alaska 99627
Telephone: (907) 524-3929
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on HB 145
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 97-13, SIDE A
Number 0000
CHAIRMAN CON BUNDE called the House Health, Education and Social
Services Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:06 p.m. Members
present at the call to order were Representatives Bunde, Green,
Porter, Kemplen. Representative Dyson arrived at 3:07 p.m. and
Representative Vezey arrived at 3:14 p.m. Representative Brice was
absent. This meeting was teleconferenced to Anchorage and an
offnet site.
HB 114 - HEALTH CARE DATA; BIRTH REGISTRATIONS
Number 0023
CHAIRMAN BUNDE announced the first item on the agenda was HB 114,
"An Act relating to health care data and registration of births."
Number 0077
GAYLE WOLF, student at the University of Alaska Anchorage, an
intern for the House Health, Education and Social Services Standing
Committee, was first to testify. She said HB 114 was introduced
last year as HB 540 at the request of the Department of Health and
Social Services (DHSS), passed the House unanimously, was referred
to the Senate for consideration but was never voted on because the
legislature adjourned before the bill was addressed.
MS. WOLF said HB 114 will accomplish changes in law needed to
assure that the DHSS has access to information on diseases and
conditions of public health significance which are essential to
carry out disease surveillance, control and prevention activities.
It will establish explicit civil immunity for providers who comply
with requirements to report health care data and assure access by
DHSS to health records needed to carry out its mandates and to
conduct research for the purposes of protecting and promoting
public health. These provisions are required to maintain
eligibility for the $420,000 per year federal grant which supports
operation of a registry of cancer occurrences within the state.
The bill will also make the needed changes which will allow full
implementation of the Electronic Birth Certificate system,
clarifying the rules for filing and registering births occurring en
route to Alaska.
Number 0238
MS. WOLF said HB 114 will: Allow certification of births to occur
by an electronic process rather than only allowing certification by
a signature on a paper certificate and will shift the place of
filing to recognize electronic filing, reducing filing time from
seven to five days to comply with requirements of the National
Center for Health Statistics; it will clarify rules for filing and
registering births occurring on moving conveyances in international
waters, air space, foreign waters or air space en route to Alaska
to comply with the model Vital Statistics Act. She said HB 114
contains two zero fiscal notes.
Number 0322
JOHN MIDDAUGH, MD; Chief, Epidemiology Section, Division of Public
Health, Department of Health and Social Services, testified next
via teleconference from Anchorage. He commended Ms. Wolf's
presentation of HB 114, as it covered everything that the bill is
designed to do. He said this bill is important because it allows
DHSS to be in compliance with the federal grant which fully funds
the state's cancer registry. The registry is within a month or two
of providing its first data analysis.
Number 0421
MICHAEL H. MILLER was next to testify. He said he has a vested
interest in HB 114 as he has metastatic prostate cancer which has
spread to bone cancer. He said, like anything else, you don't
understand it until you are there and he is there. He said one in
five men will come down with prostate cancer, four out of ten
Americans will come down with cancer in general. He referred to
folders, located in the committee file, to show the committee what
California has done. The statistics list the California cancer
data from 1996 and 1997.
MR. MILLER said, in 1996, 10 million Californians had cancer which
is about one in three, whereas in 1997 there were 14 million which
is about two in five. He said, in 1996, 822,000 and, in 1997, one
million people had cancer and survived. He said 350,600 were
diagnosed with a five or more year survival rate in 1996 and in
1997 they project 425,000. He said, in 1996, 135,950 Californians
were diagnosed as having cancer which is almost 16 new cases every
hour of every day and added that California has a lower number than
the national average. In 1997, California projects that number
will go down to 131,920.
Number 0628
MR. MILLER said, in 1996, about 54,400 of the Californians who came
down with cancer will remain alive five years after diagnosis. In
1997, 74,000 will be alive five years after diagnosis. He said
this represents a change from 53 percent to 56 percent and said
this is significant to him because this figure is very motivating
for people who have cancer. He said, in 1996, 52,685 people died
of cancer which equals 144 a day. One out of every five deaths in
California is the result of cancer. In 1997, this number will
increase to 53,610 which is about 147 people a day.
Number 0693
MR. MILLER said a greater amount of people can be saved with
educating the public on the different types of cancers. The more
education that we can provide to men about prostate cancer, the
lower the risk there will be. Cancer is the second leading cause
of death, it accounted for 23 percent of deaths in 1996. Heart
disease accounted for 31 percent. He said the statistics don't
change that much for 1997. In 1996, for all stages, there was a 77
percent for a five or more year survival rate and, in 1997, that
increased by 7 percent to 84 percent. Localized cancer, which is
just in the prostate area, increased 5 percent between 1996 and
1997. Regionalized cancer, which means that it can go a little bit
beyond the prostate area, increased 11 percent from 81 percent to
92 percent. For distant cancer, it increased 4 percent.
MR. MILLER said he would look at the 84 percent number and see it
as a motivation that life can be prolonged. He commented that
where there is hope, there is life.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE thanked him for sharing his personal experience with
the committee. He said he appreciated it and wished him all the
best.
MR. MILLER said both his bone cancer and prostate cancer are in a
stable position.
Number 0907
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN PORTER made a motion to move HB 114 with
individual recommendations and zero fiscal notes. Hearing no
objection HB 114 was moved from the House Health, Education and
Social Services Committee.
HJR 18 - DEDICATED FUNDS: RATE MAY BE CHANGED
Number 0980
CHAIRMAN BUNDE introduced the next item on the agenda, HJR 18,
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Alaska
relating to changing the rate of a tax or license that supports a
dedication of its proceeds. He indicated that CSHJR 18(STA) was
before the committee.
Number 0990
REPRESENTATIVE IVAN IVAN deferred any questions to Mr. Wright.
Number 0992
TOM WRIGHT, Legislative Assistant to Representative Ivan, said he
received information from Brad Pierce, Office of Management and
Budget, which outlined seven different dedicated funds that are in
existence right now. He referred to a memo outlining those funds,
the fiscal year balance and the funding source. In response to
Representative Porter's question, he had a discussion with Jim
Baldwin and looked back at the record in the House State Affairs
Committee. He said Mr. Baldwin stated that the attorney general's
office is still using the 1959 opinion as a basis. However, in the
House State Affairs Committee, Mr. Chenoweth did say, a good faith
legal argument could be made, that raising the rate for a specific
tax or proceed does not constitute a violation of the dedicated
fund. He said, upon further discussion with Mr.Chenoweth, this
statement was reiterated.
Number 1059
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said there is not a current attorney general's
opinion on this matter. He noted that the next committee of
referral is the House Judiciary Standing Committee and indicated
that this question could be addressed there and in fact encouraged
it to be addressed there.
Number 1086
REPRESENTATIVE J. ALLEN KEMPLEN said he was curious that there is
no limit on the amount of money that could be placed in a dedicated
fund. He understood that the intent of the drafters of the Alaska
State Constitution was that they wanted to retain maximum
flexibility to the people and their representatives for the
dispersement of public monies and were hesitant about seeing a lot
of money earmarked for special accounts. This bill seems to allow
for any amount of money to be placed into these dedicated funds and
appears to run counter to the intent of the people who set up the
Alaska State Constitution.
Number 1156
MR. WRIGHT said the attorney general in 1959 had this reasoning as
the basis of his opinion, that the tax or proceeds could not be
raised, they had to stay the same. He said, the Chenoweth opinion
dated April 26, 1996 as well as some of the discussion that took
place during the constitutional convention part of the record, it
seemed to be a point that they didn't want to bind future
legislatures to keeping the same rate in effect, that there might
be some changes in the future. He said CSHJR 18(STA) does not
address the maximum amount portion.
Number 1204
CHAIRMAN BUNDE clarified that CSHJR 18(STA) talks about changing
the rate and asked if, in regards to the existing funds, there was
no prohibition as far as a maximum amount was concerned, if there
was just a rate at which money could accrue in these funds.
Number 1217
MR. WRIGHT said he couldn't clearly answer those questions. He
could look back at some of the conversations as well as the effort
to raise the rate on the highway fund. He said it was decided that
they couldn't raise the rate based on this 1959 opinion. By not
funding that particular dedicated fund, it nullified the fund.
Number 1250
CHAIRMAN BUNDE clarified that the fish and game fund is one of the
dedicated funds and it doesn't top out somewhere. He thought the
question was if there was a maximum amount that can be put into a
dedicated fund. He asked if the question regarded the rate and not
the total fund.
REPRESENTATIVE KEMPLEN said he was interested in the maximum amount
and asked if there was a maximum limit.
Number 1275
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said there is not a maximum limit that exists
constitutionally.
Number 1283
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER said, regarding the constitution prohibiting
dedicated funds, the drafters of the constitution recognized this
fund as an exception to the general rule about dedication to funds.
He said Mr. Chenoweth's opinion cited conversations during the
construction of the constitution and added that it is amazing that
some attorney general in past years didn't think the rate could be
increased. His understanding, of attorney general's opinions, is
that without subsequent statutory clarification they are the law
until a statute or a revision of the constitution addresses the
same issue and contradicts it.
Number 1331
REPRESENTATIVE AL VEZEY said an attorney general's opinion falls
under the category of case law and the longer case law stands,
without being overturned, the more precedent setting it becomes.
To overturn the 1959 opinion, at this time, would be equivalent to
the Supreme Court overturning a previous Supreme Court ruling. It
can be done, but it shows disrespect for precedence.
Number 1359
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said CSHJR 18(STA) does not impinge on an attorney
general's opinion being overturned or not, this bill would allow
changes to the rate that money is put into a dedicated fund.
Number 1395
REPRESENTATIVE JOE GREEN said he is co-sponsor of CSHJR 18(STA).
CHAIRMAN BUNDE noted it for the record.
Number 1409
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN made a motion to move CSHJR 18(STA) out of
committee with individual recommendations and the attached fiscal
note of $3,000 in the out year.
Number 1423
REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY objected to the motion.
Number 1440
A roll call vote was taken on CSHJR 18(STA). Representatives
Porter, Dyson, Green and Bunde voted yea. Representatives Vezey
and Kemplen voted nay. Representative Brice was absent for the
vote. CHAIRMAN BUNDE said that CSHJR 18(STA) was moved from the
House Health, Education and Social Services Committee.
HB 145 - TEACHING COMPETENCY EXAM FOR CERTIF
Number 1494
CHAIRMAN BUNDE announced the next item on the agenda was HB 145,
"An Act relating to certification of teachers." He said it was not
his intention to move this bill out of committee today. He said no
one would argue that we want the best teachers in Alaska and this
is what HB 145 aims toward providing.
Number 1531
CHAIRMAN BUNDE read from the sponsor statement. We all realize the
importance of having well-qualified teachers in our school system.
In an effort to provide our state with a quality teaching force, we
must ensure our prospective teachers demonstrate a minimum level of
competency in basic skills and he stressed minimum. Presently
there are 40 states that include a test as part of their teacher
licensure. The passage of HB 145 would add Alaska to that list.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said HB 145 would require people who are not now
licensed to teach to teach in the state of Alaska to pass a
competency exam designated by the Alaska State Board of Education
before receiving their certification. It is our intention that the
board will select a test for primary grades and a test of subject
endorsement for secondary teachers. The board will also establish
a minimum acceptable level of performance for this examination. He
encouraged the committee to support this increase in standards for
our teachers.
Number 1586
NANCY BUELL, Ed. D.; Director, Teaching and Learning Support,
Department of Education (DOE), said the DOE is pleased to be in
support of HB 145. She was here to offer some information about
what the department has already been doing over the past two years
in order to combine that work with the bill to produce an
assessment of initial competence for beginning teachers. She
cited a quote form a report titled, "A Quality Professional
Workforce", from a recent and prestigious report of the National
Commission on Teaching and America's Future. She said the quote
speaks to the need for a new set of standards and skills for
teachers. She read from it, "Moreover, as students with a wider
range of learning needs enter and stay in school--a growing number
whose first language is not English, many others with learning
differences, and still others with learning disabilities--teachers
need access to the growing knowledge that exists about how to teach
different kinds of learners effectively. Developing the kind of
teaching needed will require much greater clarity about what
students must learn to succeed in the world that awaits them, and
that teachers must know and do to help them achieve it. Standards,
not standards for students but standards for teachers, that reflect
these imperatives for student learning and for teaching are largely
absent in our nation today."
DR. BUELL said, instead of being behind as recent reports may have
indicated, the state of Alaska is the first state to adopt
professional performance standards and put them into regulation,
making them a part of both the evaluation system. Subsequently,
there are plans to make those standards part of the licensure
system in the state. She said these are the regulations required
by HB 465; the performance standards for teachers. If you glance
through them you will see that very few of them could be easily
accessed by a pencil and paper test. Therefore, what the DOE has
been working on is a system of tiered licensure. This has been
proposed to the Board of Education, members of National Education
Association (NEA) and other organizations such as state
administrators organizations, retired teachers, Native education
and training groups and universities. Three levels of licensure
have been looked at and the board has now told DOE to go ahead and
develop those three.
Number 1727
DR. BUELL said the first area of licensure would be the initial
level which HB 145 would address. She said Alaska is part of a
consortium of states, nationally, who are developing three types of
tests; a test of teaching knowledge, a performance examination for
teachers and a portfolio that new teachers would put together to
prove that they are ready to go into the classroom even though it
is obvious that they will need additional learning. She believed
that DOE had excellent input from teachers, parents and
administrators across the states. The standards also include
standards for parent and family involvement as well as a number of
other things which are not included in other states' licensure
systems.
Number 1766
DR. BUELL said the DOE has been working on this for two years, it
has been in their work plan which is a public document to be
introduced next January. This bill, HB 145, pre-dates the DOE's
plan.
Number 1795
JUDITH ENTWIFE, Administrator, Teacher Education and Certification,
Teaching and Learning Support, Department of Education, was next to
testify. She referred to a chart labeled, "Assessments Used by
States for Teacher Certification/Licensure", and said that Alaska
is the only state that does not require a competency exam of any
sort, at any level. She concurred with the chair that HB 145 is
something that we need, but also drew the committee's attention to
the fact that there are three different kinds of basic skills tests
being offered. The first test essentially says that a teacher can
do what we expect students to be able to do and can demonstrate
that ability. The second is a group of tests of teaching knowledge
which includes pedagogy or, in general, how to teach. It also
includes specialty areas which would show that a teacher knows how
to teach high school history or knows how to teach special
education students. The last area is a group of performance
assessments, where someone who goes in and watches this teacher in
action and observes classroom behavior. The evaluator would be
able to say, not only does this teacher know how to do it, the
teacher can apply it and put it into action, helping our students
achieve academically. She said DOE would like to do exactly what
is being proposed in HB 145, maybe even go beyond that and take the
time to do this in a deliberative manner as part of a comprehensive
process.
Number 1889
MS. ENTWIFE said if she were to change HB 145 in any way, she would
take the word, "test", and make it, "tests". She said it is
obvious that it takes more than one test to give us the sense that
teachers really can do what we want them to be able to do.
Standards are in place for teachers, one of which says that
teachers will regularly access student progress. As you look at
the performance indicators at the various levels, an initial
teacher would be expected to align those tests pretty closely with
what the learning goals are for the students. She said it sounds
pretty obvious, but it is not an easy thing to do. At the second
level, we expect them to align those tests with student goals and
be able to use a variety of tests to allow students with different
styles to identify or demonstrate what it is that they actually
know and are able to do.
MS. ENTWIFE said she would like to see assessments of teachers that
are equally as valid, are aligned directly with our standards for
teachers and have a variety of forms of assessment. Her biggest
concern is that when we do this, we do it deliberatively and we
make sure that what we expect Alaskan teachers to know and be able
to do are in fact what they can do. In some cases, we will find
out that they cannot do this. Those people do not belong as
teachers in the state of Alaska.
Number 1979
REPRESENTATIVE FRED DYSON asked if they found out how these tests
were working for other states.
Number 1984
MS. ENTWIFE said they seem to be very successful, but clarified
that she could not say it was true for all of the states because
many of the states are in transition. All of the specifically
named processes, named in the chart, were commercially available
tests with the exception of the test used in Colorado. The
Colorado test is a state developed exam which is carefully aligned
with their state standards.
Number 2008
REPRESENTATIVE DYSON heard that Arkansas and Virginia could not
find a combination of teachers that could pass the test and were
willing to work for the wages they were paying.
DR. BUELL said there were many states that had that problem.
Number 2025
MS. ENTWIFE said, if indeed it was true, she wouldn't want those
teachers teaching her grandchildren. She said we need to find
those teachers who are indeed interested in meeting high enough
standards for the children of this state.
Number 2045
REPRESENTATIVE DYSON referred to her testimony that she was
interested in seeing testing for teachers and said HB 145 appeared
to grandfather existing teachers. He asked if the DOE would have
preferred this test for all teachers, rather than just incoming
teachers.
Number 2062
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said last year's bill, HB 465, puts in place an
evaluation for teachers in the tenure review process. He said
there is mechanism now for testing existing teachers.
Number 2077
REPRESENTATIVE DYSON asked if there was a different test for
existing teachers as opposed to incoming teachers.
Number 2081
DR. BUELL said, the professional licensure task force has
recommended, and the board has agreed, in order to go from the
initial level of licensure as a new teacher, who has spent a couple
of years in a teaching position having met initial standards, there
should be another set of assessments for people to obtain a
standard license or a continuing license. This license would, in
effect, be good for continuing years, with the belief that there is
maturation in any profession and that people should be able to meet
higher standards. It is not the intention, at this point, of the
licensure task force to automatically grandfather in the work force
in the state, but to use the renewal process to have teachers
address, through a professional development plan, particular
standards that are in regulation and show that they have been met.
Over time the entire work force will have met the standards that
are in regulation.
Number 2116
DR. BUELL said HB 465 does not require a state licensure system, it
requires a district evaluation system based on these standards.
Many teachers, licensed in the state, are not currently teaching.
Similarly there are many teachers that come from outside the state
who have been teaching for many years, but are not currently within
the districts that might be evaluating them based on those
performance standards. Assessments would need to be developed over
time that were appropriate for teachers already in the profession
and teachers already teaching in the state of Alaska.
Number 2136
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN asked, if this law were enacted, if teachers
tenured out of the state would fall into the review we have for
existing experienced teachers or would they be required to take
this new test.
Number 2155
DR. BUELL said the professional licensure task force addressed this
issue and has been worrying over it for the last couple of years.
The task force recognized that upwards of 80 percent of our
teachers in Alaska come from other states and that will probably
always be true. An assessment system would have to be devised to
evaluate experienced teachers coming in from other states. The
task force looked to Colorado as the bell weather state in the
nation, Colorado requires a portfolio from people coming in to
teach from outside the state. Oregon requires people, coming in
from outside the state, to take tests just the same way as everyone
else does or they can opt for an alternative method of submitting
a portfolio of evidence. She said this is the direction that the
task force is leaning, they are not looking at taking people from
outside on faith while requiring a rigorous standard for people in
the state.
Number 2199
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said HB 145, as currently written, applies to Type
A teaching certificates in Alaska where a teacher, whether they are
a ten year experienced teacher or fresh out of college, would have
to take a competency exam.
Number 2207
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER asked if the competency exam for teachers
would look at the types of things that students need to learn, but
might differentiate based on the students' ability to demonstrate
knowledge.
Number 2221
MS. ENTWIFE clarified that she did not intend to say that. The
teachers certainly need to know, first of all, basic skills.
Teachers should know and be able to do what we expect our
graduating high school students to know and be able to do, these
are the basic skills. Beyond that teachers should know how to
teach students that which we all agree students should know and be
able to do. Different students may learn in different ways, so
elementary school teachers need to be able to teach elementary
school students as compared to teaching secondary students if they
are secondary school teachers. They need to be able to teach math
if that is their area of endorsement or English if that is their
area of endorsement. If they intend to teach special education
students, the teachers should know the specifics of teaching
students with the kinds of disabilities with which they'll be
dealing.
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER clarified that there wasn't a reference to a
different evaluation system for different kids based on different
things other than special education.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said that sometimes there is a feeling that students
should be able to take tests in different fashions and added that
when they are able to fill out job applications differently than we
can...
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER said this was precisely the point he was
going to make.
Number 2265
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER said the task force has been working on this
issue for two years and asked why HB 145 had a fiscal note. He
said if the DOE were to begin testing, requiring additional funds
to do so, then the money would have to be included in their
existing budget.
DR. BUELL said they would have brought a budget increment.
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER understood that DOE would be doing this
testing anyway and would have brought the program before the
legislature for approval. He asked if the fiscal note attached to
HB 145 addressed something beyond the scope of DOE.
TAPE 97-13, SIDE B
Number 0000
DR. BUELL said this competency testing requirement probably would
have come forth in regulation. In the event that this would have
happened, a budget piece would have gone with it so as to implement
the program.
Number 0019
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER clarified that this budget fiscal note
addresses implementing the program, not further developing it.
Number 0026
DR. BUELL said the first year addresses development.
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER said the DOE would have done this testing
with the existing budget, but since the legislature is doing it now
with HB 145 it is going to cost $149,000 more for development.
Number 0056
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN said he understood that the costs are the
same. If the costs are within HB 145, it is going to cost $149,000
the first year. If it was included in the budget, then the budget
request would have been increased by $149,000.
DR. BUELL said this was correct.
Number 0092
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said the budget would have asked for more money
because the task force tests are more elaborate than what HB 145
requires.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE referred to Representative Dyson's question and said
the law of supply and demand will apply. If we raise our demands
of our teaching faculty, the supply might be impacted to those who
want to work for love and those who want to work for money.
Number 0127
REPRESENTATIVE DYSON asked if the present certification and peer
review, on existing credentialed teachers, weeded out many
teachers.
Number 0146
MS. ENTWIFE said there are people who currently apply for
certification in the state of Alaska that do not receive
certification in the state of Alaska. This certification is
determined by whether or not you can complete a national standards
approved and regionally accredited educational program. As we are
aware there are people who are able to put together the inputs, but
when it comes down to the proof of the pudding it doesn't taste
very good. She said DOE is saying this teacher is good, but we
want to make absolutely sure that this person simply hasn't jumped
through the hoops. This person can actually do, in a classroom
with live children, what they purport to be able to do.
Number 0228
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said that takes it a step beyond what HB 145 would
do and that is why he said the DOE's budget request would be
different. Currently, to get a Type A teaching certificate you
have to be breathing and have graduated from college with an
appropriate degree. This bill would add one more screening device,
a teacher would have to pass this test. After passing the test,
the local district would interview those people who have their Type
A certificate. The district would then make the choice as to
whether these teachers are appropriate for their teaching
situation.
Number 0277
REPRESENTATIVE DYSON asked if the ongoing credentialling that is
given to teachers had ever been denied.
Number 0296
MS. ENTWIFE said in order to continue to be credentialled in this
state you must complete six semester hours. If you have done this
successfully and make application, your credentials will be
renewed. If you make application and don't do that, you won't be
renewed.
Number 0325
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said there is a teaching standards commission and a
number of people who have had their licenses taken away for
incompetency and immorality, substantial noncompliance. The
district fires people and there are also people who lose their
license to teach in the state of Alaska because of immorality.
Number 0364
REPRESENTATIVE DYSON said he would be interested to know, on an
annual basis, how many teachers have not had their credentials
renewed because of incompetency.
Number 0380
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said other people could probably answer that
question. With the notion that we are not going to do an in-
classroom on the job training which would be wonderful, but it is
not within the scope of HB 145 at this time.
Number 0385
DR. BUELL asked that in the committee's consideration of HB 145 it
be very clear which categories of teachers you are specifying. She
said it is not clear upon reading the bill whether it focuses on
teachers new to the profession or new to the state. She said she
would also ask the committee to add those teachers who may have
taught, but never have been credentialed anywhere else. There are
private school systems that don't require credentialling.
Number 0453
CHAIRMAN BUNDE asked if HB 145 needed something more than Section
2, "Beginning on the effective date of this Act, a person is not
eligible for teacher certificate unless the person has taken and
successfully completed a competency exam".
Number 0480
DR. BUELL referred to the press conference when Representative
Bunde spoke and said HB 145 applied to preservice teachers. If
that was the case, preservice teachers mean only those people who
have never taught.
Number 0491
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said he meant those who have not received their Type
A teaching certificates.
Number 0495
DR. BUELL asked about Type Bs, Cs, Ds, and limited certificates.
Number 0520
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said he wanted to limit this to Type A, he did not
want to get into counselors and vocational education teachers.
Number 0566
DR. BUELL clarified that anyone who is new to the profession and
wishes a Type C teaching certificate does not need to take such a
test.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said this test would be limited to Type A.
DR. BUELL said his intent is that any other certificates would not
need a test.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said he was willing to listen to arguments that
would suggest that, but at this point he would rather limit this to
Type A.
DR. BUELL said there are people who enter schools as Type Cs right
out of college, having never taught before or having taught in
another state. They don't go through the Type A process first.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said those people would not be regular classroom
teachers.
DR. BUELL said they would be speech pathologist, counselors,
librarians. She said these people are working with children. She
said there are librarians, school nurses and counselors who are
standing up in front of a class and teaching a specific curriculum.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said Type A is his intent, it is preservice, for
teachers who have not received their Type A teaching certificate.
He said there is a minority of people who have received their Type
A certificate and have never taught. He said they are not going to
try to catch all the fish in this net, just the majority.
DR. BUELL clarified that if someone came into the state and wanted
to be a superintendent or a principal that it is not his intent to
have them take a test.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said he would leave this question to the local
districts.
Number 0629
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER asked if a B or a C would be called a teacher
certificate.
Number 0639
DR. BUELL said yes they are called teaching certificates.
Unfortunately the statute, that guides this area, defines anyone
with a Type A, B, C, limited certificate, or anyone who works with
kids without supervision, as a teacher. It is a broad term in
statute. In order to implement HB 145, the intent needs to be real
clear. Occasionally a statute is passed and the language is
unclear so something happens that was not intended.
Number 0669
CHAIRMAN BUNDE suggested in Section 1(b), "A person is not eligible
for a Type A teacher certificate", to tighten up the language.
DR. BUELL said this language would help clarify. She said the
second thing that would be recommended is that HB 145 not be
limited to a single test, almost no other state does a single test.
Other states do a basic skills test and then some type of content
area test. Even for initial teachers, we would hope that having
tests would be a possibility. She said a language change such as,
"examination or examinations test or tests", so that if the Board
of Education decides that it wants to require a multiple test, it
is an option under the statute.
Number 0722
CHAIRMAN BUNDE referred to the sponsor statement, "a basic test for
primary grads and a test for subject endorsements in secondary".
He said he had some confidence in the Board of Education, but if it
would raise the level of comfort and understanding the language
could be changed to say, "pass the examination or examinations",
just put an "(s)" there.
DR. BUELL said this would address all of the concerns. She said
the Board of Education is looking at other states and trying to
develop multiple tests.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said they might put something in the bill asking the
Board of Education to report back to the legislature.
DR. BUELL said they would hope that any type of test would be
standards based, to tie it to our standards in some way and so show
why it was that we asked people to do it. The standards language
in there would fit with HB 465, since it speaks to performance
standards.
Number 0781
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN said if teachers came in from outside of the
state and if they don't have a Type A teaching certificate, then
they would need to take the test. He asked if there would be
reciprocity as there are in other professions.
Number 0813
DR. BUELL said the state does not have any reciprocity in this
area. It would create an unusual situation for the state because
to get a Type B in this state, you have to qualify for a Type A.
So the Type B's are de facto having to take the test to qualify for
a Type A in order to qualify for a Type B. It is a quirk of the
regulations. She said HB 145 will impact more people than just
those people asking for an initial certificate, if we have to use
literal interpretation of the regulations.
Number 0859
JOHN CYR, President, National Education Association-Alaska (NEA-
Alaska), said his organization represents over 10,000 education
employees across the state. He said NEA-Alaska supports the use of
testing to measure professional knowledge and competency for those
who seek initial Type A certification to teach in Alaska. We
believe that testing teachers prior to certification is consistent
with last year's legislative mandate in HB 465, requiring a
comprehensive system of teacher evaluation for experienced
teachers. Beginning this year, an evaluation procedure is in place
that has a list of standards which mandates for non-tenured
teachers that they be evaluated twice yearly on those standards and
evaluations for tenured teachers on a yearly basis.
MR. CYR said NEA-Alaska believes that preservice testing, or
testing before certification, for Type A certification will bring
higher standards for teachers. Preparation programs must be
relevant to experiences in the needs of the classroom and the use
of testing should provide Alaska a wealth of information on how
well we are doing to prepare for Alaska's classrooms. Institutions
that prepare students to teach in Alaska can use these test results
to identify the methodology and innovation to ensure that students
who become teachers are well trained and well prepared.
Certification standards for new hires by the state must be
rigorous. The evaluation that teachers receive in the classrooms
by administrators, along with future efforts by the state Board of
Education, to improve teaching performance should move Alaska's
schools towards greater levels of excellence.
MR. CYR said NEA-Alaska supports the efforts by the DOE to develop
preservice and practice assessments and measures for new and career
teachers. We believe that HB 145 will provide Alaska's school
districts a degree of assurance that applicants for teaching
positions, who apply for an initial Type A certification, have
successfully completed a test designed to measure competency in
basic skills, professional knowledge or expertise in their area of
teaching specialty.
Number 0998
REPRESENTATIVE DYSON asked if NEA-Alaska tracked the impact of
testing in other states.
Number 1015
MR. CYR said they have not. The organization has provided, to the
chair, the same basic information that the DOE has provided on the
types of tests and the areas of testing that has been done. As far
as the impact on the numbers and what it has done, it is so
subjective that data has not been collected.
Number 1036
REPRESENTATIVE DYSON said he had hoped that some states had done
this long enough that a correlation of students' performance with
wage packages and some of that data might be available.
Number 1048
MR. CYR said there is so much that affects student performance such
as community demographics. You can run a list of those kind of
things that affect performance. Undoubtedly teacher preparation
plays some part of that, we all hope that it does. To some extent
when you compare districts or states, you compare apples and
oranges. He said the proof will be what happens here in Alaska.
If and when testing is in place, we will be looking at a district's
hiring policy. Whether teachers will be hired because of their
test scores and how well they do when an administrator evaluates
them. He said HB 145 is not a silver bullet, but a comprehensive
thing that brings the level, raises the bar, on those people that
try to get into the profession.
Number 1115
REPRESENTATIVE DYSON said, in other conversations about education,
there has always been quite a bit of data about the standard of
living, education level of parents, socio-economic mix in a
district and many other factors and how they correlate with student
performance. He expressed surprise that there has been no data
tracking teacher certification and testing.
Number 1145
MR. CYR said there might be this data, but he has not seen it.
There is data that tracks the level of educational achievement
compared to salaries that are offered. Districts that offer higher
salaries get teachers with masters and doctorate degrees, it is
consistent across the board. Those districts have higher scores.
He questioned whether it is because they have teachers with higher
degrees or because of the demographics of the city.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said the higher salaries in Alaska are probably
regulated by geographic considerations.
MR. CYR said the demographics are much different in those areas as
well.
Number 1190
CHAIRMAN BUNDE referred to a question earlier about the
professional teaching practices commission and asked him if he was
aware of approximate number of people who lose their license to
teach each year.
Number 1195
MR. CYR said he could provide an exact number by Thursday when the
committee met again.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said there is a weeding out that occurs.
Number 1210
REPRESENTATIVE KEMPLEN asked if all the members of NEA-Alaska were
uniform in their abilities. He referred to teachers in more
technical classes, such as machine shop or computer science, as
compared to someone who is teaching English or history. He said
stories have been related about people who just wish to teach their
skill and are very competent in transferring their skill to their
students, but not necessarily good in other areas. He asked how
they would fare under this type of approach.
Number 1286
MR. CYR said any of us, who have taken a college physics or
chemistry class, might have had a professor who had great command
of field knowledge but could not teach. There is a body of
knowledge around teaching, whether you teach high school chemistry
or second grade reading. There is an art or a science to teaching
and you need to know how to teach. He said there is a whole set of
activities about how to deal in a classroom that especially comes
into play when you are talking about specialized classrooms such as
a special education classroom. He said as he read HB 145, it
allows the DOE to pick the assessment tool. The department would
not just look at whether you had mathematics knowledge, but whether
or not you could teach math and will somehow be differentiated
around the area of endorsement.
Number 1373
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said this is the basic requirement for people who
get a Type A teaching certificate and said Representative Kemplen
might have been referring to people who would not be teaching in
the public school. He said teachers in the schools need to be
teachers as well as mechanics.
Number 1413
MR. CYR said there are people with a Type D certificate who teach
vocational education classes and don't have a Type A certificate.
Those people have a single area of expertise such as welding
teachers or shop teachers. Those are not tenured positions, they
are reviewed annually by the administration and their teaching
skills are measured by the administrator. He said HB 145 would not
speak to those positions.
Number 1446
CHAIRMAN BUNDE clarified that HB 145 is a prescreening device. The
concerns about how people can function in the classroom are
determined by the district that chooses to hire this person, the
bill is simply a prescreening device that adds a third requirement
needed to obtain a Type A teaching certificate.
Number 1470
MR. CYR referred to page 1, line 15, "Beginning on the effective
date of the Act, a person is not eligible for a", and said he would
delete, "a", and put, "an initial Type A teaching certificate". He
said this would meet the concerns that the language is too generic.
Number 1503
JUDITH SNOW-ROSANDER said she had some concerns with HB 145 because
people can get through testing but when they come in contact with
the students, the principal and others they show whether or not
they are quality teachers. She said HB 465 would hopefully
continue this evaluation of teachers. Representative Dyson
mentioned that we are all concerned about the quality of teachers,
yet we don't tie it into the most important thing which is to show
our children's success or failures. There should be some way to
show that a teacher is good by showing the success of our children.
Teachers can pass all these tests, they can be tenured for 20 years
and our kids can still be failing.
Number 1577
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said HB 145 requires a test before you hire
teachers, it is still the school board's job to make sure that the
teachers hired are the best you can get. If they are falling down
on the job after they have been hired you can use HB 465 to get
them out.
Number 1594
MS. SNOW-ROSANDER asked how long the observation time will be.
Number 1600
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said HB 145 does not include observation time. This
bill says, during the initial licensure time, that people are
licensed. The school district will decide whether or not you want
to hire them. There will be no gold star on them to say these
teachers are a quality product, you still have that choice to make.
The test says that they meet the minimum qualifications.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said the committee will not take any public action
on HB 145. The bill will be brought up on Thursday for further
discussion, public testimony and to see if the committee is ready
to move the bill forward.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to conduct, CHAIRMAN BUNDE
adjourned the meeting of the House Health, Education and Social
Services Standing Committee at 4:22 p.m.
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