Legislature(2013 - 2014)CAPITOL 106
02/08/2013 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Presentation: Annual Report of the Department of Education and Early Development | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
JOINT MEETING
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 8, 2013
8:01 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Representative Lynn Gattis, Chair
Representative Lora Reinbold, Vice Chair
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux
Representative Dan Saddler
Representative Paul Seaton
Representative Harriet Drummond
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Senator Gary Stevens, Chair
Senator Mike Dunleavy, Vice Chair
Senator Charlie Huggins
Senator Berta Gardner
MEMBERS ABSENT
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Representative Peggy Wilson
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Senator Bert Stedman
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND
EARLY DEVELOPMENT
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
JIM MERRINER, Chair
State Board of Education & Early Development
Department of Education and Early Development (EED)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided the Annual Report of the State
Board of Education and Early Development.
MIKE HANLEY, Commissioner
Department of Education and Early Development (EED)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Responded to questions during the
presentation of the Annual Report of the State Board of
Education and Early Development.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:01:14 AM
CHAIR GARY STEVENS called the joint meeting of the House and
Senate Education Standing Committees to order at 8:01 a.m.
Present at the call to order from the House Education Standing
Committee were Representatives Gattis, Drummond, Seaton,
Reinbold, and Saddler; Representative LeDoux arrived as the
meeting was in progress. Present from the Senate Education
Standing Committee were Senators Stevens, Huggins, Gardner, and
Dunleavy.
^Presentation: Annual Report of the Department of Education and
Early Development
Presentation: Annual Report of the State Board of Education and
Early Development
CHAIR STEVENS announced that the only order of business would be
a presentation of the Annual Report of the State Board of
Education and Early Development.
8:02:15 AM
JIM MERRINER, Chair, State Board of Education & Early
Development directed attention to the committee handout titled
"State Board of Education & Early Development Report to the
Alaska Legislature January 2013," and said he would address
selected sections beginning with the mission statement, as
presented on page 1, which read: "To ensure quality standards-
based instruction to improve academic achievement for all
students." He emphasized the inclusion of "standards-based
instruction" as being a key element to this statement and asked
members to turn to pages 8-9 of the handout. In June 2012, the
board adopted new standards, which for the first time span K-12
and also increase the level of rigor. The new standards are
"close enough" to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), as
adopted nationwide by 46 states and the District of Columbia, to
allow the use of off the shelf curriculum and assessments based
off the common core. He emphasized the goal of the new
standards, paraphrasing an excerpt from page 9, which read:
"Alaska's graduates will be able to compete with graduates
nationwide for higher education and jobs," and, he added,
"internationally."
8:07:40 AM
MR. MERRINER, returning to page 3, directed attention to the
fourth paragraph and paraphrased the language, which read
[original punctuation provided]:
Responding to recommendations from a statewide group
of K-12 and college educators called the Teacher
Quality Working Group, the State Board adopted
amendments to 4 AAC 04 and 4 AAC 19 that would require
districts to assess whether teachers, principals and
special service providers (such as school
psychologists) are exemplary, proficient, basic or
unsatisfactory in each of the state's professional
content standards and in overall performance.
Districts must consider the state's standards for
culturally responsive educators, as well.
MR. MERRINER exhibited a power point page, which the
commissioner of the Department of Education and Early
Development (EED) used in a recent presentation to further
describe the changes that were made to the content of the
performance standards. Listed were eight original standards,
and one was removed while another was added. Paraphrasing, he
read the new standard as: "A teacher helps students grow
academically as measured by learning data." He said assessments
will be made to determine what growth a student has achieved in
a classroom setting under a particular teacher.
8:08:58 AM
SENATOR DUNLEAVY asked for clarification regarding
administration of the common core assessments.
MR. MERRINER responded that the state expects to adopt the
Smarter Balance Consortium assessment. To a follow-up question
he said these assessments will replace the standards-based
assessments (SBAs) and High School Graduation Qualifying Exam
(HSGQE), commencing 2015.
SENATOR DUNLEAVY queried whether there would be cut scores to
determine proficiency/advanced proficiency.
MR. MERRINER deferred.
8:10:07 AM
MIKE HANLEY, Commissioner, Department of Education and Early
Development (EED), explained that the U.S. Department of
Education funded two consortia to develop assessments around the
common core. The Alaska standards are similar enough to the
common core that using a tailored assessment would be
appropriate, and Smarter Balance is being considered. Regarding
cut scores, he said that because 46 states will be adopting one
of these two assessments, Alaska's cut scores should be similar
to the rest of the nation. To a follow-up question, he said the
Smarter Balance is a criterion based assessment and will align
with the actions of the other states.
MR. MERRINER clarified that the new assessments will first be
administered in spring of 2015 or 2016; to be determined.
8:12:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON noted that not all districts in Alaska
have adopted the common core standards. The common core have
been primarily adopted in the urban areas, and the rural areas
have adopted something similar; a somewhat different Alaskan
standard. He expressed concern for assessment alignment using
two standards systems. Determining how these two standards
compare and whether the desired academic results are achieved
will cost the state millions and take many years to complete, he
opined, and asked how this will be handled by the State Board.
MR. MERRINER responded that the Alaska standards are not far
enough off of the common core to make a significant difference;
which is why the board has confidence in this approach.
Further, he named the state agencies that have vetted the Alaska
standards, including the University of Alaska (UA).
COMMISSIONER HANLEY added that it would be erroneous for the
department to consider an assessment that doesn't measure what
is being taught. He said the state had reasons not to adopt the
common core standards, foremost being that changes were not
allowed. The department received stakeholder input and any
areas that differed from the common core were scrutinized by the
common core development team, ensuring that rigor was
maintained. He provided an example of how a second/third grade
patterning skill required in the common core, has been, and will
continue to be, taught to Alaskan children at the kindergarten
level. Also, the term "with support" was added in regards to
beginning reading skills. These are two examples of the type of
relatively small alterations that preclude Alaska being
officially considered a common core state but, in practice, the
same standards apply. He expressed confidence in using the
Smarter Balance assessment as a good means to measure what will
be taught in the schools.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON maintained his concern for alignment of
the percentage of schools that are not teaching to the common
core. He asked how comparisons will be drawn between districts
teaching to different standards, and what the implications will
be regarding the assessments.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY said that 4 of Alaska's 54 districts have
adopted the common core standards. He then assured the
committee that essentially these standards are not different and
assessments should not present an issue. The curriculum has not
been altered but some verbiage was changed based on stakeholder
input, which disallows the retention of the name CCSS.
MR. MERRINER interjected that the four districts that have
adopted the common core are also required to teach in accordance
with the K-12 state standards.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY offered to provide the side by side
standards comparison, which would indicate the semantics that
were altered.
8:21:32 AM
MR. MERRINER directed attention to page 4 of the handout, and
said the requirements for the Alaska Performance Scholarship
(APS) have been changed. The minimum WorkKeys scores for the
gold standard have been changed, as it was determined that the
requirements were the equivalent of having a Bachelors of Arts
(BA) degree. The requirement is now aligned with current
industry expectations. He opined that the new scoring system
may open the door for more APS recipients.
8:24:02 AM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked if the APS can be used outside of
Alaska.
MR. MERRINER replied, no.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX further inquired whether the scholarship
can be applied towards attendance to any institution in Alaska,
or only state operated facilities.
MR. MERRINER answered that it includes such institutions as
Alaska Pacific University (APU) and Western Baptist.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked how this aligns with providing state
vouchers to religious schools for primary education.
MR. MERRINER said, "I don't really have an answer for that.
8:25:10 AM
SENATOR GARDNER commented that the APS was designed as a carrot
to encourage students to excel and to ensure that districts
provide the necessary courses for students to attain academic
goals. She expressed concern that the changes water down the
standards of the scholarship.
MR. MERRINER defended the need to lower the requirement, stating
that it was determined to be what is required to attain a BA.
SENATOR GARDNER asked to have documentation provided to support
the change.
8:27:50 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND questioned how a qualifying score for
the APS could equate to a BA college degree.
MR. MERRINER deferred.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY explained that WorkKeys has established a
score correlation with qualifications for career placement. The
scores don't equal a BA, but align with careers that require a
BA. He said the legislature chose to have a career track as
well as a college track, for the APS. Lowering the score
requirements aligned with what is entailed to achieve a high
level career. The scores required to pursue a BA are assessed
using the ACT (American College Testing) and SAT (Scholastic
Achievement Test).
8:30:03 AM
MR. MERRINER finished the APS section on page 4 stating that
high school level courses can be taken in middle school and
counted towards the scholarship program, such as Algebra I.
Additionally, International Baccalaureate® (IB), courses will
also be allowed, and handled similar to advanced placement (AP)
courses.
8:30:51 AM
MR. MERRINER said districts must spend at least 70 percent of
operating funds for instruction, including teacher salaries.
Waiver requests are not uncommon, especially from smaller
districts; an example being the need to cover an unexpected rise
in fuel or travel costs. Recently the board denied a waiver to
the Yupiit School District; an unusual action. He said the
State Board discussed the benefits of the 70 percent requirement
and voted to rescind resolutions submitted previously to the
legislatures of 2007 and 2009, requesting reconsideration of the
statute. The board now appreciates that the law allows a means
for scrutiny of the financial practices of the districts. He
reported that the board passed two resolutions: one in honor of
Cynthia Curran, retiree from service as Director of Teaching and
Learning Support; and one in conjunction with the 100th
anniversary of the 1913 Denali Expedition Team, honoring Eric
Engman descendant of a team member.
8:34:46 AM
MR. MERRINER reported on the dates that the State Board met with
EED and UA officials to collaborate on alignment of the
educational process, from K-12 to P-20W. The UA has determined
that entry level college classes could be offered on-line at no
cost, such as MATH 107. If the student passed and took a
proctored exam, the credit could be purchased; opening the door
of opportunity to massive open online courses (MOOCs). Finally,
the collaborative group is reviewing the UA teacher education
programs, and a teacher education consortium has been organized.
8:36:36 AM
MR. MERRINER directed attention to page 13 and commended the
legislature on passage of SB 137, which requires suicide
prevention education in all schools. He then moved to page 16
to acknowledge the recent ground breaking for construction of
the State Library Archives Museum (SLAM) project, which will
replace the Alaska State Archives and Records and Information
Management building, and also house the new state library and
museum. He then turned to page 24 to review the annual
recommendations, and said the board considers the implementation
of the new English and math standards, as well as educator-
evaluation regulations, to be the key for increasing academic
achievement of all students. Further, the board recommends
passage of the Governor's K-12 education budget.
8:38:51 AM
CHAIR STEVENS referred to the governor's recent State of the
State address, calling for improvement of graduation rates to
the 90 percent level, and for Alaska to "become the poster child
of the digital world," and asked how the board is approaching
these goals.
MR. MERRINER said, "I'm not immersed in the details." However,
he reported, there is a high level of excitement for the Jobs
for Alaska's Graduates (JAG) program, that is receiving an
$800,000 allocation in the governor's budget. The JAG program
targets at-risk high school students and in the 33 states which
have implemented it, the research results have been encouraging.
8:40:39 AM
SENATOR GARDNER asked whether the HSGQE should be continued.
MR. MERRINER said, "That would be a good conversation to have."
8:41:18 AM
CHAIR STEVENS referred to the focus on early learning and the
approaches that encourage early literacy and parental
involvement, to ask what level of commitment the board holds for
providing support to young children.
MR. MERRINER responded that the board is committed to assisting
students in the best possible way, and said the state has a
voluntary pre-kindergarten program. The data gathered from the
Pre-K pilot programs, operating the last 3-4 years, indicate
measurable effectiveness; which the board fully supports.
CHAIR STEVENS asked if there is an effective means to engage
parents of pre-school age children to take measures that could
ensure readiness when the child enters school. He recalled
programs, used in some states, which provide packets to parents
of children younger than three years olds.
MR. MERRINER offered that there are programs in the state geared
for parents of pre-school age children, but he said, "I don't
know the details."
8:43:28 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND questioned the speaker's previous
statement that Alaska is a voluntary Pre-K state, and expressed
her belief that it is one of the few states that doesn't have
voluntary Pre-K programs. Clarifying, she said that Alaska does
not offer Pre-K as an option to all parents in every school.
MR. MERRINER concurred.
8:44:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked what assessments are administered to
ensure that children are reading by the end of third grade.
MR. MERRINER said the districts are allowed the latitude to
select appropriate assessments.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY interjected that there is an overall
screening tool, used on a statewide basis to assess the
developmental profile at the kindergarten level; not necessarily
for literacy. He said there is a $320,000 proposal in the
governor's budget to implement a statewide, universal screening
tool, for early identification of needs. It would be available
for use in kindergarten through third grade levels.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX queried whether a third grade student
assessed as reading below level, would be precluded from
advancing to the fourth grade.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY said that the assessment is not a retention
tool. Literacy is continually tracked to allow for early
intervention. Further, he said mandatory retention is not in
use.
8:46:50 AM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD continued on the topic of early literacy
and the importance of reading by third or fourth grade, to opine
that mixed data exists on early intervention and effectiveness
of early learning programs. She said that Alaska ranks last on
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores.
Sweden is a country that does have outstanding national
educational results, and school doesn't begin until the age of
seven. She asked if the Swedish model has been scrutinized by
EED.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY cautioned against isolating certain aspects
of another societal approach, and taking components out of
context; although the possibility exists that certain aspects
could be adopted. He offered that Swedish society includes
universal health care, along with other norms that don't exist
in Alaska.
8:48:55 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS inquired about UA's use of the Accuplacer exam,
when is it being used, and what is the funding source.
MR. MERRINER responded that the university system funds the
Accuplacer for juniors and seniors, who participate voluntarily.
Consideration is currently being given on whether to allow
sophomores to take the assessment. The university uses it for
math and English placement purposes. The rational is to provide
additional information to students prior to graduation.
SENATOR HUGGINS asked when a decision will be made whether to
allow sophomores to participate.
COMMISSIONER HANLEY said a collaborative decision will be made
with the university, which has expressed interest in having the
assessments offered earlier.
8:52:14 AM
CHAIR STEVENS referred to Moore, et al. v. State of Alaska, 3AN-
04-9756 CI, (2010), and asked how the board is responding to
achieve the court's ruling.
MR. MERRINER the board is aware of actions that EED is taking,
and informational updates are provided on a regular basis.
8:53:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON addressed the topic of the HSGQE and asked
why the board has not made a recommendation on whether to retain
or alter this assessment.
MR. MERRINER answered that it has not been a topic at the board
meetings in the last year.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON stressed that it has been a long lived
topic in the legislature and suggested that the topic be brought
forward at the board level.
8:55:38 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committees, the Joint
meeting of the House Education Standing Committee and Senate
Education Standing Committee was adjourned at 8:55 a.m.
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