Legislature(2013 - 2014)CAPITOL 106
02/11/2013 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ansep) | |
| 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
February 11, 2013
8:00 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Senator Gary Stevens, Chair
Senator Mike Dunleavy, Vice Chair
Senator Bert Stedman
Senator Charlie Huggins
Senator Berta Gardner
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
MEMBERS ABSENT
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
All members present
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Representative Peggy Wilson
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: ALASKA NATIVE SCIENCE & ENGINEERING PROGRAM
(ANSEP)
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
DR. HERB (ILLISAURRI) SCHROEDER, Vice Provost and
Professor of Engineering
Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program
University of Alaska-Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided an overview of the Alaska Native
Science & Engineering Program.
MICHAEL BOURDUKOFSKY, Chief Operations Officer
Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program
University of Alaska-Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided an overview of the Alaska Native
Science & Engineering Program.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:00:58 AM
CO-CHAIR GARY STEVENS called the joint meeting of the Senate and
House Education Standing Committees to order at 8:00 a.m.
Present at the call to order were Senators Dunleavy, Stedman,
Huggins, Gardner, and Co-Chair Stevens.
CO-CHAIR LYNN GATTIS announced that Representatives Reinbold,
LeDoux, Saddler, Seaton, Drummond, and Co-Chair Gattis were
present at the call to order.
^PRESENTATION: Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program
(ANSEP)
PRESENTATION: Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program
(ANSEP)
CHAIR STEVENS announced the business before the committee would
be a presentation by members of the University of Alaska-
Anchorage Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program.
8:01:08 AM
DR. HERB (ILLISAURRI) SCHROEDER, Vice Provost, Professor of
Engineering, Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program
(ANSEP), University of Alaska-Anchorage, related that Alaska was
in the midst of an education crisis in that 40 percent of Alaska
Native students did not finish high school on time. Only 4
percent of minority students nationwide come to college prepared
for science and engineering. Organizations were concerned about
finding the talent they required to stay competitive. Mothers
and fathers were concerned for the future of their children.
Funders were concerned by the lack of progress despite huge
investments spanning decades. K-12 students were eager and
bright, but were often denied the inspiration, guidance, and
opportunity that led to success. College students were not
graduating in the numbers necessary to meet the demands in
science and engineering.
DR. SCHROEDER related that ANSEP reached only 3 percent of K-12
Native students, so 97 percent were unable to participate. He
said they were convinced that there was enough money in the
system to accomplish goals for many more students. The money in
the system was not always spent in a manner that led to success;
it was paying for failure.
8:02:56 AM
DR. SCHROEDER maintained that the system as denying students
access to education and economic opportunities. People had been
working hard to solve the problem for 40 years with little
improvement. ANSEP takes education back to the basics, raised
the bar, and focused on preparing students academically and
socially with the tools they require for success in college and
beyond.
He said ANSEP begins in middle school and offered a string of
linked components that continued through high school and into
college, graduate school, and the professions. In 1995, ANSEP
began with one student. Today, there were 1,000 middle school,
high school, university students, and alumni, successful at
every level.
He related that ANSEP middle school students completed Algebra I
before graduating from 8th grade at a rate of 83 percent. The
national average was 26 percent. More than half of ANSEP high
school students graduated engineering-ready and only 4 percent
of minority students nationwide do so. More than 70 percent of
all ANSEP students who began B.S. degrees graduated.
8:04:39 AM
DR. SCHROEDER said over the course of the next five years, ANSEP
intended to expand opportunities that fostered success. First,
ANSEP would work with policy makers so that money flowed only to
those science and engineering programs that demonstrated
successful academic outcomes. Secondly, ANSEP would work with
districts to weave ANSEP components into the fabric of the K-12
system using existing K-12 funding.
DR. SCHROEDER stressed the importance of paying for success.
Success meant that students were socially and academically
prepared for college and confident and ready to accept the
challenge of building a better Alaska and a better nation. He
said ANSEP's objective was to build middle school academies in
twelve districts by 2018. In 2020, the middle school component
would reach a steady state with an excess of 600 students
graduating from 8th grade annually. There would be more than
3,000 ANSEP students on track to complete science and
engineering bachelor degrees and in 2022, there would be 4,000
students.
8:06:15 AM
DR. SCHROEDER spoke of expansion to additional districts due to
shifting funds from activities that did not produce desired
academic results. Every student enrolled in ANSEP had the
opportunity to earn the Alaska Performance Scholarship.
DR. SCHROEDER showed a video about the number of students
currently enrolled in ANSEP.
8:08:15 AM
MICHAEL BOURDUKOFSKY, Chief Operations Officer, Alaska Native
Science & Engineering Program, University of Alaska-Anchorage,
explained that ANSEP had the support of over 70 organizations
and industry partners who have provided over $35 million in
program and facility support. He showed a picture of the ANSEP
building on the Anchorage campus.
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY returned to the video to show information about
the Alaska Performance Scholarship. He noted that the videos
were available on the ANSEP website.
8:10:59 AM
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY explained ANSEP programmatic components which
involved lineal connections from the time students entered the
system until they graduated and worked in the professional
world.
8:12:12 AM
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY reported that ANSEP began in the middle school.
One of the major activities was to build computers. In order for
students to keep their computers they had to complete Algebra I
before they completed eighth grade. They do so at a rate of 83
percent.
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY continued with the video in order to explain
the ANSEP Pre-College Middle School Academy. He gave examples of
hands-on activities students participate in for science and
math.
8:14:20 AM
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY described the ANSEP high school computer
assembly program. The students must complete chemistry, physics,
biology, and trigonometry in order to keep their computers. He
showed the video on ANSEP high school computer assembly. Over 50
percent of the students were able to keep their computers.
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY addressed a graph on the Indigenous Alliance
for Engineering & Science Education; universities outside of
Alaska. He spoke of the success of the program.
8:16:54 AM
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY reported on the ANSEP Pre-College Acceleration
Academy offered to high school students who have completed a
computer. He spoke of the advantages of the program for students
from rural areas in their ability to successfully transition to
a university setting. He showed the video on ANSEP Pre-College
Acceleration Academy.
8:19:11 AM
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY explained the ANSEP Summer Bridge which
involved a math class and an internship in a science or
engineering field.
DR. SCHROEDER explained the process was just the beginning. A
student could begin college with their math classes already
completed.
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY showed the video on ANSEP Summer Bridge.
8:21:36 AM
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY described the ANSEP University Study Success
Group; a support system that helped students to be engaged and
successful. It involved a weekly study group and opportunities
to hear about internships and jobs.
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY related graduate studies opportunities, which
included financial support.
He stressed the importance of the sense of community and the
connection of the program from middle school all the way through
graduate school and beyond.
8:24:06 AM
CHAIR STEVENS thanked the presenters and commented on the
excellence of the ANSEP program.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX agreed it was an excellent program. She
asked if non-Native students could participate in the program if
they live in a rural community.
DR. SCHROEDER answered yes. He said no one was ever excluded
from ANSEP.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked if anyone could participate or if
there is a selection process.
DR. SCHROEDER answered that the very best students were selected
based on attendance and grades.
8:25:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked about the difference between ANSEP
and the regular engineering curriculum.
DR. SCHROEDER answered that ANSEP students take the regular
engineering classes and received support from ANSEP in the form
of study groups that learn how to work in teams.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if ANSEP students were integrated
into the regular program.
DR. SCHROEDER answered yes. He noted that ANSEP worked to make
sure that their students were prepared for college before they
entered college. He recalled a time when Native students were
not prepared for college.
8:29:02 AM
CO-CHAIR STEVENS asked Mr. Bourdukofsky how ANSEP assisted him
in his educational journey.
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY answered that he met up with ANSEP in college.
He described the support and internship provided by ANSEP. He
stressed that ANSEP brought the industry to the students.
8:32:08 AM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD asked about Dr. Schroeder's comment
about "spending money in failure." She complimented him on the
program's success and number of partnerships and the students'
enthusiasm for the program.
DR. SCHROEDER replied that it had taken ANSEP 18 years to
achieve its level of success.
8:34:17 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON explained that he served on the Task Force
on Education which required an advisor/advocate program for any
school that participated in the Alaska Performance Scholarship
(APS). He commented that ANSEP was the pinnacle of an
advisor/advocate program. He asked how districts identified
programs that were not working in order to shift dollars to
programs that worked.
DR. SCHROEDER emphasized that it does not work at the district
level. He described the curriculum that must be completed by
high school graduation in order for a program to be successful.
8:36:47 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON suggested that APS sets high curriculum
requirements. He asked if shifting money from programs that do
not work could be accomplished on a state level.
DR. SCHROEDER replied that someone needs to be empowered in the
Commissioner's office in order to allow high school credits for
college course work so that students could qualify for the APS.
He explained that currently the process was decided on a
district level and noted that it had taken him over a year to
get the Anchorage School District to consider the issue.
8:39:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked if the legislature should require
districts to allow those credits to be accepted at the high
school level.
DR. SCHROEDER answered yes.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked what the cost was per student for
ANSEP and what elements of the program were unique to Alaska
Natives.
DR. SCHROEDER answered that the program was not Native-specific
and was available to all students. The majority of students came
from rural Alaska. He explained that the cost varied at
different levels. In middle school, for 1,000 students, it costs
$4 million annually. He said 18 percent of that amount came from
the university system and another 18 percent came from the
Department of Education and Early Development. He stated that
the rest came from state and federal agencies, philanthropic
organizations, corporations, and private individuals.
He noted that ANSEP could expand to 18 districts by 2018 for
less than $2.5 million in additional funding.
8:41:53 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked how many districts were currently
served.
DR. SCHROEDER responded that there were currently 12 districts.
He said the program expanded by 54 students at a time.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked if urban school districts would be
included.
DR. SCHROEDER answered that the Mat-Su Borough School District
would be the next school.
8:43:46 AM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked what ANSEP's 83 percent success rate
was compared to.
DR. SCHROEDER replied it was compared to the nationwide rate of
26 percent.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX noted that ANSEP chose "the best of the
best." She asked if those students could be compared with
similar students nationwide.
DR. SCHROEDER responded that he had not compared those ANSEP
statistics to national statistics. He noted that some have
criticized the program for choosing the best. He defended that
idea by stated it was the way to create a systemic change.
8:46:04 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND shared the difficulty of increasing the
number of math credit requirements in the Anchorage School
District in 1994.
SENATOR DUNLEAVY asked what the result would be if more money
was spent on the education system.
DR. SCHROEDER said, "You would continue to pay for failure."
SENATOR GARDNER addressed the positive impact of the APS and
ANSEP on students in recognizing that students from their own
communities are able to go to college. She asked if ANSEP would
be targeting sixth grade students if they had the resources to
do so.
DR. SCHROEDER answered that ANSEP could focus on children as
early as sixth grade or even earlier. He noted the difficulty of
selling the idea of producing future employees to companies when
students are only eleven years old. He noted that ExxonMobil
provided the initial funding to get ANSEP started.
8:50:18 AM
SENATOR DUNLEAVY asked if the professors were certificated
teachers.
DR. SCHROEDER replied that all students are taught by university
faculty.
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY agreed.
SENATOR DUNLEAVY asked if they hold K-12 certificates.
DR. SCHROEDER answered no; they teach university courses.
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY said the middle school students participate in
hands-on projects led by industry professionals.
DR. SCHROEDER said the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave
ANSEP funding, along with the Rasmussen Foundation, for a
project in Bethel for students from 21 villages for an
acceleration academy. Students were selected based on grades and
readiness for Algebra I, however, it was discovered that some
students could not even multiply. He noted that ANSEP was moving
in the direction of testing in order to assess math ability.
8:53:23 AM
CO-CHAIR GATTIS asked if there were certificated teachers in K-
12 and middle schools who teach math.
DR. SCHROEDER explained that middle school academies were 12-day
programs where "inspirational activities" were taught by
industry staff. Students build computers which they were able to
keep if they passed Algebra I.
CO-CHAIR GATTIS requested clarification about certificated
teachers.
DR. SCHROEDER explained that all courses taken on the ANSEP
campus resulted in college credit and university professors
taught those courses.
CO-CHAIR GATTIS asked what the difference was between
certificated and non-certificated teachers. She asked if ANSEP
teachers were qualified to teach.
DR. SCHROEDER explained that almost all ANSEP teachers had PhD's
in their content area.
8:55:29 AM
CO-CHAIR GATTIS stated that students received college credit,
but not high school credit.
MR. BOURDUKOFSKY said the students had to apply for high school
credit at their individual districts. The problem was credit was
based on contact hours at the high school level.
DR. SCHROEDER added that progress was being made in that area.
CO-CHAIR GATTIS inquired if the certified teacher versus college
professor issue had bearing on the issuance of credit.
DR. SCHROEDER answered no. He assumed a certified teacher would
also be qualified to teach the class.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER referred to page 2 of Dr. Schroeder's
handout, which he described as the "call to action." He inquired
who might be resistant to that goal.
DR. SCHROEDER replied that districts with their own programs
were very defensive.
8:57:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if there had been any criticism of
ANSEP.
DR. SCHROEDER replied that he had been harassed by the system
and others. He said he counters that by focusing on the
opportunity for students that ANSEP provided.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked what legislative changes might be
made.
DR. SCHROEDER said he does not have the answer to that question.
He suggested that educational programs must be longitudinal. He
shared a personal story about his path toward an engineering
degree, stressing that there must be an incentive.
9:00:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX said the legislature could not micro-
manage education and it must look at structural changes to the
system.
DR. SCHROEDER agreed. He reiterated the importance of building
longitudinal programs.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX requested more information.
DR. SCHROEDER explained that longitudinal programs were programs
that connected.
9:02:25 AM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX inquired if those ideas could apply to
students who were not the brightest.
DR. SCHROEDER replied yes. He explained the importance of peer
power.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked if the ANSEP concept could work for
non-engineering students.
DR. SCHROEDER said yes. He maintained that more math and science
was good for all students.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked if the ANSEP concept must be math
and science based.
DR. SCHROEDER explained that the focus was on the areas where
there were jobs.
9:04:37 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS asked if the MAT-SU program called Middle-
College was connected with ANSEP.
DR. SCHROEDER replied that Middle-College was an excellent
program, but was not associated with ANSEP. He maintained that
the last two years of high school were unnecessary and students
could begin to take college classes. He noted the Jump-Start
project offered that option.
9:06:19 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS said Dr. Schroeder's program represented the
"adjunct pieces" of education, something that supplemented the
system.
DR. SCHROEDER stated that change was needed and ANSEP was doing
one small piece that was a possibility for a model for others to
follow.
CO-CHAIR STEVENS suspected that in ten years success would be
measured, not just by how many engineers were produced, but by
how many leaders were produced in various fields.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked if ANSEP partnered at local levels
and shared funding.
DR. SCHROEDER replied that there were partner opportunities and
Mat-Su School District was an example, as was Bethel School
District which was funded by grant money.
9:09:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked who would take over when Dr.
Schroeder retired.
DR. SCHROEDER said he would never retire because ANSEP was so
important to him. He described the endowment plan in place and
the student advocate faculty position. He described two students
who were finishing their PhD. engineering degrees and returning
to become School of Engineering faculty. He noted that Mike
Bourdukofsky played a big role in the future of the program. He
added that ANSEP was run by six individuals, three of which
managed the funds.
CO-CHAIR STEVENS thanked the presenters.
9:11:59 AM
There being no further business to come before the committees,
Co-Chair Stevens adjourned the joint meeting of the Senate and
House Education Standing Committees at 9:11 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 02112013_ANSEP_Presentation.pdf |
SEDC 2/11/2013 8:00:00 AM |
ANSEP Presentation |