Legislature(2007 - 2008)BUTROVICH 205

01/26/2007 08:00 AM Senate SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION


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08:01:12 AM Start
08:03:29 AM Overview: School and District Accountablity under No Child Left Behind
09:00:53 AM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
Overview: No Child Left Behind: School
Performance and Program Changes
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
             SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION                                                                            
                        January 26, 2007                                                                                        
                           8:01 a.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Gary Stevens, Chair                                                                                                     
Senator Charlie Huggins, Vice-Chair                                                                                             
Senator Gary Wilken                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Donny Olson                                                                                                             
Senator Bettye Davis                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Senator Joe Thomas                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Overview: School & District Accountability Under No Child Left                                                                  
Behind                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
No action to consider                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Les Morse, Director,                                                                                                            
Division of Assessment & Accountability                                                                                         
Department of Education &                                                                                                       
 Early Development                                                                                                              
        th                                                                                                                      
801 W 10 St.                                                                                                                    
Juneau, AK  99801-1894                                                                                                          
POSITION STATEMENT:  Presented overview                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator Joe Thomas                                                                                                              
Alaska State Capitol                                                                                                            
Juneau, AK  99801-1182                                                                                                          
POSITION STATEMENT:  Commented on overview issues                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  GARY STEVENS  called the  meeting to order  at 8:01:12  AM.                                                          
Present at  the call to order  were Senators Wilken,  Huggins, and                                                              
Chair Stevens.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
 ^OVERVIEW: SCHOOL AND DISTRICT ACCOUNTABLITY UNDER NO CHILD LEFT                                                             
                             BEHIND                                                                                           
                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
CHAIR STEVENS  announced that  the first  order of business  would                                                              
be an  overview presentation from  Les Morris, Director,  Division                                                              
of  Assessment and  Accountability,  Department  of Education  and                                                              
Early Development (DEED).                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE explained  that he would be talking  about AYP (Adequate                                                              
Yearly  Progress)  and  attendance  rates,  and  poor  performance                                                              
consequences for schools and districts and their implementation.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:03:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  explained  that he would  also be  showing AYP  results                                                              
from 2003, which  is the first year the DEED  tracked AYP progress                                                              
for every  school in the state  rather than just Title  I schools,                                                              
and then end  by addressing a pending application  with the United                                                              
States  Department  of  Education   regarding  individual  student                                                              
growth in the state's AYP calculations.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STEVENS invited  Senator Thomas  to join  the committee  at                                                              
the table. Senator Thomas accepted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:04:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  explained that AYP is  calculated for every  school and                                                              
district  in   the  state,  and   the  state  itself.   A  certain                                                              
participation  rate  in  the evaluation  is  required  from  every                                                              
school and  its sub-groups.  The DEED makes  sure that  95 percent                                                              
of  students take  the  test on  test  days.  They also  emphasize                                                              
meeting academic  targets regarding the percentage  of proficiency                                                              
in  language arts  and  mathematics in  each  school. Federal  law                                                              
requires  reading evaluation  as well.  The target  is called  the                                                              
AMO (Annual Measurable Objective).                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:05:39 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MORSE  continued to  explain  that  the DEED  also  evaluates                                                              
graduation  rates  and  attendance  rates. He  then  referenced  a                                                              
PowerPoint   presentation  to   explain   proficiency  rates   for                                                              
previous years in  mathematics and language arts.  The FYP results                                                              
are required  by federal  law to increase,  in six increments,  to                                                              
100 percent FYP by the school year 2013-2014.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:06:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  explained that in the  beginning years the  program was                                                              
designed  to   build  more  capacity   in  schools   and  increase                                                              
proficiency rates  to 100 percent. In evaluating  yearly progress,                                                              
the  DEED looks  at overall  school  progress, district  progress,                                                              
ethnic sub-groups  within the  school, economically  disadvantaged                                                              
students,  limited  English  proficiency   students,  and  special                                                              
education students.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:07:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  explained that there  are other indicators  of progress                                                              
as  well, such  as school  graduation and  attendance rates.  They                                                              
are calculated in a particular way.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:07:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGGINS asked  until  what age  students  are allowed  to                                                              
remain in school.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:08:14 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE replied  that the maximum age is 19,  unless the student                                                              
is a special education student.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:08:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGGINS  asked for  clarification  of the  definition  of                                                              
"drop-out".                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:08:39 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  clarified that  a continuing  education student  is one                                                              
who returns  and graduates after  dropping out, whereas  a dropout                                                              
does  not.  The number  of  students  in  ninth grade  who  finish                                                              
school  four  years  later  compromise the  graduates,  and  if  a                                                              
student  drops out  more than once  the drop-out  is only  counted                                                              
against the school  one time. The numbers of  continuing students,                                                              
those  not  graduating  on  time, do  count  against  the  school.                                                              
However,  if they  go  on  to graduate  in  their  fifth year,  it                                                              
becomes a credit to the school.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:10:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS asked what happens if the student graduates later.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:10:48 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE replied that the school will be credited.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:10:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THOMAS  asked whether  Mr. Morse  tracked the  number, and                                                              
not  the name  of the  students,  and if  new  enrollers would  be                                                              
considered to be taking the place of drop-outs, number-wise.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:11:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  replied that the drop-outs  are always counted  and all                                                              
students are tracked  through unique identifiers  if they transfer                                                              
to different schools. New students are tracked as well.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:12:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGGINS   remarked  that   Anchorage  has   a  relatively                                                              
migratory  student population,  and  asked which  school gets  the                                                              
credit or penalty for graduating students or dropouts.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  replied  that the last  school attended  is the  school                                                              
that receives the penalty or credit.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:13:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MORSE  clarified  that  statewide   there  is  a  60  percent                                                              
graduation  rate,  but that  does  not  mean  that 40  percent  of                                                              
students  are drop-outs.   Also  included in  that 40 percent  are                                                              
continuing  students  who do  not  graduate  on time  and  special                                                              
education  students in  school  through their  twenty-first  year.                                                              
The DEED produces  a yearly dropout rate that looks  at the number                                                              
of students  dropping out from grades  7 through 12.   In the last                                                              
few years  the dropout  rate has  averaged six  percent. At  times                                                              
people take  the graduation and  dropout rates at face  value, but                                                              
they are complicated calculations.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:15:36 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WILKEN requested  rate  explanations on  paper, and  then                                                              
asked how home school is incorporated in the rates.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:16:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MORSE replied  that home  school depends  on the  arrangement                                                              
made.  If  the  home  school is  not  done  through  a  registered                                                              
institution,  the   student  is  considered  a  dropout.   If  the                                                              
schooling is  done through a  registered institution,  the student                                                              
is considered a transfer student.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:16:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN asked for an example.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:17:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE explained  that there are nine statewide  correspondence                                                              
schools and their  students can be considered transfers.   Private                                                              
institutions'  registration with  the DEED  is voluntary,  thus if                                                              
the private  school is registered  the student will  be considered                                                              
a transfer. Otherwise the student is considered a drop-out.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:18:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WILKEN asked  if there  was  a list  of approved  private                                                              
schools.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  replied that  yes, there is  a registered  school list.                                                              
Records from  that school  must be  received by  the DEED  for the                                                              
student to be considered a transfer.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:19:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  said that the attendance  rate in Alaska  is calculated                                                              
as  part of  AYP but  only for  those schools  where a  graduation                                                              
rate is inapplicable  (middle, elementary schools).  In that case,                                                              
the school must  meet a target attendance rate.  He referenced the                                                              
PowerPoint presentation  to show  example individual  school data.                                                              
He felt that  there should be some adjustment  in consequences for                                                              
schools with more disabled students.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:22:57 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE said that  graduation rates in the state  are 60 percent                                                              
and  the attendance  rate is  generally in  the 90s.   The  target                                                              
rate is  at least 85  percent for attendance.   Most  schools make                                                              
this  target.  The   graduation  target  is  55.58   percent,  and                                                              
generally the state as a whole meets this target as well.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:23:40 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  explained  that there  is a series  of consequences  if                                                              
AYP is not met,  depending on the number of consecutive  years AYP                                                              
has not  been met.  The district  is responsible for  implementing                                                              
consequences  for schools.  They create  school improvement  plans                                                              
that  are reviewed  at  different  levels. Mr.  Morse  went on  to                                                              
explain the  different levels  of consequences, both  disciplinary                                                              
and financial.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:24:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  said that  to have  the consequences  lifted, a  school                                                              
above level  one on  the disciplinary action  scale must  meet AYP                                                              
for two consecutive years.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:25:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGGINS asked  if there  was any difference  in a  school                                                              
being Title I or not.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:25:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  replied that  financial consequences  apply to  Title I                                                              
schools  only. All  schools  level  two or  higher  must create  a                                                              
school improvement  plan, but  Title I dollars  must be  set aside                                                              
under the consequences.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:27:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  explained that  the state  is responsible for  ensuring                                                              
that the district  implements appropriate consequences.  Districts                                                              
have four  consequence levels, and  schools must meet AYP  for two                                                              
consecutive years to be removed from the list of consequences.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:28:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE then  said that he would  be going over some  of the AYP                                                              
results  the districts  have received.  He  listed school  results                                                              
for the past three  years, and pointed out that a  change in rules                                                              
in  2004  may   have  partly  influenced  the   results.  He  then                                                              
explained language  arts and mathematics  scores, divided  by sub-                                                              
group, and noted  that in 2004 19.7 percent of  schools missed AYP                                                              
due to the performance of all the students combined.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:30:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  said that  he would be  giving an  example of  how sub-                                                              
groups can  affect the school  performance. In 2004,  13.3 percent                                                              
of the schools in  the state missed the target  for language arts,                                                              
mathematics,  or  both, due  to  the  performance of  the  Limited                                                              
English Proficient  (LEP) student population. In  2005, the number                                                              
was at 9.7 percent, and in 2006 it was at 8.5 percent.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:31:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGGINS  asked  if teachers  know  who  the  economically                                                              
disadvantaged students are.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MORSE responded  that state  regulations  require schools  to                                                              
identify  such  students  using  the criteria  for  the  free  and                                                              
reduced   lunch    program.   Districts    may   have    different                                                              
methodologies.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:32:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGGINS   asked  if  the  kids  are   identified  to  the                                                              
teachers.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:32:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MORSE replied  that the  teachers  do not  know the  specific                                                              
students unless it is deemed important to know.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:33:47 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR   HUGGINS  remarked   that  statistically   it  would   be                                                              
important  for the  teacher  to know  if that  was  a group  whose                                                              
performance needed to be improved.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:34:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  replied that  a reason to  know such information  might                                                              
be  if the  school offered  a scholarship  for  students who  were                                                              
economically disadvantaged.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGGINS  asked  if  the   family  was  allowed  to  waive                                                              
confidentiality.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE replied  that the family is informed  of all information                                                              
released. He  believes that the  family may share  the information                                                              
with the school.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:35:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR   STEVENS   asked   for   a   definition   of   economically                                                              
disadvantaged.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MORSE   replied  that   the  criterion   is  meeting   income                                                              
eligibility  for free  or  reduced lunch.  Every  year the  family                                                              
size and income that fit the definition are updated.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:36:14 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN asked  if intensive needs students  are included in                                                              
just the disabled group or all the ethnic groups.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE replied  that they are counted in the  disabled group as                                                              
well as their corresponding ethnic groups.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:37:26 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE explained  a chart with data from 2004-2006  showing how                                                              
many schools  missed AYP  in which categories.  The DEED  hopes to                                                              
see  schools  addressing  needs   in  particular  sub-groups.  The                                                              
number  of  schools  missing  AYP   in  many  subgroups  is  being                                                              
reduced,  and  this is  an  important  way of  measuring  schools'                                                              
progress.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:39:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE announced  that he would then be talking  about district                                                              
AYP.  The DEED  measures students in individual  schools then adds                                                              
all  together for  the  district.  In 2006,  3  districts were  at                                                              
level 1, 8  at level 2, 10 districts  at level 3, and  11 at level                                                              
4.                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:40:19 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MORSE said  that  Alaska has  long had  a  desire to  include                                                              
student  growth in  AYP.   He explained  that it  is difficult  to                                                              
track  progress  when  student  graduation  to  different  schools                                                              
(elementary to  middle, for example)  doesn't allow  for continual                                                              
tracking  of growth.    What  the DEED  wants  to  do is  continue                                                              
tracking  students through  different school  levels, for  example                                                              
from  fifth  to   sixth  grade.    The  state   currently  has  an                                                              
application  with  the  United   States  Department  of  Education                                                              
asking to be  able to do this,  and that it should be  reviewed by                                                              
April.  AYP  would still be done  the way it currently  is, but in                                                              
addition  the  DEED would  run  a  growth  check on  all  schools,                                                              
differentiating between student and school performance.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:42:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MORSE gave  an  example  of how  the  system  works with  the                                                              
current  models  and how  it  will work  if  they  are allowed  to                                                              
evaluate individual  students. He explained that as  the system is                                                              
now,  even   if  individual   student  performances   increase  or                                                              
decrease,  it doesn't  necessarily  mean they  will  meet or  miss                                                              
their target  for AYP. The proposal  before the USDE  will enhance                                                              
the tracking system.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  explained that ten  states will  be allowed to  pilot a                                                              
new   growth  model   for  tracking   AYP,   with  slightly   more                                                              
restrictive rules.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:45:40 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HUGGINS asked  Mr. Morse if, in his opinion,  the No Child                                                              
Left  Behind  (NCLB)  act  had   made  a  difference  in  schools'                                                              
performance.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  replied that yes,  some gains  had been made,  but most                                                              
importantly now  there is a clearer  set of expectations  for each                                                              
grade  level. It  is  easier for  teachers  and administrators  to                                                              
meet a certain set of standards.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:47:38 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGGINS  asked  if  NCLB   was  grossly  underfunded,  or                                                              
received funding based mostly on grants.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:48:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  replied that he was  not sure of his  qualifications in                                                              
answering that  question, and didn't  know that there was  a clear                                                              
answer.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:48:22 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WILKEN asked  for the  significance  of a  number in  the                                                              
PowerPoint presentation provided by Mr. Morse.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  explained  that methodology  used to  set up the  chart                                                              
accounted  for  that  particular  decimal.   The  student  in  the                                                              
twentieth   percentile   is  calculated,   and   the   proficiency                                                              
percentage  in that student's  school is  considered the  starting                                                              
point for formulaic calculations.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:50:13 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN asked for the definition of an LEP student.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MORSE  replied that  an  LEP  student  is a  Limited  English                                                              
Proficient student.  There are about  20,000 such students  in the                                                              
state of Alaska.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:50:31 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN  asked how an ethnic  class under 10 students  in a                                                              
particular school would be quantified.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE replied  that an ethnic class must be  represented by at                                                              
least  10  students  to  be considered  as  a  sub-group,  and  an                                                              
ethnicity  represented by  fewer than  10 students  would only  be                                                              
considered in the school as a whole.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:51:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WILKEN  remarked  that   slide  12  from  the  PowerPoint                                                              
presentation  seemed   to  be  a   powerful  chart   for  plotting                                                              
progress.  He pointed  out  the progress  in  schools meeting  AYP                                                              
from  2004  -  2006,  and  asked  how  many  were  taken  off  the                                                              
consequences list.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  responded that  86 schools were  removed from  the list                                                              
in  that time  period,  and that  every school  in  the state  was                                                              
represented on the chart.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN asked if there was any prediction for 2009.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:52:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  replied that  there was no  established goal,  but that                                                              
he would hope to see the trend continue.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:52:57 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WILKEN remarked  that the  mean AYP  had gone  up, so  it                                                              
seemed  that things  were happening  positively, and  asked for  a                                                              
copy of  the list  from the past  year. He then  said that  he had                                                              
received  an email  from Donna  Foxley, the  NCLB coordinator  for                                                              
Alaska,  with  multiple  attachments  regarding  the  program.  He                                                              
asked Mr.  Morse to look them  over and recommend the  most useful                                                              
to  Senator  Stevens  for  printing  out  for  the  committee.  He                                                              
remarked that  this appeared to be  a big year for  renewing NCLB,                                                              
and asked  what role the committee  and legislature could  play to                                                              
help in the renewal process.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:54:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MORSE replied  that  the DEED  will  want  to stress  certain                                                              
components  that are important  for changes  to the  congressional                                                              
delegation.   A united  voice from Alaska  would be  very helpful.                                                              
They would like  to see the new growth component  written into the                                                              
law.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:55:57 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN responded  that he thought this  committee would be                                                              
the  one to  help  in  that dialogue,  and  that he  thought  this                                                              
legislature  would be appropriate  in speaking  to the  government                                                              
about such changes.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:56:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HUGGINS  thanked the department for the  presentation, and                                                              
asked  for clarification  in  the numbers  of  Hispanic and  Asian                                                              
students.  He asked  if the  rising numbers  of achievement  among                                                              
these ethnic groups  in Alaska was an aberration or  if this was a                                                              
national trend.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:58:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  replied that  this was not  a national comparison,  and                                                              
he would  have to look  at other indicators  to know  exactly what                                                              
the trend meant.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:58:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGGINS asked  if  it would  be  more  advantageous to  a                                                              
school to take a  student off the school roll instead  of counting                                                              
him or  her as a  drop-out, and if  there were any  concerns about                                                              
this incentive.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:59:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MORSE responded  that  one  of the  pitfalls  in  a law  this                                                              
complicated  is that  the data  can be  skewed, but  this data  is                                                              
carefully analyzed  by the DEED  to account for all  the students.                                                              
DEED  staff looks  to  see if  schools appear  to  be losing  many                                                              
students,  and  if that  rate  is  more  dramatic than  the  state                                                              
average.  He has not so far seen any schools attempting to do                                                                   
such data skewing.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS thanked Mr. Morse for his presentation, and seeing                                                                
no further business, adjourned the Special Committee on                                                                         
Education meeting at 9:00:53 AM.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                

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