HB 69-EARLY CHILDHOOD ED: RATING & HOME VISITS CHAIR SEATON announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 69, "An Act establishing in the Department of Education and Early Development a voluntary parent education home visiting program for pre-elementary aged children; and establishing a rating system for early childhood education." 9:21:47 AM CHAIR SEATON reminded the committee that public testimony is still open on HB 69, and clarified the items in the packet that were added since the last hearing on the bill. 9:23:03 AM CHAIR SEATON advised that a voluntary program is in place in certain areas of the state. 9:23:56 AM NICKI SHELTON, National Trainer, Parents and Teachers Program (PAT), stated her support for HB 69, and offered a brief biography of her credentials as a long time teacher in Hoonah, as a Parents as Teachers trainer and as a national trainer for the program based in St. Louis, Missouri. The first responsibility is to train and certify those who will deliver this service. The core of the program is the personal visit. In Hoonah, 70 percent requested that the visit occurs in the home, and 30 percent prefer another location, such as the local Head Start center or in another person's home. The components of the personal visit are included in the committee packet, she stated. Before the PAT providers are certified they must demonstrate ability to present the materials. The family will decide if other caregivers will also attend the personal visit. MS. SHELTON said that visits differ with each family. Progress is tracked on an individual basis. She provided examples of how interactions occur such as the observation of how a child is responding to a task previously suggested and the child's development. She provided anecdotes of actual activities that have occurred, and stressed the importance of using material that is easily found in the home or community. She explained that she brings a parent/child activity that is geared to the child's interest. 9:31:17 AM MS. SHELTON explained the parent's role is to model for the child, and the PAT provides models for the parent. She stressed that the PAT provides coaching for the parents and the facilitator is not the child's teacher. MS. SHELTON also explained another component is literacy activity and appropriate reading is modeled. She described some types of age appropriate reading experiences. She explained that she provides activities for the families to perform that reinforces the child's development that has been discussed and that reinforces that parents are assuming learning responsibilities for their children. 9:33:27 AM MS. SHELTON explained that parent educators must become certified in the program. This maintains a standard for material administration/dissemination. She stressed the importance of local training. She related that materials used should be germane for the area to meet cultural and local needs. MS. SHELTON offered that the program undergoes a yearly certification renewal. The website provides PAT training opportunities and other information for becoming involved in the program. 9:37:06 AM CHAIR SEATON inquired as to the level of participation in Hoonah, if the program is open to all, or if there are limitations in the number of clients served. MS. SHELTON answered that she does not have specific statistics but that participation is high. She offered to provide statistics to the committee. She related that after 14 years of operation, the program offers weekly family nights, with attendance ranging from 40-65 people in a town of approximately 800 residents. 9:38:24 AM CHAIR SEATON inquired as to whether the program is open to everyone. MS. SHELTON stated the only requirement is the age of a child. She related that at one time the program had waiting lists, but the program has received enough grant money to train parent educators, which has alleviated the backlog. She mentioned that the funding is not stable. 9:39:22 AM CHAIR SEATON asked if she works with the school district. MS. SHELTON answered that the school district is the sponsoring program, although she recalled previously some agencies provided additional funding. In response to Chair Seaton, Ms. Shelton answered that the program is only offered through the school district. 9:40:02 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER recalled the PAT has a national model and inquired as to whether a person applied for a grant, or if a major foundation identified communities that would receive these services. MS. SHELTON explained that the program was discovered by a school superintendent who proposed the program. She related that several years later Title I funds were used to initiate the program. Since then the program sponsors have included the Hoonah Heritage, Central Council, Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, and Ward Cove Packing Company. She stated that funding has also come from Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grant funding and Alaskan Children's Trust. 9:42:48 AM REPRESENTATIVE MUÑOZ asked if she has tracked the success of the students as they go through the high school. MS. SHELTON answered that statistics were not gathered. She related anecdotal statistics such as the first group of thirteen families have provided informal reports. The vast majority of parents have commented on how helpful the PAT program has been for their children. 9:44:57 AM REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON asked if she supports HB 69. MS. SHELTON offered her support for HB 69. She emphasized that funding is volatile and some communities cannot sustain services without state funding. 9:45:55 AM REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON referred to the definition of family in HB 69, and recalled her reference to parents. He inquired as to whether the terms are interchangeable. MS. SHELTON explained that visits are done with various family configurations, ranging from foster parents, grandparents, aunts, or the child's guardian. Thus, family is a more appropriate term rather than parents. 9:48:05 AM MS. SHELTON, in response to Representative Buch, explained that the PAT program has grown significantly. She related that the PAT holds teleconferences with providers. She related a scenario in which a woman provides training in Yupik. She opined that the volunteers are a cadre of unsung heroes who are passionate about their work with families. 9:49:41 AM REPRESENTATIVE BUCH asked what advancements have occurred in continuing education regarding the parent educators. MS. SHELTON offered that many of the parent educators have their Child Development Associate, which is a credential. Next, the person would take distance delivery courses to earn their Associates of Arts degree (AA) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Early Childhood Education. She stated that she did not have specific statistics to provide. 9:51:35 AM JANE SULLIVAN, Educator, Parents as Teachers (PAT), offered that she has a degree in Early Childhood Education, has homeschooled her five children, and has been a parent educator in Hoonah, as well as having experience working for Head Start. She stated that she decided to home school her children in order to provide the best educational opportunities for them, to address their individual learning styles, and their interests in specific subjects. She said that homeschooling her children required a lot of discipline and organizational skills. She said she used school resources, ranging from auto shop classes, attending writing workshops, science fairs, and using the school library, as well as curriculum materials. MS. SULLIVAN participated in annual state and federal testing for her children to verify that they were at or above their grade levels. She explained that when she began working for Parents as Teachers, she realized it was an extension of that same dynamic. Educating parents about child development and how to respond and provide resources for parents are what parent educators provide. She related that they are facilitators that help parents understand the impact they have on their children. She stated that the parents she worked with in Hoonah became excited about the positive influences they had on their children's lives. 9:54:31 AM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER related her understanding that some opposition is coming from home school parents who seem to be concerned with government intrusion. It may be helpful to provide them with letters of support from those experienced with the program do not find it intrusive. She asked for a summary of Ms. Sullivan's experience. MS. SULLIVAN agreed to provide a summary of her testimony to the committee. 9:56:44 AM MELISSA PICKLE, State Coordinator, Parents as Teachers (PAT), Rural Alaska Community Action Program, Inc. (RurAL CAP), stated support for HB 69, and outlined her background in early childhood education along with her credentials. She said that several of these programs have closed due to lack of funding. Every year the number of programs changes because of the funding fluctuations. 9:59:18 AM REPRESENTATIVE BUCH asked on a scale of 1 to 10 how she would rate the program. MS. PICKLE stated that she would rate the program as a 9 or a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. She offered her belief that early childhood attention is critical and is a known fact. Many research programs are now including parental visits as a fundamental need. This program serves young children who would otherwise have limited options. 10:01:48 AM FAY GALLAGHER shared her experience as a grand parent of a 4- year old, and a previous school district employee who was working at the Hoonah School in 1995 when the program began. Despite her skepticism of the benefits of teaching a small child, she has since gained an understanding of the importance. She praised the materials and the support that the program provides. The program definitely improves the quality of life for those involved, and she opined that the PAT program is for everybody. She opined that having the program in Juneau would also be beneficial.