HB 154-PRE-ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLANS/GUIDELINES  8:24:59 AM CHAIR DICK announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 154, "An Act providing for the establishment of a statewide early childhood education plan and guidelines." 8:25:04 AM REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI, as sponsor of HB 154, stated that, in the state of Alaska, there were more than 7300 teachers and 7800 students in early education programs, with more than 18,400 children in the child care system. 8:26:15 AM REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI observed that many people had visited his office to discuss the values of early education and early learning. He stated that higher education and career readiness educators were recommending early learning programs with an emphasis on parental involvement. He pointed out that HB 154 worked to keep parents involved and that early literacy deeply affected higher education and career readiness. He stressed the need to start early. He offered his opinion that pre-K should not be defined too specifically as it did not follow the early learning guidelines. 8:28:57 AM REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1, as follows: Page 3, line 30 Delete "three and four years of age" 8:30:01 AM There being no objection, it was so ordered. 8:31:02 AM CYNDY CURRAN, Director, Teaching and Learning Support, Department of Education and Early Development (EED), clarified that pre-schools needed approval, not certification. In response to a question from a previous meeting, she described the requirements for anyone working with pre-school children. She declared that there were pre-elementary programs in 145 Alaska communities, which included pre-school special education students. She referred to the pie charts on page 3 of the handout titled "Alaska Preschool Project" [Included in members' packets] to review the progress that was charted for the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test on vocabulary and receptive language development. She directed attention to the charts on page 4, and pointed out the significant improvement from the beginning to the end of the school year. She moved on to the Developmental Indicators for the Assessments of Learning (DIAL- 3), which tested motor, concept, and language development. She shared the significant improvements. In response to Representative Seaton, she clarified that these results were statewide aggregates which reflected the growth of students in individual programs. 8:36:12 AM PAUL SUGAR, Head Start/Parent Involvement, Teaching and Learning Support, Department of Education and Early Development (EED), in response to Representative Feige, explained that it represented the number of students in the pilot Pre-K project that were attending and being assessed. REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE asked what happened to the remainder of the students. MR. SUGAR replied there were a number of students served through the intervention districts and that these assessments were not administered by those services. He expressed that EED planned to receive data in the upcoming year from those agencies. 8:37:42 AM REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE asked to clarify that the pie charts depicted the students who were tested at the beginning and the end of the program. 8:38:18 AM MR. SUGAR agreed with Representative Feige, and in response to Representative P. Wilson, said that this was the second year of the project. 8:38:48 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON asked why the project was not being offered elsewhere. 8:39:12 AM MS. CURRAN, in response to Representative P. Wilson, said that the project money was awarded through a competitive application process. She shared that the Yukon-Koyukuk School District had submitted a successful application for pre-school funding. She noted that EED then budgeted $300,000 for the Lower Yukon School District and the Yupiit School District to also participate in the project. 8:40:08 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON offered her belief that, for the intervention district schools, approximately $35,000 per student had been set aside and she asked why that money was not used for this program. 8:41:10 AM EDDY JEANS, Education Policy Coordinator, Office of the Commissioner, Department of Education and Early Development (EED), in response to Representative P. Wilson, offered his belief that the reference to the total revenues identified during the Moore vs. State of Alaska case were for school districts to receive as much as $35,000 per child, but that EED had not directed to those districts how that revenue was to be spent. 8:41:53 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked to clarify the funding. He offered his belief that Moore vs. State of Alaska declared that the legislature was responsible for significant progress by the local school districts. He stated that two years prior, the legislature had passed a pre-K program, and that money was reserved for these authorized intervention districts to ensure the legislature met its responsibility. 8:43:21 AM CHAIR DICK brought the discussion back to HB 154. 8:43:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE pointed out that HB 154 provided "for the establishment of a statewide early childhood education plan and a guidelines," and that it amended AS 14.07.020(a). He pointed out that under AS 14.07.030, EED could "develop a model curriculum and provide technical assistance for early childhood education programs." He asked if EED had a plan, and if HB 154 was necessary. 8:45:09 AM MS. CURRAN replied that HB 154 created a statewide early childhood education plan which would incorporate the early learning guidelines for students and provide an optional pre- elementary program in concert with the other existing pre- elementary programs. She directed attention to the early learning guidelines and the parent activity booklets, available in Yupik, Spanish, and English, which were referred to in HB 154. She pointed to the fiscal note for $150,000, to be used to write and review the plan to place the guidelines into action. In response to Representative Feige, she clarified that these were early childhood guidelines to be used for development, but that the early childhood plan had not yet been written. 8:46:56 AM The committee took a brief at-ease. 8:47:07 AM MS. CURRAN explained that the data reflected that the program worked. 8:47:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON asked about the number of Yupik readers. 8:48:00 AM MS. CURRAN replied that she would provide that information. 8:48:36 AM REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA asked if there was instruction for both verbal and written Native Alaskan languages. MS. CURRAN expressed her agreement. 8:49:11 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON noted that the activity booklets had been written for the parents. 8:49:24 AM The committee took a brief at-ease. 8:49:45 AM CHAIR DICK brought the committee back to order. 8:50:08 AM CARRIE BEEMAN, Chair, Upper Tanana Imagination Library, spoke about the early learning programs in Tok and the surrounding communities, which included Parents as Teachers (PAT), Head Start, and Imagination Library. She pointed out the needs for the program in Tok. She urged support for HB 154. 8:51:54 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON asked about the current funding source. MS. BEEMAN replied that the Imagination Library was grant based with additional local funding, and that the PAT program was paid through state funding. 8:53:48 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 2, as follows: Page 4, line 2, following "provides for" Delete "the most" 8:54:29 AM REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI objected for discussion. 8:54:36 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON replied that the proposed conceptual amendment would avoid competition between the programs. 8:55:02 AM REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE asked if it was necessary for "including Head Start" in line 4, page 4. 8:55:33 AM REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI removed his objection. There being no further objection, it was so ordered. 8:55:56 AM REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 3, as follows: Page 4, line 4, following "the state" Delete "including Head Start" 8:56:03 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON objected for discussion. She offered her belief that Head Start was already doing "a good job, and they're giving early childhood education to those kids, and that may be all they need in some areas." 8:56:54 AM REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT offered his belief that conceptual Amendment 3 would be congruent with conceptual Amendment 2. 8:57:19 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON opined that Head Start was not considered a preschool. 8:57:49 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON offered his belief that Head Start was more than a pre-elementary school program, as it included "the wrap around services of providing food and all these other things." He stated that it should be included in the bill. 8:58:31 AM REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE asked the bill sponsor for his comments. 8:58:39 AM REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI opined that Head Start offered a lot of information and service, and that he would prefer to have it retained and specified in the bill. 8:59:05 AM REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE withdrew Conceptual Amendment 3. 8:59:19 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 4, as follows: Page 4, line 3, following "of" Insert "optional" 8:59:50 AM REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI objected for discussion. 8:59:55 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON explained that that paragraph (6) referenced the "optional pre-elementary program" and that Conceptual Amendment 4 would clarify that intent. 9:00:34 AM REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI agreed that with the clarification. 9:00:47 AM REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI removed his objection. There being no further objection, it was so ordered. 9:01:27 AM REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT moved to report HB 154, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 154 (EDC) was reported from the House Education Standing Committee.