HB 365-PERFORMANCE SCHOLARSHIP: QUALIFYING EXAM  9:18:01 AM CHAIR GATTIS announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 365, "An Act relating to the Alaska performance scholarship." 9:18:33 AM REPRESENTATIVE PAUL SEATON, Alaska State Legislature, speaking as prime sponsor of HB 365, explained that the Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) started in 2010 and eligibility for the ASP program is determined by taking a rigorous curriculum, having certain grade point average (GPA) cutoff scores, plus cutoff scores on SAT, ACT and WorkKeys' tests. He indicated that the WorkKeys is used as an assessment for career and technical certificated programs; however, over 200 students were denied the APS but had enrolled in [Associate] degree programs. He indicated the intent of HB 365 is to engage students who are not college bound but select career and technical fields and training. If these students have already taken a rigorous high school academic program, they should be eligible to use the APS to obtain an Associate's degree. He pointed out the cut score used for WorkKeys is set by the department and state school board at 13; however, many students surpassed that level. The legislature imposed a restriction for students on a career and technical path that doesn't allow them to use the APS for a degree program. Therefore, this bill allows WorkKeys to allow qualified students to change to a college path to use the APS to obtain either an Associate's Degree or to participate in a certificate program. 9:21:43 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON directed attention to a document in members' packets entitled, "2013-14 Student Data from Kenai Peninsula Borough School District." He reported that some students took all three exams and this chart tabulates scores from lowest to highest by WorkKeys, SAT, and ACT scores. He also pointed out that the corresponding scores were different than those used by the Commission on Postsecondary Education. Although his goal is not to establish any cut scores, which is best performed by the EED, the Commission on Postsecondary Education, and the State School Board, the relative scores should prove helpful in creating opportunities for students to pursue higher education by allowing them to use the APS program to pursue different academic or career paths. 9:24:38 AM CHAIR GATTIS commented that the vocational aspect of the Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) program appears to have "a glitch." She understood the intent of HB 365 is to give vocational technical students the same opportunities as college bound students. REPRESENTATIVE SEATON agreed and indicated that if the cut score is at an appropriate level, that it shouldn't preclude students from qualifying for the APS program. [The committee treated it as though public testimony had been closed.] 9:26:30 AM REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND moved to report HB 365 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HB 365 was reported from the House Education Standing Committee.