SB 1-BD OF ED./EARLY DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL REPORT  4:35:27 PM CHAIR JOHNSON announced that the first order of business would be CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 1(EDC), "An Act requiring the state Board of Education and Early Development to provide an annual report to the legislature." 4:35:50 PM REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT moved that the committee adopt Amendment 1, labeled 27-LS0001\B.1, Mischel, 4/12/11, which read: Page 1, line 2, following "legislature": Insert "; and establishing a joint legislative  task force on theme-based education" Page 2, following line 2: Insert a new bill section to read:  "* Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to read: JOINT LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE ON THEME-BASED EDUCATION. (a) An advisory task force on theme-based education is established as a legislative task force for the purpose of compiling data and advising the legislature on matters pertaining to curriculum in public schools in the state. (b) The task force established under this section consists of one member of the senate appointed by the president of the senate and one member of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and the chair of the house committee having jurisdiction over education. (c) Members of the task force serve without compensation but are entitled to per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards and commissions under AS 39.20.180. The staff of the legislative members of the task force shall serve as staff for the task force. (d) The task force shall meet at the call of the chair not less than once every three months. The chair of the house committee having jurisdiction over education or the chair's designee shall call the first meeting of the task force not later than 30 days after the effective date of this Act and shall serve as chair of the task force. (e) The task force shall (1) compile research conducted in the state and nationally on theme-based education; (2) explore new approaches that may be effective in producing increased levels of career readiness; (3) prepare for the legislature a set of written recommendations to improve curriculum in the state. (f) The task force shall submit the findings and recommendations developed under (e) of this section in a report to the legislature not later than January 1, 2012. (g) The task force terminates January 1, 2012." 4:36:34 PM CHAIR JOHNSON and REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG objected for discussion purposes. 4:36:48 PM REPRESENTATIVE ALAN DICK, Alaska State Legislature, related that his discussions regarding theme-based education has resulted in his office receiving many phone calls. He noted that good decisions are made with good facts, therefore Amendment 1 proposes establishing a joint legislative task force on theme- based education. The purpose of the task force is to identify what's going on nationwide and in Alaska with the use of theme- based education, review those efforts, and ultimately make recommendations as to what the state might do to create a model parallel to that which already exists in the Department of Education and Early Development (EED). Amendment 1 requires the task force to submit a report to the House and Senate Education Standing Committees and EED by January 1, 2012. The task force would consist of three members: one from the House, one from the Senate, and the chair of the House Education Standing Committee. 4:38:51 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked if the task force consists of three members. REPRESENTATIVE DICK replied yes. 4:39:08 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said that he is unclear whether the member appointed by the House Speaker and the member who is the chair of the House Education Standing Committee were two separate individuals or whether the member from the House was appointed jointly by the House Speaker and the chair of the House Education Standing Committee. The language is a bit ambiguous. 4:39:38 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG then moved that the committee adopt Amendment 1 to Amendment 1, such that Section (2)(b) would read as follows: (b) The task force established under this section consists of one member of the senate appointed by the president of the senate, one member of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, and the chair of the house committee having jurisdiction over education. CHAIR JOHNSON objected and then withdrew his objection. There being no further objection, Amendment 1 to Amendment 1 was adopted. 4:41:10 PM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO moved that the committee adopt Amendment 2 to Amendment 1, which would clarify that there is a third member on the proposed task force and he/she is the chair of the House Education Standing Committee. CHAIR JOHNSON objected. REPRESENTATIVE GATTO expressed concern for a situation in which the House Education Standing Committee has co-chairs. CHAIR JOHNSON said that if the committee has co-chairs, it would be up to the House Speaker to appoint one of them. REPRESENTATIVE GATTO opined that he merely wants to clarify that there's a third member of the proposed task force. CHAIR JOHNSON related his belief that the adoption of Amendment 1 to Amendment 1 makes it very clear that the proposed task force consists of three members. REPRESENTATIVE GATTO withdrew Amendment 2 to Amendment 1. 4:42:19 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked if the Senate is amenable to the proposed task force consisting of only one Senator and two Representatives. CHAIR JOHNSON interjected that the Senate will have an opportunity to concur or not concur on this legislation when it returns to them. However, he related his understanding from the sponsor that she is fine with the makeup of the proposed task force. 4:43:05 PM REPRESENTATIVE ANNA FAIRCLOUGH, Alaska State Legislature, related that she and Representatives Dick, Joule, and Herron are in full support of Amendment 1. She noted that Representative Joule did have conversations with members of the Senate. Those conversations considered the fact that rural and urban schools have graduation rates that could be improved upon. Furthermore, there has been litigation that rural schools aren't provided enough resources by EED. Amendment 1 seeks to remedy the aforementioned by reviewing whether theme-based education would do well in Alaska. She reminded the committee that several years ago, there was a presentation by tribal organizations that successfully took on the issue of smoking in rural communities. At that time, those tribal organizations asked the legislature if it would review a different model of education to engage students in a meaningful way in terms of how to apply math and other academics in a more culturally sensitive model. The proposed task force would be charged with looking nationwide and worldwide to determine if there are better models available for Alaska students. In closing, Representative Fairclough noted that she and Representative Joule have worked with members of both the House and Senate to ensure everyone is happy with the legislation. She urged the committee's support [for Amendment 1]. 4:45:12 PM CHAIR JOHNSON, upon determining no one else wished to testify, closed public testimony. 4:45:27 PM REPRESENTATIVE TUCK remarked that he likes the vision of this legislation. Whenever students can be engaged and understand the relevancy of what they're learning to their lifestyle and culture, it has huge impacts. He then implored the task force to try to find ways to obtain credit for the math and science learned. 4:46:12 PM REPRESENTATIVE AUSTERMAN stated that he supports the change [encompassed in Amendment 1] and noted that he has met with various folks regarding the potential of theme-based education. The current education system isn't producing the number of graduates that it should, and thus theme-based education may provide an opportunity to try something different. He applauded the efforts of those bringing this forward. 4:47:04 PM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO asked if "theme-based education" is a legal term or common term. REPRESENTATIVE DICK answered that he would have to research it, but noted that it's a well-defined term for those in education. 4:47:52 PM REPRESENTATIVE AUSTERMAN moved to report CSSB 1(EDC), as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the zero fiscal notes. 4:48:21 PM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO objected, and asked if the funds for travel and per diem would be reflected in a fiscal note. CHAIR JOHNSON confirmed that SB 1 will require funds, but the funding is being handled in separate legislation. REPRESENTATIVE GATTO withdrew his objection. 4:48:37 PM There being no further objection, HCS CSSB 1(RLS) was reported out of the House Rules Standing Committee.