SB 99-PRE-ELEMENTARY PROGRAMS/FUNDING  9:06:55 AM CHAIR HUGHES announced the consideration of SB 99. SENATOR TOM BEGICH, sponsor of SB 99, presented the bill. He related the importance of quality early education. He stressed the value of providing students the opportunity, before they enter kindergarten, to prove school readiness. Research suggest that students who have access to high quality preschool are less likely to be incarcerated and less likely to receive government assistance as adults. He related that Alaska's current pre-Kindergarten programs - such as those in Anchorage, Mat-Su, the Lower Kuskokwim School District, and Nome, offer opportunities and quality program which have been described to the education committees. Early education programs including Head Start, Best Beginnings, Parents as Teachers, the work of DEED, and grants, provide access to high-quality early education, beginning with the lowest performing districts. He continued to say that high quality pre-K education can save up to $7 in long-term government expense by reducing the need for remedial education and involvement in the criminal justice and public assistance systems. 9:09:36 AM SENATOR BEGICH said smart investments in oil and gas royalties and the PFD have made the state one of the most economically equitable in the country. Similar smart investments in early education have the potential to create a generation of Alaskans prepared to make the greatest impact on this state that we have ever seen. This is an example of the importance of research first then investment, in the long run. 9:10:40 AM SYDNEY KAUFMAN, Ph.D., Staff, Alaska State Legislature, presented the sectional analysis of SB 99: Section 1. Establishes that elementary schools also includes an early education program, whether operated within a public school or by an outside organization. Section 2.  Establishes that a four or five-year-old, who has not attended kindergarten, is eligible to attend a public school early education program. Section 3.  Creates a stair-step, 3-year grant program to provide training and assist a school district in developing an early education program. In year one, the lowest performing 20% of school districts (as established in 2017) will be eligible for a grant to establish a district-wide, high quality early education program. In year two, the next lowest performing 20 % of school districts will be eligible for the three-year grant program to establish an early education program. At the end of the three-year grant cycle, the Department of Education and Early Development (the department) will be responsible for determining if the district's early education program complies with state standards. The grants will be available to the next lowest 20% of school districts until all school districts are offered the opportunity to participate included. 9:12:10 AM Section 4.  Directs the department to supervise all early education programs and approve those early education programs created by the early education grant program. Section 5.  Defines an "early education program" as a pre- kindergarten school for students 3-5 years old if its primary function is educational. The 3-year-old students are not included in the program this bill proposes, but are included to ensure they are not excluded from existing State and Federal programs. 9:12:54 AM SENATOR BEGICH noted it is conforming language so there is not the unintended consequence of putting three-year-olds into an elementary school program. 9:13:36 AM MS. KAUFMAN continued: Section 6.  Directs the board to adopt regulations regarding funding as well as statewide and local goals for an early education program. Regulations shall ensure that early education programs have the flexibility to be locally designed and culturally appropriate, so long as they meet early education standards. An early education program may be either full day (6 hour) or half day (at least 2 hours) Section 7.  For funding purposes, an early education student shall be counted in the school district's average daily membership as a half day student once the early education program has been approved by the department. Section 8.  Adds early education to consideration for determining the number of elementary schools in a district. 9:14:40 AM Section 9.  Ensures that early education students who currently receive State or Federal funding for early education are not included in the ADM for purposes of funding. Section 10.  Directs early education program staff to be included in those organizations required to report evidence of child abuse. Section 11.  Repeals the early education grant program in 10 years, once all school districts have had the opportunity to apply. 9:15:22 AM SENATOR BEGICH clarified in Section 9, if a student is receiving federal money now for early education, the student is not included in the ADM for purposes of funding. The reason the Early Education Grant Program will be repealed in ten years is that every district in the state will have had the opportunity to join a universal voluntary preschool. He noted Oklahoma has the highest rate of voluntary early education. Alaska has done a good job of building quality preschools. The long-term goal is to create a sustainable, affordable, programmatic tiered approach, splitting districts into five cohorts. He said the department will address the fiscal notes. CHAIR HUGHES mentioned those who could answer questions about the bill. 9:17:33 AM CHAIR HUGHES suggested that homes without parental support need preschool more than those with support. She said the grant targets low achieving students and inquired why it is available to those who might not need the grant. 9:18:53 AM SENATOR BEGICH explained that they started with the lower achieving districts due to a constitutional obligation to do so. Educational opportunity must be offered to all students in Alaska, but it is a choice by parents to make use of them. 9:20:13 AM CHAIR HUGHES asked if there is anything to prohibit a tribal organization from offering pre-elementary programs. SENATOR BEGICH said no. The bill encourages tribal participation and is part of the reason for two sections in the bill. One ensures the ability to collaborate with Head Start, and the cultural component in the bill encourages participation by tribes. The intent of the bill is to encourage continuing partnerships with existing entities. 9:21:00 AM SENATOR COGHILL thanked him for the thoughtful bill. He liked the tiered process, but getting the money will be difficult. He struggles with the fact that grade 1-3 students should be able to read, and he was not sure the bill addresses that. He said the system fails many students. He hoped the bill would address this and supports the idea of reaching out to families. 9:23:06 AM SENATOR BEGICH referred to a handout that shows research in Alaska where pre-K has taken place; those kids go to school ready to learn. He used the Lower Kuskokwim and Nome School District as examples. Research shows that it is time to stop the demonstration grant and ensure that pre-K is available to all students. Those are the critical years for learning. 9:25:35 AM SENATOR COGHILL said they have tried Parents as Teachers and other methods to encourage parents to step up. He takes issue when the state relieves families of their responsibilities. He questioned where the funding will come from. 9:26:28 AM SENATOR BEGICH addressed Senator Coghill's funding concern. He hoped in the future "the way we do these resources and how we do them will be identified." 9:26:57 AM SENATOR STEVENS liked the bill. He did not know how rigor in education fits into preschool. He spoke in favor of local design and culturally appropriate needs in the bill, but he hoped there was substance in the program. He asked how to know if the program works and if the money is well spent. 9:27:45 AM SENATOR BEGICH said they know because on page 7, the criteria that are set out are the tested methodology that is used, such as high-quality teachers, types of programming, and standards. He said it is the Oklahoma standard that has been tested and measured. The quality of Alaska experience would also apply to this legislation. The department will write regulations using their models of quality outcomes. He noted the backup data shows dramatic increases in school readiness because of this type of program. He said he would provide a copy of it to the committee. It will be measured against the standards of 9 years of experience and the department will have jurisdiction over whether programs will continue. After three years if the department deems a preschool is not meeting quality standards, it will not be approved. 9:30:32 AM CHAIR HUGHES invited Ms. Johnson to testify. 9:31:07 AM MEGHAN JOHNSON, Director, Learn and Grow in THREAD, testified in support of SB 99. She shared the goals of Learn and Grow. She said she will address what high quality early childhood education looks like. She implored the legislature to think about children's futures. 9:32:34 AM She said there are approximately 40,000 children under the age of six in Alaska where both parents work and there is limited access to affordable, quality programs. A lot of quality practice has to do with what is appropriate for the development of birth to age 5 children. Parents play the primary role in supporting this development, but if they work, it falls to early childhood teachers and programs. She shared the most recent early care and learning economic report by the McDowell Group. Early care and learning contributes $2 billion to Alaska's economy each year. She listed financial benefits of early childhood education. She said there is a lack of affordable early childhood programs. She noted that pre-K can be a high-quality choice for parents. She described the soft skills children need. 9:35:07 AM MS. JOHNSON described several factors affect children's development and what is needed to support relationships with other children. Teachers have specialized training and work in partnership with parents in these areas. She said there are decreased costs for special education and incarceration due to early childhood education. 9:37:33 AM She provided a story of a family that was not able to enter a pre-K program and how their son struggled in school. CHAIR HUGHES thanked Ms. Johnson and held SB 99 in committee.