SB 8-PRE-K/ELEM ED PROGRAMS/FUNDING; READING  10:02:26 AM CHAIR HOLLAND announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 8 "An Act relating to early education programs provided by school districts; relating to school age eligibility; relating to funding for early education programs; establishing early education programs and a voluntary parent program; relating to the duties of the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to certification of teachers; establishing a reading intervention program for public school students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; establishing a reading program in the Department of Education and Early Development; establishing a teacher retention working group; and providing for an effective date." He called Senator Begich to the table. 10:02:56 AM At ease 10:03:11 AM CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting. 10:03:17 AM SENATOR TOM BEGICH, speaking as sponsor of SB 8, said he would highlight the complex components of the bill, the need for which was reinforced by the earlier presentation. He said today he would talk about how the continuum works and why it makes sense. In 2019 he started working with Governor Dunleavy and Education Commissioner Johnson to draft legislation that would build on his earlier pre-K bill and also tie that into reading. He was convinced that the connection between pre-K and reading is critical and that support from the department is also critical. He wanted a bill to turn the curve on reading in Alaska and ensure that every child can read at grade level by third grade, a goal shared by all on the committee. The bill is rooted in evidence and research and based on the successes seen in states like Oklahoma, Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, and Colorado. SENATOR BEGICH said that to turn the curve, investments in education are necessary today. The results of the investments won't be seen overnight, but they will be seen over time. It all starts with prekindergarten. Universal, voluntary pre-K has the ability to change lives. Research shows that the greatest improvements for pre-K students are amongst those who are economically disadvantaged and dual language learners. Over 100 languages are spoken in his Anchorage district alone. Throughout rural Alaska and in the state, many students are dual language learners. This disproportionately impacts the poorest populations in both rural and urban areas. 10:06:17 AM SENATOR BEGICH said that establishing universal, voluntary pre-K across Alaska will have significant and lasting impact for children. The research is clear. Pre-K without continued investments in evidence-based reading instruction does not work, and the state will not see gains from high-quality pre-K without substantial reading instruction. Both are required and must work side-by-side. SENATOR BEGICH noted that he provided the research the committee has asked for. This includes the Alaska pre-elementary research compilation and the multigenerational Perry Preschool study. This shows four key outcomes: fewer teen pregnancies, higher likelihood of high school graduation, higher likelihood of holding a job with higher earnings, and less likelihood of needing state support programs. He highlighted a document that includes the Perry Preschool and also the Carolina Abecedarian Project. The committee packet contains many other reports on the effect of universal pre-K. He noted that some of these studies were referenced in the earlier presentation. 10:08:42 AM SENATOR BEGICH said that from his perspective the pre-K element was key, but the learning process in working with the governor, commissioner, and superintendents has helped him understand the full relationship between the reading component, the pre-K component, and the support for teachers, which was emphasized in the prior presentation, to ensure that they can do the job they are being asked to do. Practically, this means the fiscal notes will look different. The pre-K early education program is a high-quality program to prepare students for reading readiness, allowing students to enter kindergarten armed with the knowledge and tools for future academic success. SENATOR BEGICH said studies the state has done show that when this pre-K was provided, whether in Nome or Mat-Su, it has always led to greater achievement by third grade and those achievements hold by eighth grade. That pre-K experience is limited in Alaska. Thirty-five school districts offer some level of pre-K through state and federal grants. SB 8 takes away that uncertainty and gives every school district opportunity to join or not join a pre-K program. It is voluntary and only for four- and five-year-olds. It does not compete with the 17 Head Start programs in Alaska. It holds them harmless and ensures local control of pre-K programs. It sets universal standards but control remains at the local level. SENATOR BEGICH said a crucial element of the bill is the investment to prepare teachers. The Perry Preschool study says that high-quality preschool can save up to $7 [for every dollar spent] in long-term government expense by reducing the need of remedial education, involvement in the criminal justice system, and public assistance programs. He asked, "If we don't offer opportunity to our kids, what are we doing with our educational system?" 10:11:35 AM SENATOR BEGICH said SB 8 offers school districts the ability to develop high quality, early education programs that are culturally appropriate and tailored to the students through a three-year grants process based on Alaska's current, successful pre-K efforts. In year one the lowest 10 percent of school districts, the first cohort, would be eligible to apply for the three-year grants. The second cohort would begin in year two, and the third cohort in year three, etc. The program is spread over six years to reduce the impact and focus on where the need is greatest. It is an eased-in process that is also a terminal process. After every district has been offered the opportunity [to develop a pre-K], the grant program terminates. SENATOR BEGICH said that during the three years of the grant program, the districts will work on developing programs with high quality elements. Those are detailed in the bill. Early education capacity will systemically be built in those lowest performing school districts with limited or no pre-K. Pre-K potentially could reach virtually every student in the state. He stressed that pre-K will be voluntary and high quality. No one is forced in this bill to put a child in pre-K. SENATOR BEGICH said that the fiscal note is higher because it reflects every district taking advantage of this program, although not every district will take part in the program. The districts that have a pre-K program that the department will sign off on will count pre-K students as one half of an ADM, Average Daily Membership. They will count as half of a student. DEED must certify that the pre-K program meets the highest standards. 10:14:26 AM SENATOR BEGICH said the second part of the bill is about parental and local control in the process of helping children learn to read. He and Senator Hughes both share this desire to make reading work for kids. They have been working on this issue and came to the same conclusion from different angles. They want to improve the lives of children. The two components of the reading program are the intervention services and the reading program. The earlier presentation showed that assessments early- on make a difference in reading. Those assessments must come with an individual reading program for each student to respond to reading deficiencies. Parents and classroom teachers are engaged in that process. The state lays out the best practices based on science. The teachers and parents figure out how to use those so a child can read by third grade. These two components are key to successful outcomes by eighth grade and by graduation. It will take years to see the outcomes, but some will be seen fairly soon. Pre-K data from the state shows that. 10:16:23 AM SENATOR BEGICH said teachers must be prepared to do their jobs. This is the component that the governor and commissioner stressed with him. It is a piece that he had missed. The state should provide support for reading programs for districts, which it is required to do by the constitution and law. Up to 10 struggling schools in this bill can apply for an on-the-ground reading interventionist who will come from the state. That specialist will be present in the school district for a year to train up the workforce. The research-based reading instruction is focused on the five components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and reading fluency. Reading specialists train teachers, model evidence- based reading instruction, convene community gatherings, and provide reading interventions for struggling students. DEED reading intervention specialists funded with a five-year federal grant will also support existing school staff, engage and build community understanding of the evidence-based reading programs, and work with local teachers and support staff to improve reading scores. 10:17:50 AM SENATOR BEGICH said it is a continuum. No one component can do it alone. Both pre-K and a good reading program are necessary. The evidence in North Carolina and Tennessee underscores that. Those studies are in the documentation he provided. Pre-K alone would fail just as reading without supports to train teachers how to teach reading or without ensuring that kids come prepared to understand the reading instruction would also fail. SENATOR BEGICH said that is why he, the governor, and the commissioner wrote their principles on a board almost a year and a half ago to combine these things. It costs money to do this. That resource is something the legislature has been talking about this year, but this senate will support a lot of different ideas but very few will potentially transform the entire population of the state. Legislators have talked about education being transformative. The leadership on this committee represents a vision of education in this body. That vision should be comprehensive. SB 8 and SB 42 underscore that. These are comprehensive approaches that are designed to transform education. CHAIR HOLLAND suggested presenting the sectional at a different time to allow for testimony. SENATOR BEGICH expressed his preference to hear from the invited guests. CHAIR HOLLAND called on Commissioner Johnson to comment on SB 8. 10:20:51 AM MICHAEL JOHNSON, Ph.D., Commissioner, Department of Education and Early Development, Juneau, Alaska, thanked the committee for working together on reading legislation. They have been working on this for a number of years. They do not need a bill that makes a statement. They need a bill that makes a change. If they believe reading is that important, then there is no state in this country that needs to be more aggressive in facing their problems because the outcomes are so low. Every moment the committee spends on this issue is important. Several years ago the State Board of Education endorsed that kind of aggressive approach by making it the number one priority in the Alaska Education Challenge. SB 8 and SB 42 both have three parts. Some students don't arrive at kindergarten ready to learn how to read and need prekindergarten supports. Some need in-school pre-K, some need supports such as from Parents as Teachers. Some may not need any of those and have access to literacy opportunities at home. That is why it is voluntary. If the state invests a lot in pre-K, the state has to invest in programs of quality and must follow it up with evidence-based practice and accountability. Some schools need intensive supports in order to provide quality learning programs. Yesterday the country landed another rover on Mars. As he watched the team celebrate on TV, he thought that all of the many team members had learned to read, and probably by third grade. He hopes that all of them could work together on a bill that makes change so that every student in the state can know what it is like to celebrate that kind of achievement. It begins with learning to read. 10:25:12 AM SENATOR STEVENS commented that the commissioner is right; change is required because the state has such problems. He asked where the state is succeeding in pre-K. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON responded that some great things are happening across the state. Many districts have implemented quality pre-K programs. The state board adopted new Alaska Early Learning Guidelines to support quality pre-K. The department is trying to move forward as the legislature works on a bill. Some districts have district-supported programs. There are Head Start programs and some private early learning programs. There are programs such as Best Beginnings. Through some of the settlement agreements, studies have been done on impacts of pre-K on some of the rural districts, namely Lower Kuskokwim. That can be provided to the committee. Targeted pre-K programs do help students arrive at kindergarten ready to learn to be on the trajectory of reading proficiency by the end of third grade. Even in the last few months, elevating this conversation has resulted in some districts focusing resources and attention on developing strong K-3 reading programs. CHAIR HOLLAND reported that 35 of 54 districts offer some pre-K. He asked the commissioner how many schools offer pre-K. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON replied he would follow up with the information. SENATOR BEGICH estimated that about 10 percent of kids who would be eligible are currently in some form of a pre-K program. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON responded that it depends on what type of pre-K is included in that statistic. SENATOR BEGICH said he stresses the quality of pre-K because there can be haphazard pre-K programs. The governor asked him from day one what he meant by pre-K and he replied quality pre-K with evidence that it is doing what it says. That is why he and the governor were able to come to common ground. 10:29:15 AM At ease 10:29:58 AM CHAIR HOLLAND asked the remaining invited testifiers to speak at another meeting. He held SB 8 in committee.