SB 41-KINDERGARTEN & DEFINITION OF "SCHOOL AGE"  RICHARD BENAVIDES, staff to Senator Davis, sponsor of SB 41, explained that SB 41 would make kindergarten mandatory in Alaska and it would lower the compulsory school age from 7 to 5 years of age. Alaska has performance standards for students aged 5 to 7, yet school attendance is not mandatory. According to statistics provided by the state in October of 2000, all school districts except Galena had children enrolled in some type of kindergarten program. The movement in education at this point in time is to have children start learning as quickly as possible in order to meet the mandated performance standards and pass mandatory tests at the high school level. Fifteen states have mandated kindergarten, 42 states must offer kindergarten although it is not mandatory, and all 50 states have financial aid for schools with kindergarten programs. SENATOR WARD asked if SB 41 will require all children to attend kindergarten. MR. BENAVIDES said that is correct. SENATOR WARD asked if school districts could continue to offer full, half or quarter-day kindergarten. MR. BENAVIDES said the bill would only mandate schools to offer a kindergarten program. SENATOR WARD asked if districts could offer a kindergarten program that was less than half-day. SENATOR DAVIS stated that no kindergarten programs in Alaska are less than half-day but the local option would allow less than half-day. She felt there would be disadvantages to a kindergarten program that was less than half-day. SENATOR WARD commented that some schools provide half-day kindergarten programs right now for financial reasons. He questioned whether a district could have a program three days per week. SENATOR DAVIS said she didn't think anything would prevent a district from doing that. She pointed out whether a district provides a full or half-day kindergarten program depends on each school board's philosophy and a variety of other reasons. SENATOR WILKEN expressed surprise that the Department of Education and Early Development (DOEED) submitted an indeterminate fiscal note because he believes it should be able to provide a close estimate of the number of kindergartners who may enroll every year. He also noted that kindergarten programs are not funded through the foundation formula. SENATOR DAVIS asked Mr. Eddy Jeans to speak to whether kindergarten programs are funded through the foundation formula. MR. EDDY JEANS, School Finance Manager, DOEED, informed the committee that DOEED does fund kindergarten programs through the foundation formula and that both full and half time programs exist. A half time program is currently defined in regulation as one that lasts less than four hours per day. He pointed out the fiscal note is indeterminate because SB 41 changes the compulsory school age from 7 to 5. DOEED does not know how many 5 or 6 year olds do not currently attend school. In addition, parents would have the option of keeping their 5 and 6 year olds out of public school by way of 12 exemptions. SENATOR WILKEN asked if kindergartners are included in the October count. MR. JEANS said they are. SENATOR WARD asked how many kindergartners were in last year's count. MR. JEANS said, based on the enrollment report, Alaska had 9,275 students statewide but he did not know if that number includes both full and half time students. SENATOR WARD asked if half time students receive half allotment and whether districts have the option of applying for a full or half time allotment. MR. JEANS stated half time students receive half allotment and repeated that districts have the option of offering half or full time programs. Programs that are more than four hours per day, exclusive of intermissions, are considered to be full time. SENATOR WARD asked if a school district could apply for funds for either half or full day kindergarten programs or could offer no program. MR. JEANS said that is correct. VICE-CHAIR LEMAN took public testimony. [NO RECORDING IS AVAILABLE FOR THE FOLLOWING PORTION OF THE MEETING DUE TO TAPE DAMAGE.] MS. DEE HUBBARD, an Anchorage resident, informed the committee that she has been working on this issue since 1993. In 1993, the Anchorage and Alaska PTAs passed resolutions mandating kindergarten. Since that time, four more states have mandated kindergarten for children. She believes the state should mandate that every school district offer kindergarten programs. MR. VERN MARSHALL, Executive Director of NEA-Alaska, stated support for mandatory kindergarten. He believes the time is right to establish such a mandate because Alaska is aggressively pursuing standards. He feels it is wise to start children in kindergarten because it orients children to school procedures and helps them to start acquiring knowledge. MR. DARROLL HARGRAVES, Council of School Administrators, commented on both SB 41 and SB 11. He stated that research results show that a big learning curve occurs from birth through age 5. If children miss the opportunity to learn during that period, they will suffer through 12th grade. In addition, young students are more mature. He pointed out that regarding the list of exemptions included in Senator Therriault's bill, exemption 8 is the only one that allows flexibility for students who are not kindergarten ready at age 5. That exemption requires school board approval to keep a child out of kindergarten at age 5. He asked the committee to add a simpler exemption to apply to those students who are not ready. [SIDE B RECORDING BEGINS] Number 2150 MS. RITA DAVIS, a teacher at Swanson Elementary School in Palmer, emphasized the need for early intervention for school success. Although children learn with different styles and at different rates, educational and brain research consistently shows that five-year old children are not only ready and eager to learn, but have a tremendous capacity to learn. For students who come from environments that may not be rich in literature or life experiences, early kindergarten would offer them developmentally appropriate activities and prepare them to learn and make choices. For students ready to learn, it would offer an early opportunity. Reading research concludes that early reading success in the primary grades is the single biggest indicator of future school success. If Alaska is focusing on meeting standards at the end of a student's education, it is only logical to look at the beginning. It is time our state policy reflects our beliefs about this critical learning period. MR. CARL ROSE, Executive Director of the Association of Alaska School Boards, stated support for SB 41 for many of the reasons already stated. He recently returned from the education commission of the states. That commission produced an initiative to change the foundation system for funding education. The commission wants funding to cover preschool through postsecondary education. He stated the first benchmark exam given in Alaska is at the third grade level and districts will have to pay close attention to that benchmark because at that point, the curriculum "steepens out" and the gap widens. Mandating kindergarten will help students to get up on step together. He believes the best place to put the state's effort regarding the high school qualifying exam is into looking at learning-appropriate methods of teaching children at the kindergarten level and to mandate kindergarten attendance. MR. ROD MCCOY, special education teacher and NEA-Ak member, thanked and complemented the committee for the great efforts members have made for education. He made the following points: · Research clearly says that the sooner students are involved in the learning process, the better off they are; · Our legal system provides clear options to request compulsory education because parents can easily determine to provide instruction at home - the state is not being invasive in that process; · Allow parents to determine whether their children are school-ready at age 5 because attendance is important; and · Districts need support for the benchmark tests - the state must require schooling to start early in a child's life. VICE-CHAIR LEMAN announced that SB 41 would be held in committee until Chairwoman Green returns.