SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE February 23, 1998 9:07 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Gary Wilken, Chairman Senator Loren Leman, Vice-Chairman Senator Lyda Green Senator Jerry Ward Senator Johnny Ellis MEMBERS ABSENT COMMITTEE CALENDAR SENATE BILL NO. 203 "An Act requiring that phonics be taught in kindergarten through third grades in the public school system." TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY ACT PRESENTATION PREVIOUS SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION SB 203 - See HESS minutes dated 2/20/98 WITNESS REGISTER Dr. William Pfeifer 2901 Baranof Ave. Ketchikan, Alaska 99901 POSITION STATEMENT: Supports SB 203 Mr. A.M. Johnson 1527 Pond Reef Rd. Ketchikan, Alaska 99901 POSITION STATEMENT: Supports SB 203 Ms. Lou Bates 520 5th Avenue Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 POSITION STATEMENT: Addressed concerns about Section 3(c). Ms. Brenda Norheim P.O. Box 935 Petersburg, Alaska 99833 POSITION STATEMENT: Supports SB 203 Dr. Shirley Holloway, Commissioner Department of Education 801 W 10th Street, Suite 200 Juneau, Alaska 99801-1894 POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on CSSB 203 Willie Anderson National Education Association 114 Second St. Juneau, Alaska 99801 POSITION STATEMENT: Expressed concern about the lack of funding available for CSSB 203 Dr. Marjorie Fields University of Alaska Southeast 2160 Glacierwood Drive Juneau, Alaska 99801 POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on CSSB 203 Dr. Mary Claire Tarlow University of Alaska Southeast 4260 Glacier Highway Juneau, Alaska 99801 POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on CSSB 203 Mr. Carl Rose Alaska Association of School Boards Juneau, Alaska 99801 POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed to CSSB 203 Brenda Weaver Juneau Reading Council P.O. Box 35025 Juneau, Alaska 99803 POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on CSSB 203 Mary Starrs Armstrong Juneau School District 10014 Crazy Horse Drive Juneau, Alaska 99801 POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on CSSB 203 Vernon Marshall National Education Association (NEA) 114 Second Street Juneau, Alaska 99801 POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on CSSB 203 Guy Phillips P.O. Box 22490 Juneau, Alaska 99802 POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed to CSSB 203 TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY ACT PRESENTERS: Debra M. Russell BIA of Alaska 8121 East 18th Ave. Anchorage, Alaska 99504 and Richard Warrington BIA of Alaska - Kenai Chapter 313 Cindy Circle Kenai, Alaska 99611 ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 98-15, SIDE A Number 001 CHAIRMAN WILKEN called the Senate Health, Education and Social Services (HESS) Committee to order at 9:07 a.m. Present were Senators Wilken, Green, Leman and Ellis. The first order of business before the committee was SB 203. CHAIRMAN WILKEN apologized to those participants who sat through Friday's meeting and were unable to testify. SB 203 - PHONICS CURRICULUM DR. BILL PFEIFER, a chiropractor from Ketchikan, testified via teleconference in support of SB 203. Dr. Pfeifer stated SB 203 has the potential to positively change the lives of many young Alaskans. He served six years on the Ketchikan College Advisory Council during its transition from a community college to a branch of the University of Alaska, and currently sits on the school district's Ready for Work Commission. DR. PFEIFER stated the Legislature and Department of Education recognize an enormous number of children nationwide who are not proficient readers or spellers. CSSB 203 is the Legislature's commitment to make reading a priority for every child in the State of Alaska, and is appropriately called the Literacy Restoration Act. It sends the message that the Legislature insists children have opportunities to make choices later in life because they will learn to read, and that reading failure is not inevitable. DR. PFEIFER cited research by the National Institute of Health and testimony before the Washington State Legislature by Dr. Douglas Carnine, a professor at the University of Oregon and the Director of the National Center for Improving Tools of Education. According to Dr. Carnine, about 90 percent of the children who are poor readers in the first grade will be poor readers in the third grade. About 75 percent of children who are poor readers in the fourth grade will be poor readers in the ninth grade. DR. PFEIFER believes we cannot afford to wait to test students in the higher grades to determine that a child is not reading at grade level. The value of explicit systematic phonics has been well established in research findings and is a vital part of any comprehensive reading program. Unfortunately, many teachers were never taught how to teach an explicit systematic phonics program that is research based. DR. PFEIFER noted that Dr. Carnine stated "When teachers say they are using phonics, it may not be the careful, systematic use of phonics as indicated in the research, so they are not going to get the benefits of actually using the research-based phonics." Dr. Carnine further states "The NIH research has proven quite clearly that most students will not learn to read naturally by merely immersing them in a print rich environment. It is not true that good readers use pictures in context for skipping and guessing to decode words. Those are strategies that individuals cannot meet well, when in fact whole language is teaching the strategies that characterize disabled readers." DR. PFEIFER indicated the Legislature needs to decide what research findings it is going to believe and whether an agreement should be made that any training will follow specific research in a consistent manner to teach all students to read. DR. PFEIFER offered to submit his written testimony to committee members. Number 161 MR. AL JOHNSON, a Ketchikan School Board member, testified on his own behalf. The student population in the Ketchikan School District is about 2900 and falling fast. Ten percent of the student body is involved in some form of reading remediation. Special education services are provided to 290 students; 70 of whom are identified as in need of remedial reading. In addition, 225 children are enrolled in the Indian Education, Migrant Education and Chapter 1 Education program for some form of remedial reading. What is in question in the reading remediation programs is the depth of the phonics instruction and the knowledge of the teaching process. Teachers involved in these programs are totally dedicated, but whether they are doing everything possible, and in the proper order, is still under investigation. The Ketchikan School Board recently established the goal that all children should leave the second grade reading at grade level, and any child scoring at the fourth stanine or below will receive some form of remediation. Of the 200 freshman entering the high school every year, 125 graduate from high school. There is a high correlation between the dropouts and reading difficulties. Ketchikan's alternative high school enrollment rose from about 80 last year to about 120 this year. It was discovered some of those students read at a third grade level. MR. JOHNSON said he is thrilled to see this legislation. He believes individual school boards want to tackle this problem but sometimes get overwhelmed by statistics, facts and figures presented by alternate sides of the argument. The Ketchikan School District administers the Gates-McGinnis test to first graders. The scores are broken into nine stanines. If a student scores in the first through third stanine, he/she is not reading at grade level. Twenty-one percent of first graders fell in that group last year. If one adds the fourth stanine to that amount, the percent increases to 41 percent. The Ketchikan School District plans to establish some sort of second grade exit program which is very much in line with CSSB 203. He suggested tying school performance standards to financial obligations. Number 239 MS. LOU BATES, personnel director of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, directed her testimony to Section 3(c) of CSSB 203 which lists the course requirements. Last October, the Department of Education promised to review teacher certification or licensure requirements statewide. Ms. Bates believes this issue would be better addressed under that certification review because trying to analyze course contents on individual applicant's resumes to determine if the course meets the criteria in this bill will be a subjective and difficult process. If such a course was required for certification, the University would likely develop a course to fit that need, as it did for the Alaska history requirement. BRENDA NORHEIM, a concerned parent from Petersburg, testified in support of CSSB 203. She discussed the difficulties her two children had with the whole language approach used in their school district. Number 287 COMMISSIONER SHIRLEY HOLLOWAY, Department of Education, testified via teleconference from Anchorage. She called attention to the finding in Section 2 (5) on page 1 of CSSB 203, which states that Alaska students received a D- grade in the recent Education Week report card and clarified that Education Week graded policy makers and elements the editors believed needed to be in place to increase student performance, not students themselves. COMMISSIONER HOLLOWAY stated she shares the desired result of CSSB 203, that all children be able to read at high academic levels by age eight, and she supports the intent that phonics be a required part of a quality, comprehensive reading and language arts curriculum. However she clarified that phonics is not a method of teaching reading; it is one means of decoding words. She believes Alaskan policy makers need to focus on student results, and hold schools and communities accountable. Establishing required learning results through the implementation of student standards focuses on what we want our children to know and to be able to do. SB 257 establishes required learning standards and an assessment tied to those specific standards. It also addresses concerns about reading, writing, and mathematics competency and holds schools and communities accountable for student learning results. Number 319 MR. WILLIE ANDERSON, testifying via teleconference from Fairbanks, stated his main concern is that CSSB 203 contains no funding mechanism for implementation. He noted that two experts from Texas previous testified that each student who needs individualized instruction would require a minimum of 40 hours. DOE reports Alaska schools have 126,000 students. If an estimated one-quarter of those students are in grades K-3, 31,000 would be tested. If 25 percent of those students need extra services at a minimum of 40 hours, the cost would be tremendous. The Legislature cannot ask school districts to absorb those costs into their current budgets. For that reason, he stated he is unable to support this legislation. He suggested the committee request another committee referral for the bill. He also expressed concern that the bill contains no funds to cover the cost of administering the two tests. DR. MARJORIE FIELDS informed committee members she is a professor of Education at the University of Alaska Southeast and teaches teachers about how children become literate. She has been published in many professional journals on this subject, has written a book for parents, and a teacher education textbook on the topic of emergent literacy, entitled Beginning Reading and Writing, used widely around the country. She noted she could also be considered a national expert. DR. FIELDS disputed that the experts who testified from Texas are actually experts in the field of beginning reading. She said she works closely with teachers who are implementing recommended practices and does not know of any well-informed teachers who do not teach phonics, or of any reading experts who advocate not teaching phonics. Teachers who understand how children become literate do teach phonics in ways that help children make sense of the sound-symbol relationship, and to learn them in a meaningful context. Teaching phonics in a meaningful context means teaching children to use phonics as they read and write. This purpose seems to have gotten confused, and phonics itself has sometimes become the goal. Teaching phonics out of context would be similar to teaching swimming out of the water. It is very hard to do and not very useful. Phonics is only one part of reading. The letters and their sounds are important but many times phonics principles are not useful. English has a highly irregular pattern of letter-sound relations. DR. FIELDS distributed handouts to committee members and referred to one that contains phonics generalizations and their percent of usefulness, which calculates to just over 50 percent. She explained reading is more than just learning to say a sound; readers also need to use other important skills and knowledge, such as figuring out what word makes sense in relation to what else the print says. She gave the example of the word "read" which can be pronounced differently and has different meanings, and must be considered in context. This is not guessing, but is a thoughtful process. DR. FIELDS referred to a chart showing the different clueing systems and how they come together to create the goal of comprehension. DR. FIELDS provided counter-evidence to research data provided by Senator Taylor. She stated the material she was distributing makes no sweeping generalizations. She explained those studying literacy in depth do not put much energy into gathering sets of numbers and percentages about how many people can read or not. Serious researchers understand that such statistics tell nothing about why reading problems exist or what to do about them. Also, statistics are not objective, they are based on subjective collection and analysis of data. Those studying literacy and illiteracy realize there are multiple causes of reading problems, and multiple solutions. Literacy rates are the result of a complex mix of social, cultural, academic and even political issues. Social-economic status has been shown to be the main predictor of success. There are no simple solutions to complex problems. DR. FIELDS indicated research from the National Right to Read Foundation was presented as the truth by Senator Taylor. She explained if one defines reading as decoding and uses group testing to determine one's ability, the results will be very different than if one defines reading as getting meaning from the print. One of Senator Taylor's main arguments, the need for remedial reading for college students, proves the opposite. College students are not usually put into remedial reading classes because they cannot decode words, but because they cannot understand what they read. These students need more real reading experiences, not more phonics lessons. Another fallacy in Senator Taylor's argument is that schools have been using the whole language teaching approach for thirty years and reading scores have been falling all the while. DR. FIELDS said she was teaching first grade 30 years ago, and no one in the schools had heard of whole language. The reason that whole language was mandated in California, and in many school districts around the country about 10 years ago, was because of the failure of the skills-based approaches. This recent failure is powerful evidence of why educative processes should not and cannot be legislated. Whole language failed, as other approaches failed before, because teachers were not adequately prepared for the complexity of the teaching process. Whole language was mandated as a magic bullet, and was forced on teachers who had no idea of what it was. DR. FIELDS maintained CSSB 203 represents the swing of a pendulum from one misunderstood idea to another. She emphasized that there are no quick fixes, and that CSSB 203 is extremely simplistic and reveals an appalling lack of understanding about the process of becoming literate and of the diverse backgrounds and learning styles of children in Alaska's schools. CSSB 203 is well meaning, however it will not allow teachers to teach phonics in a meaningful context along with other essential skills for reading. Professional educators must have the latitude to use many approaches for their reading instruction in order to meet the needs of each individual child. If phonics skills are taught in isolation, it is not only like teaching swimming without the water, it is like teaching only the arm strokes and ignoring the kicking and breathing skills. Number 465 SENATOR LEMAN stated he does not see CSSB 203 as limiting approaches to teaching reading, but rather as a way of ensuring that phonics be part of the total approach. DR. FIELDS indicated if one reads the backup material, and looks at other literacy bills being introduced in states around the country, some of which require phonics to be taught out of context, the bill is not clear as to whether teachers would be asked to teach phonics in isolation. SENATOR LEMAN questioned the possibility of clarifying the language in the bill. DR. FIELDS replied the bill would be unnecessary if it contained language clarifying that phonics is to be taught as part of reading instruction, because people would wonder what the bill is trying to do differently. Number 490 CHAIRMAN WILKEN referred to one of Dr. Fields' handouts and noted he never understood why the word "Tanana" is pronounced differently from "Nenana." DR. MARY CLAIRE TARLOW took the witness seat and stated she was an elementary school teacher for 15 years, has a PhD. in literacy education with a specialty in reading comprehension, and has been a UAS faculty member for ten years. She teaches reading methods to students in the elementary teacher program. She emphasized that English is not consistently phonetic, and that phonics is taught in our public school system already. She clarified there is a big difference between teaching phonics and teaching intensive systematic phonics. DR. TARLOW said she views this bill as dangerous as it is the equivalent of passing legislation that requires doctors to treat all cancers with one treatment. Most patients recognize that they do not know what doctors do, and therefore leave medical diagnoses to doctors. Teachers are professionals and are trained to understand the reading process and the learning to read process. They do not have all of the answers; neither do doctors. Patients and students vary and need individual diagnoses. Reading is a very complex process and trained professionals are best equipped to figure out how to help. There are many things that influence the learning to read process, some having to do with reading instruction, some not. DR. TARLOW maintained that educators recognize the need for phonics knowledge, but phonics is only one piece of a complex system in the reading process. An effective reader uses many systems of language to read: the sounds of letters in words (phonics) along with the structure of the sentence (syntax) and the meaning of words (semantics). She distributed handouts to committee members, and asked the Senators to complete an exercise on one. Reading is about making meaning; phonics gives one the sounds of words but it does not give the reader meaning. Overemphasis on phonics can lead students to focus so hard on sounds that they do not get the meaning, which can lead to comprehension problems later on. The overemphasis on phonics also makes it harder for some students to learn to read. If they focus too much on sounding out words, the strengths they could bring to the learning to read process are lost to them. DR. TARLOW also expressed concern about the testing requirements in CSSB 203. Testing first graders is very traumatic because children at that level are being put on the spot as to what they know. She emphasized her biggest concern about legislating the use of intensive systematic phonics is that all students do not need the same level of phonics instruction. Some need a more consistent, integrated and balanced program over several years, but some learn much of what they need quickly, and some have learned phonics before they attend school. If they have already learned it, there is no reason to force students to sit through instruction for three years that they do not need. Teachers are trained to group children so that they can provide the instruction to help each child develop to their own potential. Number 555 SENATOR GREEN questioned whether there is a definition of intensive systematic phonics. DR. TARLOW responded that intensive systematic phonics implies individual skills taught in isolation with the sound and the letter connected. It is not integrated into the system of reading when it is taught. Phonics knowledge and systematic phonics instruction are different things. Readers need phonics knowledge, but not all children need intensive systematic phonics instruction. SENATOR GREEN asked what kind of student would need intensive systematic phonics. DR. TARLOW said it is hard to say who the child is. There are a lot of children who were not read to early in life or were not exposed to literature so they do not have an awareness of the sounds of the language. Some of those children need a cuing system. There are lots of different things in the language that people learn to use when they read. SENATOR GREEN asked if the language in CSSB 203 is too specific and should be broadened. DR. TARLOW said her concern is that learning to read is a complex process and to find language to cover all of the complexities might be too difficult. She pointed out that requiring systematic phonics of students who do not need it can kill a child's love of reading and can make children ineffective readers. She repeated her example of legislating treatments for cancer, and said sometimes a small operation is all that is necessary. TAPE 98-15, SIDE B DR. TARLOW concluded by saying we should worry about standards and worry about providing more resources to train teachers throughout their careers. SENATOR LEMAN completed the exercise provided by Dr. Tarlow and said he could provide the answers to the four questions but was unable to understand his answers. DR. TARLOW explained that exercise demonstrates her concern with using phonics in isolation. She explained the reason so many college students are in remedial reading classes is that they have learned to look at the questions at the end of the chapter, find the answers, but never understood what they were reading. Those students believe that is what reading is about. Number 573 BRENDA WEAVER, President of the Juneau Reading Association, an affiliate of the Alaska State Literacy Association and International Literacy Association, commended the Legislature for recognizing the importance of literacy. She expressed concern that CSSB 203 will be misinterpreted and will lead to expectations in teachers to teach something that was not intended. Reading is a patterning of complex behaviors, it is not just sounding out words. Phonemic awareness is dependent upon one's experience with the alphabetic script. Research studies show that what a child comes to school knowing, rather than the ability to sound out words, is the most important factor in his/her reading ability. It is dependent on having meaningful conversations. Many children arrive at school without the tools they need to learn, without the interaction with the alphabetic script to develop the phonemic awareness. Some programs are attempting to do that but they are usually targeted to a specific culture. Creating a more literacy rich preschool experience would be a much more effective use of time and money and would reduce remedial costs. The Reading Council endorses the use of phonics, only in the context of a balanced reading program. Reading is much more than the ability to decode. MS. WEAVER stated the term "Literacy Restoration Act" is a misnomer because literacy has not been lost. Teachers have recognized that at one time phonics was omitted in error. CSSB 203 does not address the fact that curricula on local levels are addressing these issues. The standards and expectations regarding outcomes is what needs to be examined. CSSB 203 does not take into account the limited English proficiency student or the total immersion in dual language programs. CHAIRMAN WILKEN asked if the Reading Council deals with adults or youth. MS. WEAVER answered it is a public organization comprised of teachers, parents and other public members. It does a lot of in- service training and social promotion of reading in and out of the schools. CHAIRMAN WILKEN asked how the Reading Council would interact with a grade school. MS. WEAVER replied it is currently bringing a group in to give workshops to teachers of grades 2-5. It has provided workshops for teachers in many areas, including phonics, the whole language program, and integrating phonics into the classroom. CHAIRMAN WILKEN clarified that the Reading Council deals more with the instructors than the students. MS. WEAVER said yes. She added she is also a literacy leader and a reading teacher. Number 512 MARY STARRS ARMSTRONG, Curriculum Coordinator for the Juneau School District, explained the Juneau School District is committed to literacy success for all students. It values literacy and early literacy by putting supplemental resources in the form of highly trained literacy leaders as well as ESL and English proficiency instructors in each elementary school. The draft core content in its curriculum is based on the English language arts standards that include reading strategies, phonics being one part. Research in literature suggests that instructional practices be adapted to meet the diverse needs of learners. Some students come to school ready to read or reading, and some come not speaking English at all. Staff use many strategies to assist students in learning to read. This same situation is mirrored all over the State. There is no "one size fits all" panacea. Literacy involves a balance of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and thinking. In the context of learning to read, phonics is just one part. Phonics is not a method of teaching reading, but rather a method of decoding words. Phonics instruction must be used to help students make sense of what they read, but not as an end in itself. CSSB 203 offers one part of a solution, and offers it out of context. To promote phonics in isolation gives an incomplete message. Phonics instruction, instruction in the use of meaning, and instruction in the use of the structure of the English language are all essential, along with good literature and exemplary teaching to create a balanced reading program. MS. STARRS ARMSTRONG invited legislators to visit Juneau's elementary schools. She pointed out that on page 1, line 5 of CSSB 203, the sentence says Alaskan students were given a D- grade in standards and assessment when the system was given that grade. She also expressed concern that the Juneau School District has not found that assessing second grade students with norm-referenced tests to be the best way to ascertain students' knowledge at that young age. Number 461 SENATOR LEMAN asked Ms. Starrs Armstrong's opinion of norm- referenced testing in the first and third grades. MS. STARRS ARMSTRONG said the Juneau School District does not use norm- referenced tests with first and second graders but does with third graders. CHAIRMAN WILKEN noted Senator Taylor's staff is aware of the problem with the statement on page 1, line 5. CHAIRMAN WILKEN asked when a child gets the first opportunity to learn a foreign language in the Juneau School District. MS. STARRS ARMSTRONG said that occurs at the middle school level. She noted the Juneau School Board is considering whether to offer a second language at the elementary school level. Number 445 CARL ROSE, Executive Director of the Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB), testified in opposition to CSSB 203 for the following reasons. The AASB is not opposed to the idea of teaching phonics, as it is a part of programs statewide but is concerned about the mandated process in CSSB 203. A lot of time and effort has been invested in the issue of standards which represent what we want students to know, why we want them to know it, and how to teach that information. It also represents the ability to develop curricula that represent the standards and it represents a tool to measure the progress as well as the professional development that some alluded to earlier. Teacher ability to deliver the curriculum is critical. MR. ROSE expressed concern about the state of affairs of schools in Alaska. This past weekend the AASB discussed some of the policy implications on schools of the American Disabilities Act (ADA), Family Medical Leave Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and reporting requirements mandated by regulation. The discussion revolved around the administrative work load that is required to comply, what funding mechanisms are in place to address these mandates, and where the money comes from if a funding mechanism does not exist. If no funding mechanism was created with the mandate, the money must come from appropriations for instruction. CSSB 203 will be another mandate with no funding. He indicated that considering the initiatives in SB 257 without adequate funding would be a mistake and would set school districts up for failure. He maintained that every individual mandate has a constituency, and the mandates are important. He suggested that the combined impact of these mandates is a tremendous downward pressure on school budgets. He believes Senator Taylor's intent in CSSB 203 is good, and he preferred to let the professionals debate the language, but he emphasized the state needs to determine what it values in education and align its appropriations accordingly. CHAIRMAN WILKEN noted he met with the Fairbanks School Board in early December and asked it to provide him with the names of three mandates that cost the school district money that the school board would like to see repealed. He stated he has not received a response yet. He asked if the AASB has considered asking the Legislature to repeal some of the mandates. MR. ROSE said yes, it has compiled an extensive list. He suggested that many mandate came from Congress, but there are some state mandates. He informed committee members that HB 465 contains some guidelines for instruction, which school districts need. There are other things school districts are mandated to provide, such as insurance for the state's investments in schools. Lack of deferred maintenance places those investments at higher risk every year. He offered to provide the list to the committee. Number 372 VERNON MARSHALL, National Education Association (NEA), stated NEA believes phonics and whole language should be integrated as part of a reading strategy. NEA is concerned that language on page 2, lines 4-11 of CSSB 203 prescribes that the governing body of a district shall include phonics and spelling, but then mandates what the language education curriculum must include. It does not make mention of whole language or teaching words in context. NEA is apprehensive that this section is specific as it applies to phonics only. NEA's second concern is that it believes that schools and teachers should determine the curriculum and develop a range of instructional strategies so that instruction, assessment, and remediation are included. Language on page 2, line 12, requires normed tests be given to first, second, and third graders, and NEA questions whether research findings indicate those are the applicable ages to achieve the desired outcomes. MR. MARSHALL maintained the definition of a school in CSSB 203 contains municipal and REAA schools. He questioned whether this bill will apply to home schooled students, correspondence school students and secular school students. NEA believes all students should be tested because some may transfer from those schools to public schools. MR. MARSHALL expressed concern that Section 3(b) on page 2 requires that testing occur and remedial strategies be developed for those students who score in the lowest 25th percentile. He questioned whether compliance with that section will come at the cost of instruction because school budgets are already stretched. MR. MARSHALL advised that Section 3(c) specifies that teachers take a course with eight specific components. Teachers question whether such a course is actually available, and whether those eight components are already taught throughout other course work in elementary teaching programs. In 1992-93, legislation required teachers to have six credit hours of history and cultural studies. In many instances the course was not available, and some teachers' certificates were put in jeopardy through the recertification process. MR. MARSHALL commended the committee for discussing the importance of literacy, but suggested looking at strategies that can be used to help parents motivate children to read rather than watch television. He also suggested looking at ways to develop strategies at the local level to ground instruction in research findings. He thought another element of assistance that could be provided in this bill is to require the Department of Education to assist districts in efforts to help all students read at grade level. MR. MARSHALL stated NEA believes curriculum development ought to be addressed, by assisting school districts to develop their own curricular strategies or requiring the Department of Education to develop curricular strategies for its 53 school districts. NUMBER 258 SUSAN HANSEN, Alaska State Literacy Association, an affiliate of the International Reading Association, expressed concern about the overemphasis on phonics in CSSB 203. She provided the committee with a pamphlet from the International Reading Association on the role of phonics in reading instruction, which views phonics as part of an integrated program of reading and writing. She also circulated a book entitled "Phonics They Use" by Patricia Cunningham, in which the author concludes that phonics activities must be tied to why children are learning it. As a volunteer reading tutor, she explained how she is teaching an elementary school student how to read using phonics activities. MS. HANSEN did not believe it is a good idea to legislate instructional methods because teachers have to take into account a student's developmental level. GUY PHILLIPS, Harborview Site Council and PTA member, parent, volunteer with the Mentoring Matters program, and classroom tutor, stated it is his strong conviction that the business of this Legislature should not, and should never be, to dictate individual curriculum concerns in our schools. That work should be dealt with by boards of education with intensive input and guidance from the teachers and administrators who have dedicated their lives to the science of educating young people. MR. PHILLIPS believes some teachers went too far when phonics was de-emphasized which was damaging to some students. The key to a successful literacy program is immersion in literature. He disputed Senator Taylor's contention that 75 percent of children are not being taught to master the language. He works one-on-one with first graders who are falling behind the pack. By applying the reading principles already in place, the students are progressing quickly and should be reading at grade level in a few months. To inundate those students with a long list of phonics rules and exceptions would turn learning into an insurmountable chore. He implored committee members to kill CSSB 203 before it interferes with serious education reforms already in place. MR. PHILLIPS maintained that funding education is a responsibility of the Legislature. He believes the level to which school funding has been allowed to deteriorate is reprehensible. Alaska is among the wealthiest states in the nation, yet the classroom ratios are at an overwhelming 26 to 1. Much needed positions, such as full time reading specialists, are being cut due to ridiculous rules in federal funding. School districts statewide have had to offer early retirement to tenured staff. Cuts to teaching and support staff continue to go on, and he submitted it is the responsibility of the Senate HESS committee to investigate the problem of school funding and increase it across the board. CHAIRMAN WILKEN announced the Senate HESS committee would hold CSSB 203 for further work. The next order of business before the committee was a presentation on the Traumatic Brain Injury Act. TAPE 98-16, SIDE A Number 060 TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY ACT DEBORAH RUSSELL, President of the Brain Injury Association of Alaska, and a rehabilitation specialist and clinical psychologist, gave the following presentation. The Brain Injury Association was founded in 1980, as a national advocacy organization to help individuals who have sustained a brain injury and their families. Brain injuries are a silent epidemic because most people are unaware of the impacts unless it happens in one's family. According to national statistics, about 9.5 million brain injuries occur every year. Of the 9.5 million, 1 million happen to children. Of that number, about one-third end up with residual deficits that affect their ability to live, learn, and understand. MS. RUSSELL discussed brain injury statistics. About 80 percent of brain injuries to one and two-year olds are caused by physical abuse. Many brain injuries can be prevented. About 100,000 adults die from traumatic brain injury each year and each year about 2,000 people who sustain a traumatic brain injury remain in a persistent vegetative state. MS. RUSSELL said statistics on rehabilitation are appalling. About 20 percent of stroke victims receive rehabilitation and only five percent of victims of traumatic brain injuries receive it. About every ten to 16 seconds, someone in the United States sustains a brain injury. Information from the Public Health Service and Alaska Trauma Registry show hospitalization rates of 2200 from 1991 to 1993 in Alaska. These are the most severe cases; the majority of people who sustain brain injuries have mild injuries (75 percent). People with mild brain injuries suffer deficits, but are usually not hospitalized. Often the deficits from brain injuries are not understood initially; and are often discovered six months to one year later. MS. RUSSELL explained that alcohol use and abuse is a common problem associated with brain injury. It is estimated that about 23 percent of the population in the United States has an alcohol or drug problem; that number increases to 75 percent of brain injured people. The economic losses of productivity, wages, health maintenance, and long term care amount to $25 to $45 billion. Many brain injured victims cannot return to work without rehabilitation. This group has an unemployment rate of 60 to 80 percent. It also has high rates of divorce, homelessness, financial difficulties, victimization, dependence, increased alcohol and drug abuse, and suicide. MS. RUSSELL indicated the Brain Injury Association is proposing to rehabilitate this population in a "one-stop shopping" approach from the time they are released from the hospital until they have been rehabilitated. The rehabilitation would incorporate occupational and speech therapy, counselors, physical therapists, and physicians. The governing bodies, which include the Alaska Mental Health Trust, the Governor's Council on People with Disabilities, and others can provide some of the funding for these services. Without rehabilitation, many of these people will be unable to work for 45 to 50 years and will live on social security payments and welfare. The investment makes good economic sense and will improve the lifestyle of these individuals and their families. Number 192 CHAIRMAN WILKEN referred to a letter from Ms. Russell to committee members that summarizes the work accomplished by the Brain Injury Association. He asked how the Legislature can help her organization this year. MS. RUSSELL responded that the Brain Injury Association needs funding to run this program and is working on a budget right now. A main office will be located in Anchorage, with branches in smaller communities. She noted some grant money is available. She stated she receives about five phone calls per day from families about a variety of topics, including how to apply for social security. The Brain Injury Association has established the Head Smart program which is used in schools and is prevention oriented. CHAIRMAN WILKEN asked if Ms. Russell was successful in obtaining a Traumatic Brain Injury demonstration grant. MS. RUSSELL replied they have not received final word on that yet. RICHARD WARRINGTON, representing the Kenai Chapter of the Brain Injury Association of Alaska, explained one other state agency is looking to apply for the grant this year, and only one grant is available per year. MS. RUSSELL said the deadline to complete this proposal is March 30, but Leonard Abel and the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities are willing to help. CHAIRMAN WILKEN passed out PL104 which is the 1996 federal Traumatic Brain Injury Act and asked Mr. Warrington to review it. MR. WARRINGTON said this program has identified the importance of establishing a core capacity in every state. Core capacities include: 1. the development of an advisory board; 2. the establishment of a lead agency within state government; 3. completing a statewide needs and resource assessment; and 4. developing a statewide action plan. MR. WARRINGTON explained that grants will be provided only if the state agrees to make available in-cash, non-federal contributions towards such costs in the amount that is not less than $1 for every $2 provided for the grant. He said the Brain Injury Association wants to help brain injured victims so that they do not have to leave their families, and so that the state does not lose money by sending Alaskans to other states to receive rehabilitation services. This funding will be the first money received for the brain injured population in the state, as they do not qualify for funding programs for the mentally ill. MR. WARRINGTON added he has endorsement letters to accompany the grant application from Mayor Navarre, Mayor Williams, and the school district superintendent. There being no further business to come before the committee, CHAIRMAN WILKEN thanked Ms. Russell and Mr. Warrington and adjourned the meeting at 10:55 a.m.