Gov. Introduces Comprehensive Education Bill

Press Release

Continuing his commitment to improving education in Alaska, Governor Sean Parnell today introduced a comprehensive education bill that seeks to bolster parental choice in charter and residential schools, increase the base student allocation (BSA), and improve high school graduates' readiness for postsecondary education and the workforce.

"Alaska's future depends on excellent schools for our children, and we must continue to create educational opportunity for all students, so they are well prepared for success," Governor Parnell said. "No one knows better how to help a student succeed than his or her own family. The measures in this bill will increase opportunity for families to make wise choices regarding their student's education in the public school system; ensure that the essential needs of Alaska's students are met; provide flexibility in assessing achievement and the earning of necessary educational credits to suit an individual student's needs; and incentivize broader opportunities for students as they prepare to enter Alaska's workforce."

Governor Parnell's bill strengthens parental choice and student opportunities by increasing support for charter and residential schools. The bill would require school districts to determine funding for students in a charter school in the same manner they would for students in any public school within the same district, including funds for special needs, pupil transportation, and vocational education.

To help remove barriers for charter schools, and to create a public record for accountability, the bill would require the local school board to approve or deny charter applications in writing, and provide findings of fact and conclusions of law. The bill would also give charter school applicants that have been denied a charter by their school district the ability to appeal to the commissioner of Education and Early Development.

In an effort to increase opportunity for new residential schools, the governor added a provision to his bill establishing an annual open application period. The legislation also includes an increase to the state per-student stipends for room and board in district-operated residential schools to better reflect true costs, and relieve some of the financial burden on these schools.

The bill would increase the BSA used in the formula for state funding of public education over a three-year period. While education funding related to many essential needs, like rising energy costs, has increased, the BSA has not been raised in several years. The increase proposed was based upon percentage increases in recent public employee contracts.

Governor Parnell recognizes that young Alaskans need educational paths that reflect their interests and choices. In order to provide continued opportunity and choice to students as they prepare for the workforce, the bill would reauthorize the Alaska Technical Vocational Education Program (TVEP) from June 30, 2014 through 2024. To encourage youth to enter TVEP, the legislation requires institutions that receive funding under the program to reach at least one agreement with a school district to offer dual credits for high school students.

The governor's legislation repeals the Alaska High School Graduation Qualifying Exam, the test students must pass in order to receive a diploma. Due to robust accountability measures that have been put in place since the competency exam was originally enacted, the governor determined it was time to offer students a more effective option.

The bill would replace the graduation exam with the student's choice of the SAT, ACT or WorkKeys assessments, which measure readiness for postsecondary education. Rather than the one-size-fits-all approach of the competency exam, these assessment options provide data that allow schools and districts to more accurately gauge the effectiveness of their training and educational programs, and help students plan for postsecondary opportunities. Because these assessments are already used as qualifying assessments for the Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS), every high school student will have the opportunity for his or her achievement to be evaluated for APS, without additional cost to students or their families.

Starting in July of 2015, the governor's legislation would allow high school students the opportunity to earn course credits in math, language arts, science, social studies, and world languages by demonstrating mastery of the content through a district-approved assessment. Credits earned would apply to graduation and the Alaska Performance Scholarship.

Finally, the bill would allow tax credits for contributions to scholarships for high school students enrolled in college-credit courses, and for contributions to housing at residential schools that serve students statewide. The tax credits encourage a public-private partnership directed toward improving educational opportunities in the state.

A copy of the bill is available at:
http://gov.alaska.gov/parnell_media/resources_files/educationbill_012414.pdf

Source