HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

January 17, 2003 Hearing Room E

1:00 PM Tapes 1 - 2

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Vic Backlund, Chair

Rep. Pat Farr, Vice-Chair

Rep. Brad Avakian

Rep. Billy Dalto

Rep. Mary Nolan

Rep. Wayne Scott

MEMBER EXCUSED: Rep. Elaine Hopson, Vice-Chair

STAFF PRESENT: Jim Keller, Committee Administrator

Jeana Harrington, Committee Assistant

ISSUES HEARD: Organization Meeting – Adoption of Committee Rules

Informational Meeting – Oregon Department of Education.

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 1, A
005	Chair Backlund	Calls meeting to order at 1:04 PM. Opens an organizational meeting and asks for questions on Committee Rules (EXHIBIT A).
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
012	Rep. Avakian	MOTION: Moves to ADOPT the proposed Committee Rules dated 01/17/03.
013		VOTE: 6-0-2 EXCUSED: 2 - Dalto, Hopson
	Chair Backlund	Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED.
014	Chair Backlund	Welcomes members to introduce themselves.
019	Rep. Nolan	Introduces herself. Provides legislative history. Comments on education.
031	Rep. Scott	Introduces himself. Comments on education
040	Rep. Farr	Introduces himself. Offers political history.
056	Rep. Dalto	Introduces himself. Gives perspective on education.
074	Rep. Avakian	Introduces himself. Informs of his relationship with education in Oregon.
086	Chair Backlund	Speaks for the excused Representative Hopson and her feelings on education in Oregon. Introduces himself. Provides legislative history. Pronounces his enthusiasm pertaining to the chairmanship.
097	Jim Keller	Introduces himself as Committee Administrator. Provides political history.
108	Jeana Harrington	Introduces herself as Committee Assistant.
109	Cindy Hunt	Legislative Council. Introduces herself and staff.
111	Chair Backlund	Overviews procedural issues. Informs of pro-education rally on Capitol steps will delay Monday’s meeting to 1:15 PM. Touches on voting, meeting protocol, importance of questioning and discussion. Gives thoughts on contentious issues and on partisanship. Announces that upcoming meetings will be informational. States that there will be a rolling voting log. Closes organizational meeting and opens informational meeting.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
181	Pat Burk	Deputy Superintendent, Oregon Department of Education (ODE). Introduces his colleague, Bill Auty. States his honor in presenting. Conveys message on the seriousness of the issue of education in Oregon. States his desire to establish a positive working relationship with the committee on various items relating to education, and his availability in doing so. Offers a brief overview of presentation (EXHIBIT B).
230	Burk	Presents history of legislative role in public education in Oregon “A Nation at Risk”.
290	Burk	Continues presentation: How we improve our standards.
315	Burk	Continues presentation: Oregon education goals. References ORS 329.035 and the “No Child Left Behind” Act.
372	Burk	Presents research on high-performing schools and their characteristics.
TAPE 2, A
004	Burk	Continues to present research.
021	Bill Auty	Associate Superintendent of Assessment and Evaluation (ODE). Comments on evolution of high education standards in Oregon based in assessments and the adaptability of the system. Begins overview of the Oregon’s Assessment System
195	Burk	Hopes for Oregon education in the realm of proficiency, content, and accomplishments. States belief in progress of Oregon education and standards. Gives statistics on Oregon educational achievements including testing. Begins overview of Oregon Diploma.
151	Chair Backlund	Inquires about the percentage of Oregon high-school seniors taking the Student Achievement Test (SAT) and American College Test (ACT).
152	Burk	Confirms statistic. Continues with presentation.
167	Rep. Farr	Asks question concerning the change of standards in benchmarks.
168	Burk	Explains adjustments in content and thus adjustment in standards.
175	Rep. Farr	Comments on adjustment.
176	Burk	Points out that if there is any change would be a more rigorous one.
180	Rep. Dalto	Poses question concerning the development of standards.
182	Burk	Identifies the agents responsible in that development.
233	Chair Backlund	Remarks positively on the statistics. Inquires about changes to the testing and their affect on statistics.
238	Auty	Replies relating to the focus of the testing and responds negatively.
252	Burk	States that we have not yet met our goals. Refers to chart in (EXHIBIT B). Elaborates on the gap in achievement relating to minority and lower income students.
280	Rep. Dalto	Inquires about the progress in closing that gap.
282	Burk	Responds about the progress.
294	Auty	Continues to answer the question posed by Rep Dalto.
313	Burk	Explains demographics charted in (EXHIBIT B).
324	Burk	Provides overview of Superintendent Castillo’s priorities.
358	Burk	Defines six key policy issues.
387	Burk	States regret the Rep. Hopson could not be present due to her achievements in this area. Continues presentation.
423	Chair Backlund	Elaborates on present topic of presentation regarding the Special Education Task Force. Concurs with Burk’s statement on Hopson’s good work as part of the task force. Begins discussion on mandates and regulations and their application to the present day.
465	Burk	Agrees on critical nature of this conversation.
TAPE 1, B
002	Burk	Summarizes presentation. Defers to Nancy Heiligman.
024	Nancy Heiligman	Office of School Finance, Data & Analysis (ODE). Explains Quality Education Commission and the role of its model in Oregon education.
055	Heiligman	Identifies the purpose of QEC model.
073	Heiligman	Explains QEC prototype schools.
112	Heiligman	Outlines QEC recommendation for student performance.
130	Heiligman	Highlights QEC implementation priorities.
139	Heiligman	States QEC concern for funding of quality education.
150	Chair Backlund	Asks whether information is based on the Governor’s projected budget.
152	Heiligman	Affirms.
163	Heiligman	Uses funding history to explain why the gap between current school funding and the funding needed is growing. Refers to graph model (EXHIBIT B).
186	Heiligman	Points out major cost drivers.
208	Rep. Farr	Poses question on the redefinition of the special education and ESL category in relation to the statistics.
210	Heiligman	Comments on the change with regard to increases in the number and in the severity of illness in students. Compares fully implemented QEC model and state-appropriated model.
239	Rep. Nolan	Requests clarification of Oregon school fund budget for 2003.
243	Heiligman	Gives the amount, $4.93 Billion.
246	Chair Backlund	Comment on this amount.
249	Rep. Nolan	Questions if amount is contingent on the passage of Measure 28.
253	Heiligman	Affirms.
254	Heiligman	Provides QEC recommendations for the future. Begins summation.
303	Pat Burk	Submits final comments.
306	Chair Backlund	Thanks the presenters.
314	Susan Castillo	Superintendent of Public Instruction (ODE). Presents herself. Greets the committee. Offers to provide the committee with any information that will be helpful to them.
321	Chair Backlund	Thanks Castillo for her presence at the meeting.
326	Chair Backlund	Closes informational meeting. Adjourn the meeting at 2:23 PM.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Committee Rules, Staff, 2 p.

B – Informational, presentation, Pat Burk, Bill Auty, Nancy Heiligman, 15 p.