HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

January 31, 2003 Hearing Room E

1:00 PM Tapes 13 - 14

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Vic Backlund, Chair

Rep. Pat Farr, Vice-Chair

Rep. Elaine Hopson, Vice-Chair

Rep. Brad Avakian

Rep. Billy Dalto

Rep. Mary Nolan

Rep. Wayne Scott

STAFF PRESENT: Jim Keller, Committee Administrator

Jeana Harrington, Committee Assistant

ISSUES HEARD: Informational Meeting

-Final Oregon Report Card, Oregon Department of Education (ODE)

-Charter Schools – Jim Green, Oregon School Board Association (OSBA) and Joanie Gilles, ODE

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 13, A
004	Chair Backlund	Calls meeting to order at 1:05 PM. Welcomes the audience and the committee. Opens informational meeting.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
013	Nancy Schneider	Director of the Oregon Report Card (ORC). Introduces her colleagues. Overviews the ORC (EXHIBIT A). Reviews the statistics presented in the document. Illustrates the change in formula that took place between years 1998-2002 and 2003-2004. Shares student performance data of Salem Heights Elementary School and of a school with an unacceptable rating.
113	Bev Johnson	Principal, Salem Heights Elementary School (SHES). Classifies student body with regard to special education and students with disabilities. Describes how they looked to other similar schools for information about their progress.
143	Chair Backlund	Asks if they used the Database Initiative Project (DIP) to forecast data.
145	Johnson	Affirms. Details how they referenced the programs of other schools to improve their own.
197	Rep. Dalto	Inquires what occurred when the reading recovery program in Salem-Keizer schools was fazed out.
203	Johnson	States this is the first year that cut will occur.
205	Rep. Dalto	Clarifies her statement.
209	Johnson	Explains the reading recovery program further. States they used Title I funding for it.
253	Rep. Farr	Recognizes a group of high school students from his district.
256	Chair Backlund	Comments on the students.
264	Rep. Hopson	Recognizes student in audience.
278	Chair Backlund	Asks about parent reception of the ORC.
281	Johnson	Remarks that parents at her school are delighted when they receive the scores.
291	Rep. Dalto	Questions if parents are more receptive of the program when positive results are received.
296	Johnson	States SHES enjoy high volunteer position. Adds that all participants have a feeling of success and that she is unsure if lower scores would result in a change in participation.
310	Rep. Avakian	Congratulates her on the success of the school progress of other unrelated programs is assessed and if it results are shared with parents.
322	Johnson	Explains that the improvement program involves tests given to age groups annually and compared with past results.
329	Rep. Avakian	Asks if this is unique to SHES.
330	Johnson	Answers the district utilizes the program.
332	Rep. Hopson	Requests Ms. Schneider discuss the usefulness of the ORC.
341	Schneider	Explains overall rating. Delineates improvement points. Informs that the rating consists of 80% student test scores, 20% attendance and dropout rates. Explains how points accrued can ultimately ‘bump’ a school up a category.
359	Rep. Hopson	Clarifies that a school with higher assessment scores can receive a lower rating than one who was ‘bumped up’.
365	Schneider	Explains the rate further.
TAPE 14, A
003	Rep. Hopson	Questions the ratings.
005	Schneider	States they have had encountered query on the issue. Discusses requirements for the overall rating.
015	Chair Backlund	Asks what the parents and teacher attitudes are when a school scores poorly.
022	Schneider	Responds schools find it devastating to work hard and then be told progress is low or unacceptable. States some schools were surprised by the ratings.
041	Rep. Hopson	Notices that four of the seven unacceptable-rated schools are magnet schools.
046	Schneider	Replies ODE is looking at a way to show alternative schools strengths. Adds it is incorrect to say the schools are not improving. Provides the study was put on hold due to funding, although ODE would like to perform it.
061	Rep. Hopson	Thinks this would be important data to have.
066	Chair Backlund	Requests what changes the witnesses would you make to ORC.
072	Schneider	Answers from both an educator and a parent’s standpoint. Adds that ideally there would be a way to compare districts with regard to arts.
100	Johnson	Comments that as an educator, it was difficult to see parents choose for their children to attend a school due to its rating. Counters she believes benchmarks are important and should be used and encourages their incorporation with ORC.
134	Rep. Avakian	Clarifies comments.
135	Johnson	Explains she would want benchmarks in addition to more objective, multiple choice tests, considered in ORC.
141	Schneider	Adds to Johnson’s comments with regard to strong and exceptional schools.
168	Jim Green	Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA). Refers to (EXHIBIT B). Provides history of charter schools and delineates their purpose in Oregon. Comments on the application process and its extensive nature.
245	Joanie Gilles	ODE. Reports on the statewide context of charter schools. Reiterates that the creation of charter schools can sometimes be contentious. Provides that there are 23 charter schools educating about 2,500 students.
293	Rep. Farr	Inquires if there are admission requirements for the schools.
298	Gilles	Explains there cannot be. Adds the only requirements are due to age and grade.
316	Rep. Farr	Asks that, as some schools are specifically for at risk students, if districts can recommend that students attend these schools.
320	Gilles	Explains schools can recommend students for charter schools, but cannot place students in them. Continues to elaborate on specific charter schools. Lists the reasons charter schools have not been continued. Tells of schools who have appealed school districts in their application.
407	Green	Comments on the Paisley School District. Adds requirements for charter schools.
TAPE 13, B
003	Green	Continues explanation of requirements for charter schools.
008	Rep. Avakian	Understands that failure to ensure adequate funding in Paisley has forced them to seek other options.
014	Green	Answers that funding is part of the issue and elaborates on the additional loss of children in this district.
024	Rep. Avakian	Understands that the district has a requirement to help these students.
028	Rep. Hopson	Poses question regarding the eventual end of federal funding in Paisley.
030	Green	States he has not seen a proposal, but lists the actions Paisley is taking to gain funds for the school.
045	Rep. Far	Assumes Paisley as a charter district will have the funds.
048	Green	Concurs and adds that Paisley may perhaps seek a waiver.
060	Gilles	Points out that incentive grant is important to charter schools. Adds that it forces districts to consider the opportunity. Lists that facilities and ongoing operations are not eligible for grant funds. Adds that sustainability is a quality sought in applications.
089	Rep. Hopson	Asks about the Center for Advanced Learning with regard to the CAM.
090	Gilles	Responds concerning the achievement of a CAM.
092	Rep. Avakian	Questions the financial climate of Paisley in three years.
100	Green	Responds that it is his job to ensue funding. Points out that most applications have private funding sources, raise funds, and a business plan.
120	Avakian	Understands that a public school would depend on private funding.
125	Green	Affirms and states it is the unfortunate situation in Oregon. Continues that independent charter schools have a more difficult time with funding as they cannot use grant money for facilities and operations. Describes an example of this. Adds that bond levies have also been used to create facilities for charter schools. Elaborates on Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) issues with charter schools. Discusses teacher requirements.
184	Gilles	Explains accountability requirements of charter schools.
223	Green	Explains requirements for charter schools with regard to open enrollment policies. Points out that funding will be ending for some charter schools. States charters are legal documents and are accountable as such.
320	Gilles	Restates the rigor of the charter school process. Reiterates that it ultimately results in a quality education.
340	Green	Highlights funding of charter schools.
TAPE 14, B
002	Green	Describes funding further with regard to districts and special education.
032	Rep. Farr	Asks if contracts can be made with charter schools.
	Gilles	Responds they can on a case-by-case basis.
042	Rep. Farr	Clarifies.
043	Gilles	Explains further.
045	Green	Comments about charter school law. Concludes presentation.
060	Gilles	Reiterates it is an active law.
065	Rep. Farr	Assumes that charter schools have requirements like ORC.
070	Green	Affirms charter schools use a separate card. Explains the schools may not be present on the ORC as they are new.
085	Rob Kramer	Charter School Service Center. Informs of his position. Speaks to one charter school in particular, Four Rivers in Ontario and explains their innovative model. Complements the ODE and OSBA for their unique work on charter schools. Points out the efforts of districts and communities in the use of charter schools. Addresses long-term sustainability of charter schools once federal funding ends.
156	Rep. Avakian	Clarifies his earlier question.
162	Kramer	Explains he does not believe charter schools will become more private in nature. States that fundraising will not be a large component of schools as one time costs will already be taken care of. Urges that audits of charter schools be addressed fiscally, and not municipally. Addresses the issue of PERS and charter schools.
207	Rep. Scott	References PERS comments and delinquency of payments
212	Kramer	Responds. Addresses school districts and delays in their assessment of charters.
248	Rep. Hopson	Clarifies issue of timelines.
253	Kramer	Responds with regard to school boards.
261	Rep. Hopson	Remarks on this.
270	Chair Backlund	Comments that Oregon has one of the more outstanding charter school laws in nation.
273	Kramer	Responds the requirements are more extensive than those of other states. Concurs with the strong rating of charter schools in Oregon.
287	Chair Backlund	Comments on the large number of amendments to this law.
294	Kramer	Believes the resulting program is impressive.
305	Ed Johnston	Lincoln County resident. Discusses charter schools and questions allocation of funds. Explains the citizen recall of the Lincoln County school board.
336	Rep. Hopson	Announces she is uncomfortable with this discussion as the opposition is not present.
340	Johnston	Understands.
343	Rep. Avakian	Echoes concern of Rep. Hopson. States notice should be given in pertaining to such testimony.
383	Johnston	Believes they need to save public schools. Addresses issues faced with the Lincoln County superintendent.
404	Chair Backlund	Informs Mr. Johnston of the PERS committee.
407	Johnston	States he falls through the cracks of the system. Voices frustration.
424	Chair Backlund	Closes informational meeting. Adjourns meeting at 2:58 PM.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Informational, Oregon Report Card, ODE, 11 p

B – Informational, Oregon Charter Schools, Jim Green, 30 p