HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

February 05, 2003 Hearing Room E

1:00 PM Tapes 17 - 18

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

-Benchmarks with Bill Auty and Mardale Dunsworth, Oregon Department of Education (ODE)

-Revenue Options, School Funding, and Accountability with Superintendents Jim Schezinger and Dr. Jerry Wilson

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 17, A
004	Chair Backlund	Calls meeting to order at 1:05 PM. Welcomes colleagues and audience. Opens informational meeting on educational issues.
OPENS INFORMATIONAL MEETING
012	Bill Auty	Associate Superintendent Office of Assessment and Evaluation, Oregon Department of Education (ODE). Overviews academic standards in Oregon (EXHIBIT A). Defines content standards. Defines benchmarks. Touches on standards development
062	Rep. Hopson	Asks him to elucidate the development of standards.
067	Auty	Informs of the committee process by which the standards were established.
094	Chair Backlund	Asks how long the process took.
097	Auty	Answers about eighteen months just to create standards. Adds that testing took additional time.
101	Chair Backlund	Inquires if the process will be expedited by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
103	Auty	Replies that is the expectation. Continues presentation. Refers to (EXHIBIT B) to explain test specifications and types of tests.
175	Rep. Hopson	Informs of the amount of complaints in the amt of time it takes with the current testing system. Asks if this is being furthered.
183	Auty	Describes the types of testing within the system. Says they have a testing system and that one third of schools are currently using (TESA). Adds they are not as far along in other areas.
208	Rep. Hopson	Clarifies intention of ‘constructed response’.
210	Auty	Answers, defining the term.
225	Rep. Hopson	Inquires if he believes that testing will be able to be scored with technology.
230	Auty	Concurs and adds that once the technology is developed it could be used in classrooms as well. Concludes.
242	Mardale Dunsworth	Director of Field Standards, ODE. Explains how Oregonians participate in the development of standards and assessments. Refers to (EXHIBIT C) to explain how ODE communicates with teachers. Highlights the use of ODE resources for the benchmarks.
338	Rep. Hopson	Asks what work is in progress to acquaint this with NCLB.
340	Auty	Replies that ODE is currently working to align benchmarks with NCLB. Adds that content assessments in reading and math have already been approved. States that NCLB does not require nor desire a national test.
380	Rep. Hopson	Asks the current assessments were discarded, that new benchmarks would need to be recreated in order to meet the NCLB federal mandate.
384	Auty	Affirms.
387	Rep. Avakian	Requests recommendations that would make implementation of the Certificate of Initial Mastery (CIM) and the Certificate of Advanced Mastery (CAM) easier to align with NCLB.
393	Dunsworth	States they are ahead of the game in regard to this.
400	Auty	Adds he believes the Legislature is helping in its support of CIM/CAM.
TAPE 18,A
003	Chair Backlund	Thanks them.
006	Jim Schezinger	Superintendent. Begins presentation on school accountability (EXHIBIT D). Describes student success. States that schools have always failed students, and adds that the today the difference is people care about this. Explains how schools are held accountable. Outlines the goals of school accountability. Comments on Oregon with regard to achievement. Gives opinion on accountability costs and priorities. Notes his findings with regard to school districts and funding. Calls attention to the relevance of statewide student information systems.
209	Dr. Jerry Wilson	Superintendent, Hermiston School District. Provides history in education. Reflects on his experiences on the advisory council. Provides information (EXHIBIT E). Urges them to focus on certain issues as legislators. Discusses local versus state control concerning schools. Discusses federal versus state control concerning resources. Comments on the CIM/CAM requirements. States his belief that Oregon has one of the best assessment system’s in the nation.
TAPE 17,B
004	Wilson	Continues. Describes local option concerning revenue. Discusees state equity.
032	Rep. Avakian	Clarifies if it is his belief that current local options create an inequity and asks what should be done.
034	Wilson	States there is potential for inequity and a system to counter that with equalization should be created. Differentiates between local options.
047	Wilson	Continues. States we have a quality sys just need means to support it.
070	Rep. Farr	Clarifies an issues concerning Oregon’s rank of forty-seven in tax burden.
072	Schezinger	Explains this figure.
089	Chair Backlund	States they are hearing much frustration about portfolios and requests their comments on this.
095	Wilson	Believes a portfolio is a collection of evidence approached by each district in a different way. States the management of portfolios is difficult and time consuming.
120	Schezinger	Agrees with Wilson and adds that the purpose of the portfolios needs to be considered. Adds that integrating them into the program is also and issue.
136	Rep. Avakian	Asks question regarding portfolios and their role in assessment of students.
139	Wilson	Believes the chief role is to see if a better piece can be achieved. Explains this reasoning and problems that would occur with the integration of technology.
159	Schezinger	States the goal of the portfolio is to help a child achieve and explains this philosophy in regard to the role of the assessment.
197	Rep. Avakian	Comments on portfolios. Voices concern with the importance of a portfolio. Requests if this is the best way to assess development.
210	Wilson	States he believes it is. Describes the types of pieces in portfolios. Reiterates they are used differently.
230	Chair Backlund	Thanks them. Closes informational meeting. Adjourns meeting at 3:03 PM.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Informational, presentation, Bill Auty, 6 p

B – Informational, CIM Test Specifications, Bill Auty, 4 p

C – Informational, Newspaper, Bill Auty, oversized exhibit

D – Informational, School Accountability, Jim Schezinger, 2 p

E – Informational, Outline, Jerry Wilson, 2 p