HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

February 10, 2003 Hearing Room E

1:00 PM Tapes 21 - 23

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

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: Informational Meeting

Estimated Costs of the Certificate of Initial Mastery (CIM) and the Certificate of Advanced Mastery (CAM)

-Frank McNamara, Confederation of Oregon School Administrators

-Doug Nelson, Bend-LaPine School District

-Ron Naso, North Clackamas School District

-Nancy Heiligman, 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 21, A
004	Chair Backlund	Calls meeting to order at 1:05 PM. Welcomes colleagues and the audience. Opens informational meeting on costs of the Certificate of Initial Mastery (CIM) and the Certificate of Advanced Mastery (CAM).
OPENS INFORMATIONAL MEETING
015	Susan Castillo	Superintendent, ODE. Statement on CIM/CAM. Wishes to clear up inconsistencies in cost estimates fro CIM/CAM. Estimates the figure at around $50 Million.
045	Frank McNamara	Confederation of Oregon School Administrators (COSA). Provides overview of the costs of CIM/CAM. Refers committee to survey of school districts on CIM/CAM elimination (EXHIBIT A).
123	Doug Nelson	Superintendent, Bend-LaPine School District. Presents (EXHIBITS B and C). States they do not believe eliminating CIM/CAM will be cost effective. Explains the ways that data provided by CIM/CAM is pertinent. Uses R.E. Jewell Elementary School to illustrate the importance of CIM Standards. States CAM is cost effective in high-school reform and explains why.
222	Chair Backlund	Asks if he believes CAM elimination could represent a savings.
236	Nelson	States they are already practicing these standards and will continue to.
242	Chair Backlund	Asks if he views individualized education plans favorably.
244	Nelson	Affirms and adds they assist students, teachers, and parents to reach their goals.
249	Chair Backlund	Inquires as to time spent on these programs.
251	Nelson	Uses LaPine High School as an example of cam implementation. States students meet weekly with a guide group teacher and earn credit for doing so.
264	Chair Backlund	Appreciates how helpful his information has been.
272	Ron Naso	Superintendent, North Clackamas School District (NCSD). Presents North Clackamas School Board resolution with regard to CIM/CAM (EXHIBIT D). Provides their progress as a school district can be credited to CIM standards. Points out that CIM/CAM costs have been grossly overstated. Lists savings for the NCSD if CIM/CAM was to be eliminated.
388	Rep. Hopson	Seems to her that attributed costs for CIM/CAM programs would have been created in some form anyway.
392	Naso	Explains that if programs had not been required they would not have been instituted.
TAPE 22, A
003	Rep. Hopson	Clarifies cost interpretation of COSA survey.
009	McNamara	Affirms her interpretation.
011	Rep. Hopson	Concludes that cost is well worth the program.
017	Naso	Concurs, stating it is priceless.
020	Rep. Hopson	Clarifies the breakdown of funds.
023	Naso	Affirms.
024	Nelson	Adds that he concurs with this.
030	McNamara	Responds regarding (EXHIBIT A) and adds that they believe the issue is one of time. Adds that this is a best practice. Remarks that if CIM/CAM is eliminated it will only be recreated in some form.
045	Naso	Comments on the investment of time in these standards.
069	Rep. Dalto	Asks if the investment of time is accounted for in the budget figures provided.
073	Naso	Understands that the question was what savings there would be if the program went away.
080	Rep. Dalto	Asks why in-service days were not included.
083	Naso	Explains they cannot eliminate those days, they will have to be retained anyway. Supposes a sort of audit could be used. Adds that this reading would be false.
094	Rep. Hopson	Points out the additional support of other superintendents.
102	Nelson	Adds to Superintendent Naso’s comments. Believes the CIM/CAM provide a focus that makes planning more effective providing a quality education for every child.
125	McNamara	Comments that there are districts who have sent data in that were not included in this survey. Lists Portland and summarizes their comments.
155	Nancy Heiligman	ODE. Refers the committee to (EXHIBIT E). Explains how ODE created their analysis of CIM/CAM. Provides the savings they believe will be achieved by the elimination of CIM/CAM. Presents key findings of the study. States ODE sees that elimination of the programs would not involve savings as programs are incorporated into curriculum. Refers the committee to the statewide annual cost estimates for CIM/CAM on page three of (EXHIBIT E). Overviews the remainder of the document.
294	Chair Backlund	Clarifies these estimates are annual.
295	Heiligman	Affirms.
305	Rep. Hopson	Questions a figure presented in the estimate.
310	Heiligman	Responds.
312	Rep. Dalto	Clarifies this further.
320	Heiligman	Responds.
334	Steve Shoppe	Citizen of Tualatin. Calls committee attention to the relevancy of CIM/CAM with regard to cost. Reads a news brief from North Clackamas School District to illustrate his opinion on CIM/CAM. Believes the public does not support the CIM/CAM although they do support education.
TAPE 21, B
002	Shoppe	Reads an opinion letter of teachers’ views on CIM/CAM. Comments on the relevance of CIM/CAM in college application and studies. Does not believe that superintendent figures should be solely utilized to estimate costs of CIM/CAM. Relates other national test scores to concentration on CIM/CAM. Urges the committee to consider public opinion when considering reform. Points out safeguards abandoned when first considering CIM/CAM.
100	Rep. Dalto	States he struggles with issues of CIM/CAM. Asks where the concerned citizens are not speaking up.
123	Shoppe	Responds that people are reluctant to come against administration views. Believes
135	Rep. Dalto	Voices concern that these opposing views are not being shared with legislators.
144	Shoppe	Responds that teachers do not wish to become advocates. Believes it is unnecessarily hard to compete with administrative opinion.
160	Rep. Dalto	Informs him teachers that support CIM/CAM have come in to testify. Asks if the large groups of teachers exist.
165	Shoppe	Affirms.
182	Rep. Avakian	Adds validity to their committee process by stating the extensive nature of response regarding CIM/CAM in his district.
192	Rep. Farr	Comments that he has heard both sides on this issue. Assures Mr. Shoppe of their confidence as legislators in finding the right answer.
214	Bonnie Hill	English teacher, Elsie High School. Testifies in favor of CIM/CAM. Addresses the cost of CIM/CAM to her district. Believes that many aspects of CIM/CAM such as writing have been well established and practiced in schools. Reviews the history of the CIM from a teacher’s perspective. Voices concern with the diploma system.
TAPE 22, B
003	Hill	Explains her perception of CIM/CAM content and skill based assessments as parts of a naturally occurring curriculum. Describes a third-tier of assessment relating it to goals for education. Reiterates that teaching is not to the ‘test,’ but to the standards. Believes standards are reasonable and achievable. Comments on the misconception of work-samples or portfolios. Lists the benefits of CIM standards. Points out the lack of incentives yet the increase of standards for CIM. Illustrates student concern for schools. Concludes that CIM/CAM needs to be retained and supported.
218	Ed Johnston	Citizen, Lincoln County. Voices frustration about CIM/CAM and wishes to see them eliminated. Believes money should be allocated to vocational fields of study to ensure students’ future employment. States citizens want to support education. Voices concern about the intentions of legislators. Believes CIM/CAM funds should be allocated to fund vocational skills. Reiterates the importance of this matter.
415	Beth Ann Darby	Oregon Education Association (OEA). States the membership is divided in this issue although overall their stance is one of support.
TAPE 23, A
007	Velma Hartwig	Citizen, Lincoln County. States that teachers are afraid to voice opposition to superintendents in this matter. Points out the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores are decreasing.
034	Chair Backlund	Provides he wishes he had an answer to that.
041	Diane Waldren	Teacher, Tillamook County. Voices concern that the true costs of these programs are not being shared. Shares the belief that superintendents do not look kindly on voiced opposition among teachers.
089	Chair Backlund	Closes informational meeting. Adjourns meeting at 3:03 PM.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Informational, survey, Frank McNamara, 6 pp

B – Informational, letter, Doug Nelson, 2 pp

C – Informational, prepared testimony, Doug Nelson, 1 p

D – Informational, statement, Ron Naso, 3 pp

E – Informational, CIM/CAM costs, Nancy Heiligman, 9 pp