SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

May 1, 2003 Hearing Room C

3:00 PM Tape 69-70

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Charles Starr, Chair

Sen. Ryan Deckert, Vice-Chair

Sen. Ted Ferrioli

Sen. Bill Morrisette

STAFF PRESENT: Jan McComb, Committee Administrator

Heather Gravelle, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: SB 272 – Public Hearing and Work Session

SB 767 – Public Hearing

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 69, A
005	Chair Starr	Calls the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m.Opens a public hearing on SB 272.
SB 272 – PUBLIC HEARING
008	Jan McComb	Committee Administrator. Provides overview of SB 272. Presents the -2 amendments, dated 5/1/03 to SB 272 (EXHIBIT A).
010	Frank Brawner	Fair Dismissal Board. Testifies in support of SB 272 with the -2 amendments.
020	Karen Brazeau	Director, Oregon Youth Authority. Testifies in support of SB 272 with the -2 amendments. Provides Written testimony (EXHIBIT B).
036	Chair Starr	Closes the public hearing on SB 272. Opens a public hearing on SB 767.
SB 767 – PUBLIC HEARING
050	Jan McComb	Committee Administrator. Provides an overview of SB 767, and the -1, -2 and -3 amendments.
060	Rob Kremer	Oregon Education Coalition. Testifies in support of SB 767 with the -2 amendments. Provides written testimony (EXHIBIT C). Explains position and states intent of the -2 amendments.
085	Kremer	States SB 767 will eliminate both the CIM and the CAM testing. Mentions ongoing problems with testing students in Oregon.
122	Kremer	Continues explaining the challenges the schools are facing regarding testing. Comments on having third party testing. Explains it would end up costing less money than maintaining the current testing system.
180	Dawn Phillips	Chief of Staff, Rep. Randy Miller. Here to answer any questions. States she brought research to prove the current system is flawed. Adds the issue needs to be addressed immediately, on behalf of the children and their parents.
220	Diane Waldron	Retired Public School Teacher. Testifies in support of SB 767. Relates personal experience with the current testing system. States the current tests are not standard, model or typical.
260	Steve Novick	Oregon Department of Education. Testifies in opposition of SB 767. Provides written testimony (EXHIBITS D) and presents statistical information (EXHIBIT E). States the current CIM and CAM assessment testing system is working fine. Adds it is a valid system that has undergone outside reviews.
TAPE 70, A
005	Novick	Explains the Federal Government approved the CIM and CAM testing system. Believes it is not a conflict of interest to the teachers or the department to create the exam questions.
020	Sen. Morrisette	Asks why health education wasn’t added to the system.
025	Bill Auty	Oregon Department of Education. Testifies in opposition of SB 767. Answers health education is part of the current testing system.
108	Chair Starr	Inquires what percentage of those who graduated went through CIM and CAM assessment testing.
115	Auty	Responds 25-35%.
120	Sen. Morrisette	Comments it’s not a gradation requirement. Adds as far as being accepted at a college or university, other national exams are the determining factor.
245	Sen. Morrisette	Clarifies the parents should have some kind of influence on what kind of testing is conducted at the schools.
250	Auty	Responds and explains if there is a problem with the testing system, that specific school is notified.
270	Chair Starr	Speaks in regards to the three level exams. Asks if a student took the test three times, would the placement be the same.
310	Auty	Explains in detail how the tests function. Adds either the child is well above the standard, or well below the standard.
350	Sen. Morrisette	Asks if all the tests before CIM and CAM are invalid. Explains how it worked before. Adds more information is need on the current system.
TAPE 69, B
010	Sen. Ferrioli	States what he understood of the three level of testing.
020	Chair Starr	Explains that three different tests are utilized for each grade level. States as an example, if a second grader was tested on a subject, they would take all three tests on that subject until they pass.
050	Kremer	Agrees.
075	Chair Starr	Closes the public hearing on SB 767. Opens a work session on SB 272.
SB 272 – WORK SESSION
085	Sen. Deckert	MOTION: Moves adoption of the -2 amendments, dated 5/1/03 to SB 272.
		VOTE: 4-0
090	Chair Starr	Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED.
095	Sen. Deckert	MOTION: Moves SB 272 to the floor with a DO PASS AS AMENDED recommendation.
		VOTE: 4-0
105	Chair Starr	Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED. SEN. DECKERT will lead discussion on the floor.
115	Chair Starr	Closes the work session on SB 272. Adjourns the meeting at 4:20 p.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – SB 272, -2 amendments dated 5/1/03, staff, 7 pp

B – SB 272, written testimony, Karen Brazeau, 1 p

C – SB 767, written testimony, Rob Kremer, 2 pp

D – SB 767, written testimony, Steve Novick, 12 pp

E – SB 767, statistical information, Steve Novick, 1 p