TAPE/#

Speaker

Comments

TAPE 22, A

005

Chair Walker

Calls meeting to order at 3:08 p.m.

015

Chair Walker

Announces that today is the last day to introduce bills. Appoints a work group for the ESD consolidation, SB 415. States that the work group is to report back to the committee on March 28^th, 2005. Asks Sen. Kruse to serve on the committee. States that Sen. Ringo will also be on the work group as well as a number of different parties. Says that it will be an open meeting so everyone is welcome to attend. Reports that Rep. Flores has been asked to appoint a member to serve on the work group as well. Wants a discussion about the 95/5 split and the governance process. Reports that Marjorie Taylor will serve as the administrator for the work group.

035

Chair Walker

Opens work session on LC 846, LC 1944, LC 2116, LC 2024, LC 2025, LC 2784, LC 2449, and LC 2762.

INTRODUCTION OF COMMITTEE MEASURES - WORK SESSION

037

Marjorie Taylor

Committee Administrator. Gives overview of LC 846 (EXHIBIT A), LC 1944 (EXHIBIT B), LC 2116 (EXHIBIT C), LC 2024 (EXHIBIT D), LC 2025 (EXHIBIT E), LC 2784 (EXHIBIT F), and LC 2449 (EXHIBIT G). States that Sen. Morrisette just presented LC 2762 to committee for introduction (EXHIBIT H).

053

Sen. C. Starr

MOTION:  Moves LC's:  846, 1944, 2116, 2024, 2025, 2784, 2449, 2762 BE INTRODUCED as committee bills.

065

Sen. Morrisette

Mentions that LC 2762 is from the Governor’s office and the Superintendent of Public Education’s office.

068

Chair Walker

States that LC 2116 is a bill she is offering forward on child abuse reporting within school districts.

075

VOTE:  4-0-1

EXCUSED:  1 - Sen. Deckert

Chair Walker

Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED.

NOTE:

LC 846 printed as SB 769

LC 1944 printed as SB 768

LC 2024 printed as SB 767

LC 2025 printed as SB 766

LC 2116 printed as SB 749

LC 2449 printed as SB 748

LC 2784 printed as SB 747

LC 2762 printed as SB 765

080

Chair Walker

Closes work session and opens informational meeting on Head Start.

HEAD START – INFORMATIONAL MEETING

086

Susan Castillo

Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction. Expresses enthusiastic support of Head Start programs. Talks about the importance of Head Start.

150

Annie Soto

Executive Director, Lane County Head Start and President, Oregon Head Start Association. Submits brochure on Oregon Head Start (EXHIBIT I). Shares outcome information about Oregon children, three to five years of age, from the last program year. Reports at the beginning of the program year,  15% of children could understand words in children’s books, read on their own, use a variety of writing tools, and use simple sentences to communicate. Reports at the end of the year, over 60% of the children had mastered those skills. Discusses math abilities of the children. Talks about social and emotional abilities of children. States that there is an 18% funding cut in Oregon right now.

190

Soto

Talks about the parent or caregivers’ involvement in a child’s education. States that both the parents and children are enthusiastic. 

210

Donna Schnitker

Director, Harney Head Start. Offers background information about Head Start. Talks about benefits of Head Start. Discusses the monitoring process of the program. Talks about accountability.

250

Chair Walker

Asks Castillo if she has 1,797 performance standards that she has to review.

252

Castillo

Responds that she is unsure of the exact count but that they do have a large number of performance standards. States that the No Child Left Behind Act has influenced the number of performance standards.

270

Chair Walker

Asks how federal dollars are leveraged and what contribution is required of the state.

273

Soto

Replies that there is no formal contribution level. Discusses funding avenues.  

287

Chair Walker

Asks what percentage of children are being served now compared to the number that would be served after the Governor’s proposed 18% budget cut.

292

Soto

Replies about 950 less students statewide.

300

Sen. Morrisette

Asks if a case can be made for not making budget cuts this biennium.

312

Schnitker

Responds.

320

Sen. Morrisette

Discusses the current budget crunch and philosophy of immediate return.

327

Soto

Stresses that Head Start effectively prevents crisis within families.

352

Castillo

Comments that “the children only have this time right now that they are preschool age, so we effect them right now in their lives and we can set them on a course for success or not. That is the policy decision we are faced with in this legislative session.“

365

Chair Walker

Comments on Head Start being an asset. Asks if it is true that Head Start prepares children for school.

375

Schnitker

Replies yes. Talks about preparing children for kindergarten.

405

Gary Withers

President, Children’s Institute. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT J). Introduces the institute and discusses research done on children being ready for school and discusses link to poverty.

TAPE 23, A

005

Withers

States that third grade is a huge benchmark. Talks about the development of the brain.

030

Withers

Discusses safety and quality in childcare.

060

Withers

Talks about economists and their findings. Discusses investing in early childhood. Talks about the Perry Preschool study.

070

Withers

Discusses consequences if there is not an investment in early childhood education.  

085

Chair Walker

Expresses interest in the studies. Asks if the information is available online.

090

Swati Adarkar

Replies yes.

095

Withers

States that the chair of the board of the High Scope Education Research Foundation is Matt Hennessey, who is also the CEO of QuickTrack in Portland as well as a member of a group called Ready For School.

105

Adarkar

Comments on how to adequately fund k-12. Reports that research shows that starting in kindergarten is too late.

111

Chair Walker

Comments on research study reporting that the issue of childhood obesity starts at pre-k.

115

Adarkar

Comments that the results of prevention programs are not seen until many years after they have taken place. Points out that the corrections budget is growing.

125

Sen. Morrisette

Asks for clarification regarding Dr. Perry.  

127

Adarkar

States that one is the Perry Pre-School and that the other is Dr. Bruce Perry, who has done research on how abuse effects the brain.

129

Sen. Morrisette

Asks for further clarification regarding Dr. Perry.

131

Adarkar

Replies.

133

Sen. Morrisette

States that the research Dr. Perry presents focuses on how the brain is effected by the simple neglect of a child.  

145

Chair Walker

Asks for comment on how other states fund their pre-k programs.

146

Adarkar

Responds that there are a variety of strategies.  Discusses a few initiatives.

155

Withers

Reports that creative revenue strategies are being developed.

160

Sen. Deckert

Comments on the fiscal structure and federal government. Recognizes increasing reliance on  the federal government.

190

Withers

States that Minnesota is pursuing an endowment idea that may be beneficial to look at.

195

Sen. Deckert

Remarks on creative ways of raising funds separate from the state general fund.

200

Withers

Comments on future research outlining the true economic impact as a result of failing to invest in early childhood.

210

Nancy Latini

Assistant Superintendent, Office of Student Learning and Partnerships, Department of Education (DOE). Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT K). Talks about student outcomes.

230

Latini

Discusses survey results.

250

Latini

Talks about content standards.

260

Chair Walker

Asks when the report is coming out.

262

Latini

Replies in two weeks.

270

Chair Walker

Closes informational meeting and opens public hearing on SB 414. SB 414 is submitted by staff for the record (EXHIBIT L).

SB 414 – PUBLIC HEARING

283

Rep. Mark Hass

Represents House District 27. Submits informational packet including written testimony and research and benefits of extended day kindergarten (EXHIBIT M). Testifies in support of  SB 414.

342

Sen. Ringo

Represents Senate District 17. Testifies in support of SB 414.

365

Sen. Ringo

Talks about changing the funding formula.

382

Sen. Ringo

States that 30 states have full day kindergarten.

390

Chair Walker

Asks where the money is going to come from if SB 415 does not go through and funds are not freed up.

392

Sen. Ringo

Replies that if the funding formula is changed, money would be pulled from the funding of other grades.

408

Rep. Mark Hass

Believes that there will be ESD consolidation savings. States that SB 414 is optional for school districts.

TAPE 22, B

001

Sen. Kruse

Expresses concerns regarding funding issue and school space availability for extended kindergarten. States that he would like to know the cost of SB 414.

010

Rep. Mark Hass

States that the cost will be about $40 million if all school districts sign up for extended day kindergarten.

015

Sen. Morrisette

Asks how many children he would project to attend the full day kindergarten.

023

Rep. Mark Hass

Responds.

040

Sue Robertson

Executive Administrator, Beaverton School District. Testifies in support of SB 414. Discusses why the Beaverton School District supports SB 414. Talks about proficiency and the connection between quality and quantity of instruction. States that standards and expectations today are much higher than they have been in the past. Talks about vocabulary size in kindergarten effecting reading comprehension in later elementary years. Mentions the achievement gap. Gives analogy of students with ladders. States that the more time a student spends in kindergarten, the better the student performs in first grade.

095

Robertson

Talks about Beaverton’s Title 1 schools. States that spending resources now will save us later. Mentions Beaverton’s aggressive goal that every student will increase academic achievement over the next five years. Talks about closing the achievement gap. Discusses working parents preferring full day kindergarten. Talks about capacity and the struggle to find space. Believes that it is cost effective. Asks that kindergarten not be thought of as a luxury.

178

Sen. Deckert

Reports that Mrs. Robertson’s husband, Reed Robertson, was his eighth grade Science teacher.

188

Sen. C. Starr

Asks if phonemic awareness and phonics are being taught explicitly by direct instruction.

192

Robertson

States that phonemic awareness, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and phonics are taught.

195

Sen. C. Starr

Asks if they are taught under the whole language approach.

197

Robertson

Replies that they are taught by direct instruction and whole language instruction.

205

Arlene L. Roblan

Principal, Madison Elementary School. Testifies in support of SB 414. Submits and reads written testimony (EXHIBIT N).

255

Chair Walker

Comments that both of the Roblan’s have been principals.

260

Rep. Arnie Roblan

Represents House District 9. Reports that it has been a wonderful calling for both of them.

270

Arlene Roblan

Comments that it is not too late to reach children by the time they get to kindergarten. Stresses that Title 1 funding is needed for many programs, not just extended day kindergarten.

300

Chair Walker

States that some Beaverton Title 1 schools are providing extended day Kindergarten. Asks if that is a choice that Coos Bay has made.

305

Arlene Roblan

Replies that Coos Bay schools have not decided to use Title 1 money to provide extended day kindergarten yet.

310

Chair Walker

Thinks it would be great if some of their Title 1 funding could be used to offer extended day kindergarten.

311

Arlene Roblan

States that she will look into it.

313

Chair Walker

Expresses surprise by the number of homeless families at Madison Elementary School. Asks how many children attend  the school.

317

Arlene Roblan

Replies 380 students and that there are 60 homeless families.

325

Chair Walker

Asks if there has been an increase in homeless families since the economy has been pretty bad.

323

Arlene Roblan

Replies yes, especially on the south coast.

330

Sen. Morrisette

Asks how many children on the south coast choose not to attend kindergarten because it is not mandatory.

340

Arlene Roblan

Estimates that everyone who knows about kindergarten attends.

345

Sen. Morrisette

States that there has been concern that children are not taking advantage of the availability of kindergarten. Says that every superintendent he has spoken with has confirmed that they would be able to handle the student increase without much problem.

353

Arlene Roblan

Agrees that the increase could be accommodated.

355

Sen. Deckert

Asks if she would be comfortable with using more money from the current budget on kindergarten if additional money is not produced for the program.

365

Arlene Roblan

Replies that it would be difficult because they have already been cutting funding for many years.

373

Rep. Arnie Roblan

States that when you are in a district with declining enrollment and it is coupled with declining resources from the state, it is difficult to make those kinds of decisions.

410

Jada Pearson

Beaverton Education Association. Expresses support for SB 414. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT O).

415

Susan Lewis

Beaverton Education Association. Expresses support for SB 414. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT P).

TAPE 23, B

015

Pearson

Testifies in support of SB 414. Expresses support for extending the kindergarten instruction time beyond 2.5 hours per day. Discusses reasons why it would be beneficial. Stresses importance of extending the length of instruction time but that full day kindergarten would be too much for students and teachers.

060

Lewis

Testifies in support of SB 414. Mentions Topeka Public Schools full day kindergarten impact study done.

100

Sen. Kruse

Requests information on the comparison of curriculum between half day and full day kindergarten.

105

Pearson

Discusses what the Beaverton School District has done with their Title 1 funding for extended day kindergarten.

112

Sen. Morrisette

Stresses that fun has to be built into kindergarten.

115

Pearson

States that some of the students were overwhelmed but that teachers tried to make the material fun.

127

Lewis

Comments that there are social and emotional goals for children in addition to academic expectations.

145

Marcia Kelley

American Association of University Women of Oregon (AAUW). Testifies on SB 414. Talks about funding options for extended day kindergarten. States that AAUW is one of the associations that has been advocating for kindergarten the longest in the state of Oregon.

180

Chair Walker

Shares appreciation for the tenacity of AAUW.

185

Kelley

Reports that it is the 100^th year anniversary of AAUW in Oregon.

193

Chair Walker

Asks if SB 414 has a subsequent referral to Revenue.

195

Marjorie Taylor

Committee Administrator. Replies yes.

198

Chair Walker

States that there is not a work session scheduled for SB 414. Asks Sen. Deckert if he is getting funding formula bills.

200

Sen. Deckert

Replies yes.

203

Chair Walker

States that SB 414 will be on the agenda for a work session next week and that she hopes to move it to Revenue.

211

Sen. C. Starr

Mentions that he and Sen. Deckert are both on the Revenue committee.

213

Sen. Kruse

States that it would probably be okay in their hands.

214

Chair Walker

Comments that SB 415 will probably go to Revenue as well.  

216

Sen. Kruse

States that SB 415 will not be sent to Revenue next week.

218

Chair Walker

Responds that the work group has until March 28^th to report back to the committee on SB 415.

220

Chair Walker

Closes public hearing and adjourns meeting at 4:51 p.m.