2005 Senate Committee on Education and Workforce

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE

February 16, 2005 Hearing Room D

3:00 P.M. Tapes 24 - 27

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Vicki Walker, Chair

Sen. Charles Starr, Vice-Chair

Sen. Ryan Deckert

Sen. Jeff Kruse

Sen. Bill Morrisette

STAFF PRESENT: Marjorie Taylor, Committee Administrator

Dawn Tuso, Committee Assistant

MEASURES/ISSUES HEARD

Gateway to College – Informational Meeting

SB 300 – 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 24, A
005	Chair Walker	Calls meeting to order at 3:05 p.m.
020	Chair Walker	Gives brief update on the Education Service District (ESD) workgroup. Opens informational meeting on Gateway to College.
GATEWAY TO COLLEGE – INFORMATIONAL MEETING
025	Linda Huddel	Director, Alternative Programs, Portland Community College (PCC). Submits informational packet including brochures, newspaper articles, Gateway to College national student survey results, and PowerPoint presentation (EXHIBIT A). Gives overview of presentation.
040	Huddel	Tries to show DVD presentation on Gateway to College. Moves on to PowerPoint presentation due to technical difficulties with the sound system.
070	Huddel	Discusses: PCC Prep’s Philosophy PCC Prep Alternative Programs Why Gateway to College What is the model Student eligibility profile Essential elements of Gateway to College
180	Huddel	Discusses: Gateway to College program model Student placement Program progression/instruction flow Student’s personal characteristics
270	Huddel	Discusses: Purpose of the cohort
300	Chair Walker	States that there are really good teachers in Oregon but they have so many students in the classroom that they do not have the time to make important connections with individual students.
303	Huddel	Responds to statement.
310	Huddel	Discusses: Purpose of the cohort Academic progression Curriculum alignment Sample pathway advising tool
TAPE 25, A
005	Huddel	Discusses: Funding and administration
010	Chair Walker	Asks question regarding the alternative education law and the state school fund.
013	Huddel	Replies that the funding comes from the state but that it is not part of the school district’s general fund allocation.
021	Chair Walker	Asks if the students must be living in the district.
022	Huddel	Responds yes.
027	Chair Walker	Asks if school districts lose money because of the Gateway to College program.
030	Huddel	Replies no. Explains that the school districts gain money from the program.
045	Huddel	Discusses: Gateway to College model Gateway to College works The cohort strategy is successful Students are achieving long-term success College progress is strong Putting success in context Persistence challenges
132	Chair Walker	Asks if there are students who drop out of the Gateway to College program and decide later to re-enter the program.
133	Huddel	Responds yes.
135	Huddel	Discusses: Dropouts have big dreams They are achieving their dreams A real second chance The early college high school initiative ECHSI Partners ECHS initiative scope Gateway to College Replication Where are Gateway replication sites What students say
200	Huddel	Tries to play the DVD again but has continued technical difficulties with the sound.
202	Sen. C. Starr	Asks question regarding funding. Discusses other options available for high school students to take college courses.
205	Huddel	Mentions partnership program that Beaverton School District has. States that books and tuition are covered for Gateway to College participants but that the students are responsible for paying the fees.
245	Chair Walker	Mentions Oregonian article in informational packet (EXHIBIT A). Explains that she likes the attendance policy. Asks what motivates students to attend.
254	Huddel	Replies that the resource specialists hold the students accountable.
275	Chair Walker	Discusses idea of high school students attending college.
283	Huddel	Says that the Beaverton School District program could be looked at as a successful model program.
300	Chair Walker	Closes informational meeting and opens a public hearing on SB 300.
SB 300 – PUBLIC HEARING
325	Marjorie Taylor	Committee Administrator. Introduces SB 300 (EXHIBIT B).
340	Sen. Avel Gordly	Represents Senate District 23. Submits written material and testifies in support of SB 300 (EXHIBIT C). Emphasizes that SB 300 deserves a work session at the appropriate point in the process. States that “SB 300 is not about displacing so-called regular community college students with somebody’s stereotype of an at risk or dropout student. It is about valuing and capturing human potential.”
TAPE 24, B
001	Sen. Avel Gordly	States that SB 300 will need further work.
017	Chuck Bennett	Confederation of Oregon School Administrators (COSA). Testifies on SB 300.
050	Bennett	Talks about what philosophically drives COSA. States that any action must be designed to create opportunities for children. Discusses agenda items for state school board meeting.
110	Bennett	Encourages discussion about the money and the kids. Talks about barriers to a statewide system.
140	Harvey Mathews	Associated Oregon Industries. Testifies in support of SB 300.
200	Chair Walker	States that Beaverton School District has a program in place that is pretty similar to what SB 300 proposes. Asks how many other districts have similar programs.
210	Sen. Avel Gordly	Replies that the Department of Education will be able to provide that information. Points out that, although there are individual programs within some districts, there is not a systemic approach.
229	Chair Walker	Asks about program where college prep credits are offered at high schools and are transferable to community colleges for a small fee. Thinks that the school districts must be losing some funds by participating in the programs where high school students attend college classes. Seems that districts wouldn’t lose money if they had programs where the college prep courses were offered at the high schools rather than at community colleges. Wonders why districts wouldn’t go with that approach.
250	Bennett	Shares uncertainty as to why districts wouldn’t go with that approach. Asks for further clarification on the question regarding the approach.
255	Chair Walker	States that the district did not have any debt from offering the college prep courses at the high school.
265	Bennett	States that it is a great offer and that the idea would be to make sure that the program is offered statewide.
307	Sen. Avel Gordly	Refers to SB 300 (EXHIBIT C, page 3). Mentions the description of the process that would involve the student and guardian or parent in determining an educational learning plan in cooperation with an advisory support team.
340	Sen. Avel Gordly	Expresses importance of framing the question appropriately of how students can best be served.
356	Sen. Kruse	Notes that Umpqua Community College has an arrangement with Roseburg School District that seems to be successful but that, in Oregon, the funding is still siloed. Expresses importance of making sure that a system is in place that does not burden one part of the system against the other. Points out that Roseburg School District has a relationship with Umpqua Community College that works because they are geographically close. Shares support of the concept but wants to make sure that rural parts of the state are included in the plan.
405	Sen. Avel Gordly	Agrees. States that the principle of equity must be an over arching principle in the decisions that are made.
417	Sen. Morrisette	Points out common concern that if students were given the opportunity to take college courses, that advanced placement (AP) courses would no longer be offered at high schools and students who were not able to take courses at the college would also not have the opportunity to take AP classes at the high school. Mentions at risk students. Believes that high achieving students would most likely be the ones who would have interest in taking college courses. Believes that SB 300 is a student priority bill. Shares importance of making sure that the students who are left behind would still have options available at the high school.
TAPE 25, B
018	Sen. Avel Gordly	States that SB 300, as it is currently drafted, leaves it up to a school district and its board to define what qualifies as an at risk student. Comments that not all high schools have AP programs. Clarifies that it is about expanding programs system wide.
030	Sen. Morrisette	Asks question regarding districts that are on the verge of consolidation or closing. States that he is not opposed to SB 300 but that there are issues that need to be considered.
047	Sen. Avel Gordly	Says “we need to question an assumption that says there is going to be a mass exodus from school districts with students leaving and going to colleges.” States that the colleges would have the freedom to decide whether or not a student would be able to attend the college.
060	Sen. Morrisette	Replies that there is already a program in place throughout the state where high school students can take college courses.
062	Chair Walker	Asks if the community colleges or universities can cap the enrollment of high school students.
064	Sen. Avel Gordly	Replies yes.
077	Julie Suchanek	Oregon Community College Association (OCCA). Submits written testimony and testifies in support of SB 300 (EXHIBIT D). Discusses services provided for students.
135	James Middleton	President, Central Oregon Community College. Testifies in support of SB 300. Presents potential issues with allowing high school students to take college classes: must insure that the courses are collegiate need solutions that don’t pit the community colleges against school districts discusses possible displacement of adult students if a large number of high school students take college courses student services should be offered at the high school level rather than at the college level
192	Chair Walker	Appreciates comments about the funding struggle.
200	Salam Noor	Assistant Superintendent, DOE. Submits written material on accelerated college opportunities for Oregon high school students (EXHIBIT E). Testifies on SB 300.
220	Chair Walker	Asks why the handout says draft.
223	Noor	Responds that the document is being edited and that the data is being updated.
230	Noor	Testifies on SB 300.
320	Noor	States that the DOE welcomes a policy discussion regarding SB 300.
348	Dave McDonald	Director, Enrollment and Student Services, Chancellor’s Office, Oregon University System. Submits written material (EXHIBIT F). Testifies on SB 300.
405	Karen Sprague	Professor, University of Oregon. Testifies on SB 300.
TAPE 26, A
013	Chair Walker	Asks if the school district reimburses the university for the classes that the high school students take at the university.
015	Sprague	Explains that the university pays the tuition and the school or district pays the fees.
020	Chair Walker	Asks if the university interacts with all of the school districts in the Eugene area.
031	Sprague	Replies yes.
032	Chair Walker	Asks if high school students are admitted as students or if there is some sort of special enrollment for them.
033	Sprague	Responds that they are considered part time students.
042	Rob Kremer	President, Oregon Education Coalition. Testifies in support of SB 300.
090	Deborah Andrews	Portland resident. Submits written testimony and newspaper article (EXHIBIT G). Testifies on SB 300.
150	Chair Walker	Mentions newspaper article submitted.
160	Joseph Le	Student, Lincoln High School. Testifies on behalf of Superintendent Susan Castillo’s Youth Advisory Team. Testifies in opposition to SB 300 in its current form.
210	Chair Walker	Asks if the advisory team would support SB 300 if issues addressed in the testimony were corrected.
215	Le	Replies yes.
230	Laurie Wimmer Whelan	Oregon Education Association. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT H) and SB 300 chart (EXHIBIT I). Testifies in opposition to SB 300.
355	Chair Walker	Asks if the comments are detailed in the written testimony.
358	Wimmer Whelan	Replies yes.
365	Tricia Smith	Oregon School Employee Association. Testifies in opposition to SB 300.
TAPE 27, A
005	Connie Green	Community College and Workforce Development. Testifies on SB 300.
025	Robert J. Castagna	Executive Director, Oregon Catholic Conference. Testifies on SB 300. Believes that SB 300 should address the needs of all students in the state including non public school students.
048	Andrea Meyer	American Civil Liberties Union. Testifies on SB 300. Asks that SB 300 be amended to specify that the definition of post secondary institutions does not include religious institutions.
080	Sen. Kruse	Asks for clarification regarding religious institutions.
084	Meyer	Replies that it would consist of schools that require students to comply with a religious mission.
091	Sen. Kruse	Asks for further clarification. Uses example of Willamette University’s requirement to take a religion course.
092	Meyer	Responds that taking a religion course is not a problem but that, it would not be okay if a person is required to take a specific religion course that is only taught from that particular perspective.
099	Meyer	Offers further discussion regarding the differences.
The following prepared testimony is submitted for the record without public testimony:
	Margaret DeLacy	Submits written testimony in support of SB 300 (EXHIBIT J).
105	Chair Walker	Closes public hearing and adjourns meeting at 5:38 p.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

Gateway to College, Informational Packet, Linda Huddel, 69 pp
SB 300, Staff, 7 pp
SB 300, Written Testimony, Sen. Avel Gordly, 2 pp
SB 300, Written Testimony, Julie Suchanek, 1 p
SB 300, Draft Accelerated College Credit Opportunities for Oregon High School Students, Salam Noor, 8 pp
SB 300, Gear up Advanced Placement Data, Dave McDonald, 4 pp
SB 300, Written Testimony, Deborah Andrews, 3 pp
SB 300, Written Testimony, Laurie Wimmer Whelan, 2 pp
SB 300, Expanded Options Program Voucher Bill, Laurie Wimmer Whelan, 2 pp
SB 300, Written Testimony, Margaret DeLacy, 6 pp