House Committee on Education (04/29/2013)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Date:	04/29/2013	ATTENDANCE

Time:	01:31 PM to 02:56 PM	Buckner	X
		Court	X
Place:	HCR 0112	Everett	X
		Fields	*
This Meeting was called to order by		Holbert	X
	Representative Hamner	Landgraf	X
		Murray	X
This Report was prepared by		Pettersen	*
	Kristen Johnson	Priola	X
		Wilson	X
		Young	X
		Peniston	X
		Hamner	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
SB13-214 SB13-193		Referred to the Committee of the Whole Amended, Referred to Appropriations

01:32 PM -- Senate Bill 13-214

Representative Hamner, Chair, welcomed the committee and the audience to the meeting. Representative Hamner discussed the committee schedule, and stated that the committee may hold a meeting on Wednesday, May 1 at upon adjournment, to hear Senate Bill 13-279.

Representative Fischer, prime sponsor, came to the table to present Senate Bill 13-214 which concerns legislative oversight of the funding of P-12 public school capital construction projects that receive funding under the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) Act. The bill, which was recommended by the Capital Development Committee (CDC), requires the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Board within the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to ensure that, by June 30 of each year, the balance of the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Fund (assistance fund) is equal to the total amount of the state share of annual lease payments for the BEST program. The bill also grants the CDC limited oversight of the BEST program. Specifically, the CDC is added to the list of entities required to approve grant awards for preschool through 12th grade capital construction to be financed through lease-purchase agreements. Beginning in FY 2012-13 for the FY 2013-14 grant funding cycle, the bill adds deadlines to the existing review and consideration of capital construction projects in order for the list of projects approved for funding through the use of lease-purchase agreements to be submitted to the CDC for final approval no later than June 25 of each year. The bill also adds to existing reporting requirements and adds the CDC to the list of entities the assistance board is required to report to annually regarding its activities.

The following person testified:

01:37 PM -- Dr. Jane Urschel, representing the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB), testified in support of the bill. Dr. Urschel stated that the BEST program revitalizes communities all over the state, and that the BEST program is one of CASB's highest legislative priorities.


BILL:	SB13-214
TIME:	01:39:50 PM
MOVED:	Holbert
MOTION:	Refer Senate Bill 13-214 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 12-0, with one member excused.
SECONDED:	Landgraf
		VOTE
	Buckner	Yes
	Court	Yes
	Everett	Yes
	Fields	Yes
	Holbert	Yes
	Landgraf	Yes
	Murray	Yes
	Pettersen	Excused
	Priola	Yes
	Wilson	Yes
	Young	Yes
	Peniston	Yes
	Hamner	Yes

Final YES: 12 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

01:41 PM -- Senate Bill 13-193

Representative Kraft-Tharpe, prime sponsor, presented Senate Bill 13-193 which concerns increasing parent engagement in public schools. The bill expands the duties of school district accountability committees (DAC), school accountability committees (SAC), and the State Advisory Council for Parent Involvement in Education (SACPIE). In addition to current powers and duties, DACs are required to increase the level of parent engagement in schools and districts, by:

publicizing opportunities and soliciting parents to serve on the DAC or on a SAC;

assisting the district in implementing a parent engagement policy; and

assisting school personnel to increase parent engagement with educators, especially related to the creation of READ plans, individual career and academic plans (ICAP), and plans to address habitual truancy.

Under current law, if the State Board of Education (SBE) directs a district public school to adopt an improvement plan, a turnaround plan, or a priority improvement plan, the school principal is required to hold a public hearing to review the plan. The bill instead requires that the SAC hold a public meeting to consider possible strategies to be included in the plan. The SAC must take into account recommendations received at the meeting when making recommendations to the district on the contents of an improvement plan. Recommendations must incorporate strategies to increase parent engagement in the public school.

The bill permits members of SACPIE to receive reimbursement for expenses incurred when performing their duties. Under current law, council members serve without compensation and without reimbursement for expenses. The bill requires that SACPIE:

work with SACs and DACs to increase the level of parent engagement in public schools;

work with CDE to provide regional training programs for accountability committees that address parent leadership, engagement, and best practices and skills for district and school personnel in working with parents;

identify key indicators of successful parent engagement and use these to develop research-based metrics that can be used to measure the level of parent engagement in public schools and institutions of higher education; and

no later than December 31, 2013, and each year thereafter, report to the SBE, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, and the education committees of the General Assembly on the level of parent engagement in public schools and institutions of higher education.

Each school district and the State Charter School Institute (CSI) is required to adopt a district policy for increasing and supporting parent engagement in public schools, including charter schools. Local school boards and the CSI are required to work with parent members of the DAC to adopt and implement the policy. Each school district and the CSI is required to identify an employee whose responsibilities include increasing parent engagement with district schools, and submit the name of the employee to CDE.

The following persons testified:

01:55 PM -- Richard Garcia, representing SACPIE, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Garcia discussed the importance of parent involvement in public schools, and stated that research shows that the more parents are engaged in their child's education, the more the child will succeed in school. He stated that building family and school partnerships increases student achievement.

01:59 PM -- Stacey Zis, representing SACPIE, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Zis stated that she supports the bill because research shows that children achieve more when their parents are involved in their education. She stated that her school and school district in Boulder Valley do a good job of engaging parents, but that it is a struggle to involve parents of English language learner (ELL) students. Ms. Zis responded to questions from the committee members.

02:09 PM -- Pat Chapman, representing CDE, testified on the bill. Mr. Chapman stated that he is available for technical questions on the bill. He stated that the bill creates a point of contact for parents who are interested in being involved in schools. He said that the bill creates a fund for SACPIE members to deliver their work to the field, and will allow SACPIE to provide training for schools and districts on how to have effective parent engagement. Mr. Chapman responded to questions from the committee concerning the work of the Director of Parent Engagement position that is created by the bill; the bill's fiscal impact; strategies used to increase parent engagement in schools; and the role that school districts play in increasing parent engagement.

02:39 PM -- John Giardino, representing the Colorado Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), testified in support of the bill. Mr. Giardino stated that he supports the bill because the PTA is all about parent engagement. He stated that the PTA has worked with the bill sponsors from the bill's inception. He stated that the bill gives SACPIE, DAC, and SAC groups the ability to expand their work and to act as catalysts to engage more parents.

Representative Buckner distributed amendment L.008 (Attachment A) and explained the changes that the amendment makes to the bill.

13HseEd0429AttachA.pdf


BILL:	SB13-193
TIME:	02:44:47 PM
MOVED:	Buckner
MOTION:	Adopt amendment L.008 (Attachment A). The motion passed on a vote of 10-3.
SECONDED:	Court
		VOTE
	Buckner	Yes
	Court	Yes
	Everett	No
	Fields	Yes
	Holbert	No
	Landgraf	No
	Murray	Yes
	Pettersen	Yes
	Priola	Yes
	Wilson	Yes
	Young	Yes
	Peniston	Yes
	Hamner	Yes

YES: 10 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:46 PM

Representative Priola distributed amendment L.009 (Attachment B) and explained the changes the amendment makes to the bill.

13HseEd0429AttachB.pdf


BILL:	SB13-193
TIME:	02:48:59 PM
MOVED:	Priola
MOTION:	Adopt amendment L.009 (Attachment B). The motion failed on a vote of 6-7.
SECONDED:	Murray
		VOTE
	Buckner	No
	Court	No
	Everett	Yes
	Fields	No
	Holbert	Yes
	Landgraf	Yes
	Murray	Yes
	Pettersen	No
	Priola	Yes
	Wilson	Yes
	Young	No
	Peniston	No
	Hamner	No

YES: 6 NO: 7 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL


BILL:	SB13-193
TIME:	02:54:17 PM
MOVED:	Peniston
MOTION:	Refer Senate Bill 13-193, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 7-6.
SECONDED:	Buckner
		VOTE
	Buckner	Yes
	Court	Yes
	Everett	No
	Fields	Yes
	Holbert	No
	Landgraf	No
	Murray	No
	Pettersen	Yes
	Priola	No
	Wilson	No
	Young	Yes
	Peniston	Yes
	Hamner	Yes

Final YES: 7 NO: 6 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:56 PM

The committee adjourned.