House Committee on Education (03/12/2012)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Date:	03/12/2012	ATTENDANCE

Time:	01:41 PM to 09:08 PM	Hamner	X
		Holbert	X
Place:	SupCt	Joshi	X
		Kerr A.	*
This Meeting was called to order by		Murray	X
	Representative Massey	Peniston	X
		Ramirez	X
This Report was prepared by		Schafer S.	X
	Kristen Johnson	Solano	X
		Summers	*
		Todd	X
		Beezley	X
		Massey	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
HB12-1225 HB12-1238		Postponed Indefinitely Amended, Referred to Appropriations

01:41 PM -- House Bill 12-1225

Representative Massey, Chair, called the meeting to order and made opening remarks.

Representative Ramirez, sponsor of House Bill 12-1225, presented the bill. The bill creates a program in the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to designate charter school authorizers as best practices or "model" authorizers. School districts and the state Charter School Institute can seek designation as a model authorizer by submitting an application to the CDE, along with evidence of best practices and a fee. No later than July 15, 2013, the State Board of Education (SBE) will adopt rules for a model designation program, including the application and review process, and a scoring rubric to evaluate an authorizer's practice and performance. The bill specifies the minimum practices a model authorizer must demonstrate. Designation by the SBE is subject to annual review and may be renewed indefinitely.

Once designated, model authorizers may establish their own requirements, procedures, and timelines for the application, review, and renewal of charter contracts. A model authorizer's final decision concerning a charter or charter contract is more difficult to appeal, as the decision is presumed to be valid, and the SBE must uphold the decision unless the entity bringing the appeal provides sufficient evidence to the contrary.

The bill also creates the Model Authorizer Cash Fund. Moneys in the fund are subject to annual appropriations and are used for the direct and indirect costs of the CDE to administer the program.

Representative Ramirez asked the committee to move to postpone indefinitely House Bill 12-1225.


BILL:	HB12-1225
TIME:	01:42:55 PM
MOVED:	Ramirez
MOTION:	Move to postpone indefinitely House Bill 12-1225. The motion passed on a roll call vote of 12-0.
SECONDED:	Kerr A.
		VOTE
	Hamner	Yes
	Holbert	Yes
	Joshi	Yes
	Kerr A.	Yes
	Murray	Yes
	Peniston	Yes
	Ramirez	Yes
	Schafer S.	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Summers	Excused
	Todd	Yes
	Beezley	Yes
	Massey	Yes

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

01:43 PM -- House Bill 12-1238

Representative Massey and Representative Hamner, co-prime sponsors of House Bill 12-1238, presented the bill. As introduced, the bill repeals, reenacts, and renames the Colorado Basic Literacy Act as the Colorado Early Literacy Act. The bill replaces the Read-to-Achieve Grant Program with the Early Literacy Grant Program. The State Board of Education (SBE) must adopt rules to implement the new act and grant program.

Each local education provider (LEP) must provide to students in kindergarten through third grade the instruction and special services necessary to ensure that early-grade students develop the reading skills necessary to enable them to succeed in later grades. Beginning in the 2013-14 academic year, each LEP must measure reading competency for early-grade students using a combination of assessments. The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) is required to create a resource bank of approved assessments, instructional programs, and professional development tools for LEPs to use to improve reading instruction and measure reading competency. The CDE may also provide technical assistance and coaching.

When a student with reading deficiencies is identified, the bill creates a process for teachers, parents, and other personnel to jointly determine if the student should advance to the next grade level in the next academic year. If the student is completing third grade, the joint decision is subject to approval of the school district superintendent, or his or her designee. If the student does not advance, the LEP must provide more rigorous instructional services to the student. This new process only applies to children who enroll in kindergarten beginning in 2013-14, and not to children with disabilities, with limited English proficiency, or who have already been retained at grade level.

The LEP, in collaboration with the parent or guardian if possible, must create a Reading to Ensure Academic Development (READ) plan for students identified with a reading deficiency. The READ plan is part of the student's academic record until the student achieves reading competency, and must follow the student if he or she enrolls in another school or district. The SBE must adopt additional rules to integrate READ plans with other individualized education plans and special education programs required by federal law.

The bill creates the Early Literacy Grant Program in the CDE to provide funding to LEPs for literacy assessment, instructional support, and appropriate interventions for early-grade learners. The CDE will evaluate grant applications, and the SBE will award the grants.

The bill creates the Early Literacy Fund to support the implementation of the act and to provide a source of funds for the grant program. Beginning in FY 2012-13, any remaining money in the Read-to-Achieve Fund, and 5 percent of tobacco settlement moneys (up to $8.0 million), are transferred into the fund. The CDE may use 25 percent of moneys appropriated from the fund (up to $1.0 million) to provide literacy support on a regional basis to LEPs. An additional 2 percent may be used by CDE to administer the grant program.

Each LEP must report specified information concerning reading deficiencies in early-grade students, instructional interventions, and student progress toward reading competency. LEPs that receive grants have additional reporting requirements. The CDE will analyze the reported data from the LEPs and prepare an annual summary report for the SBE, the Governor, and the education committees of the General Assembly.

Representative Massey stated that he and Representative Hamner would be speaking to the unofficial, preamended version of the bill (Attachment A) that includes the language from Amendment L.007 (Attachment B). Representative Massey stated that the bill addresses students who are functionally illiterate. He added that the bill is about student and teacher success. He thanked the stakeholders who worked on the bill.

Representative Hamner posed three guiding questions to the committee: are we satisfied with the literacy success of Colorado children in grades three through six; is this the best we can do for our kids in Colorado; and what can we do to increase student success in Colorado? She stated that the committee is participating in this conversation because the members care about the success of children. She discussed the process to bring the bill to where it is today. She stated that the bill adds additional accountability measures and creates assurance that all students receive appropriate intervention and support. She added that retention gets mixed reviews in research, but those students who do not have literacy skills by the third grade will struggle for the rest of their lives.

Julie Pelegrin, Office of Legislative Legal Services, joined the bill sponsors at the table. Representative Massey thanked Ms. Pelegrin for her hard work on the bill.

The following persons testified:

01:56 PM -- John Hickenlooper, Governor, State of Colorado, testified in support of the bill. He described his experience as a child growing up with dyslexia. He said that his school continued to advance him until the third grade when he received additional instruction. He said that he repeated the seventh grade and is aware of what retention does to a child. He said that he always had a feeling of being behind the other kids in class and grew up not being a reader. He said that he did not read a book for pleasure until he reached the tenth grade. He said that the bill ensures that we are continually trying to improve what we do for kids and that the bill is a real effort to be sure teachers and students are integrated. He stated that he does not feel there should be mandatory retention, but believes that there is no stronger indicator of how well a student will do in school than their ability to read. He stated that we are understanding more about the different ways that people learn to read and that as understanding grows, we can use tools to improve literacy.

02:03 PM

Representative Peniston asked what resources the Governor had when working on early childhood literacy in Denver. Governor Hickenlooper responded.

Representative Schafer asked the Governor what his role will be in helping local districts pay for this, if the bill passes. Governor Hickenlooper stated that the primary focus of this bill is not to ask school districts to bring more resources -- the goal is to facilitate teaching and to create a more collaborative environment where teachers and parents can work together for the student. He added that if we can identify early enough those kids who are having a hard time, and make sure they read proficiently, then he thinks the school districts will ultimately save money.

Representative Todd asked what is the best way that we can put funding behind the bill. Governor Hickenlooper responded that we need to look at the consequences of not addressing these real facts and concerns.

Representative Solano asked how the Governor sees this bill working for school districts as they are making cuts in several places already. The Governor responded that he is aware of the difficult decisions that businesses and schools are having to make at this time. He added that we need to look at what we can do to bring resources.

02:14 PM -- Reilly Pharo, Colorado Children's Campaign, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Pharo provided a brief overview of the work of her organization. She stated that this bill is a comprehensive and holistic approach to improving literacy. She stated that one in four students lack the reading and comprehension skills they need to be successful in school. She discussed the disparity in literacy levels that occurs across racial and ethnic groups. She discussed the relationship between poverty and literacy. She stated that by the fourth grade, students are no longer learning to read, but reading to learn, and that a child's ability to read has lifelong implications. She said that students who struggle can catch up with their peers, if the correct interventions are put into place. She discussed retention, stating that the intent of the bill is not to increase Colorado's retention rate, but to drastically reduce the number of students who can not read by the third grade.

Ms. Pharo responded to questions from the committee.

02:26 PM -- Tim Taylor and Bob Deibel, Colorado Succeeds, expressed support for the bill. Mr. Deibel stated that the formula for success starts and ends with employees. He discussed the demands of globalization and customization, saying that the highest caliber employees are need to make business thrive. He stated that the economy depends on an educated workforce and an educated consumer base, and that high quality education is at the core of a strong and vibrant economy. He stated that too many kids are not graduating and do not have the skills to compete in the economy. He stated that Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) data shows that reading is below grade level and that growth has been flat since 2001. He added that the bill is an important strategy toward ensuring that Colorado has educated consumers and employees.

Mr. Taylor continued the discussion, saying that research shows that kids who do not read well by the end of the third grade are disadvantaged in many ways and are more likely to drop out of school. He stated that there is a moral and economic imperative that kids read well by the end of the third grade. He stated that the Colorado Basic Literacy Act (CBLA) has not produced the outcomes that we need. He stated that the bill is based on national best practices and that it establishes more consistency in implementation across the state.

Representative A. Kerr asked if either witness would support school districts being able to waive out of the provisions of the bill. Mr. Taylor responded that they would not support school districts being able to waive out of the provisions, adding that universal implementation is critical.

Representative Todd asked about funding for the provisions of the bill. Mr. Taylor responded that over the last ten years, the reading and proficiency rates have remained flat; that even when there was more or less money, the rates stayed flat. He stated that there is no direct correlation between money and early literacy. He added that the imperative is that kids can read, and that we have not seen those rates change like we need to.

02:40 PM -- Mike Miles, Superintendent, Harrison School District 2, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Miles discussed the reading levels of the students in his school district, saying that many of his students had been pushed along in the system. He said that the status quo was not working for those students who could not read well and were significantly behind in reading, so his district addressed two things: relevant time on task and the strategy used to educate the child. He discussed his district's goal of ending social promotion by the year 2016. He stated that in order to reach that goal, the district first has to improve the instruction quality in the elementary grades. He described a three-week training program that his district has implemented for teachers who are new to the system. He stated that his district also holds early parent-teachers conferences and that teachers discuss the reading data with all parents. He added that his district has done a good job of hiring strong teachers who can teach reading while being a regular classroom instructor. He ended by stating that the changes that his district has made take resources, but that they have been doing it by prioritizing funding in support of early literacy.

Representative Summers asked about resources. Mr. Miles responded that he wishes there were more resources, but feels that there are always resources to accomplish the things that you make a priority. He added that it is a huge investment for teachers to be brought in early and trained for three weeks, but that the district has prioritized and there is nothing keeping other schools from doing the same things.

Representative Murray asked about the district's results since implementing the changes. Mr. Miles responded, saying that the graduation rate is now 72.4 percent, up from 61 percent; and that English Language Learners' achievement gap has closed from 31 percent to 19 percent. He stated that they have reduced the achievement gaps.

Representative A. Kerr asked what Harrison School District 2 has done to get parents involved. Mr. Miles responded that they have created an incentive program for parents to get other parents involved. He discussed a media campaign to help parents get started on teaching their kids to read.

02:58 PM -- Charlotte Brantley, Clayton Early Learning, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Brantley discussed the work of her organization. She stated that children who enter kindergarten without the knowledge to read will have a much more difficult time becoming strong readers. She stated that she wants kindergarten teachers to have the tools they need to reach the needs of their kids. She expressed some concern about the timing of interim and formative assessments in the bill. She stated that she is concerned that the burden still falls on the child if the reading level is not reached before the end of the school year. She added that she is strongly in support of effective, early interventions.

03:02 PM -- Kelly Brough, President and CEO, Denver Metro Chamber, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Brough provided a handout to the committee (Attachment C). She stated that 45 percent of Colorado's population has a two-year degree or higher, but that 67 percent of the jobs in the state will require a postsecondary degree by 2018. She said that Colorado will not be able to meet workforce and economic needs at the current pace. She discussed the relationship between poverty and higher education.

Bill Vidal, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Tamra Ward, Colorado Concern, joined Ms. Brough at the table, in support of the bill. Mr. Vidal stated that this bill is needed for the future of the state's Hispanic community, noting that Hispanics drop out at higher rates than any other group. He gave background of his childhood, stating that education is what led him out of poverty. He added that he is happy to see parents included in the bill and that the bill will provide for the administration of multilingual assessments for students.

Ms. Ward continued the testimony, saying that today's students are tomorrow's workforce. She stated that the business community is supportive of this bill because businesses need smart, eager employees. She stated that our system is not meeting the reading needs of children. She stated that if we start earlier and ensure that parents and students have all of the tools needed to read, then we won't see the high school dropout rates that we see currently. She said that the bill is a student-centered approach that calls for engagement of the parents and students, and creates a pathway for students to succeed.

The witnesses responded to several questions from the committee members.

03:27 PM -- Melody Ilk, Stand for Children, testified in support of the bill. She discussed her experience as a literacy coordinator in the Alameda area. She discussed the success of the program, stating that it is due to having teachers who are trained in scientifically-based reading instruction; administering comprehensive assessments; and evaluating intervention strategies. She stated that they have thoughtfully planned literacy books that are designed around the needs of kids, not around the needs of adults. She stated that is takes focus and hard work for about five to seven years to see outcomes.

03:32 PM -- Paul Lhevine, Stand for Children, testified in support of the bill. He described the work of Stand for Children. He distributed a handout to the committee members (Attachment D) that provides letters of support for the bill from six teachers. He stated that children are four to six times more likely to drop out of high school if they cannot read proficiently by the third grade. He added that the bills helps us live up to our promise that we will give our children the tools that they need to succeed in the future.

03:37 PM -- MiDian Holmes, Stand for Children, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Holmes discussed her child's education and the inconsistency that she has seen occurring. She stated that her daughter's school did not have the support or resources to help her to intervene early for her child. She stated that she did not receive any calls from the school about her daughter's reading challenges, and that she had to request a meeting with the teacher in order to discuss her daughter. Shed added that she is before the committee to negate the stigma that parents will not act on behalf of students.

03:39 PM -- Kayla McGannon, Stand for Children, expressed support for the bill and made herself available for questions from the committee.

03:40 PM -- Landri Taylor, CEO, Urban League of Denver, testified in support of the bill. He discussed his own decision to hold back his daughter in order to get her to read. He stated that his daughter is now a successful young woman. He said that the question is not about cost, but about investment, and what we will do to meet the challenge.

03:43 PM -- Gladys Wilson, President and CEO, Qualistar, testified in support of the bill. She provided background on the work of Qualistar and on her career, which has been devoted to working with families to ensure early and continued success. She stated that research supports the idea that kids with early childhood education that is rich in literacy will be successful. She stated that parents should be at the center of this work and that literacy education needs to begin before the child enters kindergarten. She added that the bill is a move in the right direction.

03:47 PM -- Jane Urschel and Matt Cook, Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB), testified in support of the bill. Dr. Urschel stated that since 1993, Colorado has used a standards-based education system; she questioned if that is really true. She stated that time should be the variable in education, and that it just takes some kids more time to learn than others. She stated that the current system makes time the constant, and education the variable. She added that it is not about retention. She stated that this effort will require shifting of resources and shaking up current programs. She added that school boards know that it is their duty to get this done, and that while the details of how to get it done are of great concern, the steps in the bill provide a way to accomplish the goal.

Mr. Cook continued the testimony, saying that early childhood education is a focus of Colorado schools, but recently, it seems more focus is on preparing students for state assessments. He discussed parental involvement and the need for parents to be involved early on.

The witnesses responded to questions from the committee members.

04:00 PM -- Beverly Ingle, Adele Bravo, and Kristi Frazier, Colorado Education Association (CEA), testified on the bill and indicated that they are in an amend position on the bill. Ms. Ingle began by providing background of the CEA. She stated that the members of CEA are committed to bringing the highest quality instruction to the classroom. Ms. Frazier continued the testimony, providing background of her work as a reading interventionist. Ms. Bravo also provided information on her experience as a reading specialist.

The witnesses responded to several questions form the committee members.

04:26 PM -- Amitra Schwols, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill. She expressed concern for the retention policy in the bill. She discussed the experience of her brother, who is dyslexic.

04:30 PM -- Susanna Cordova, Denver Public Schools (DPS), testified on the bill. She stated that DPS is in a monitor position on the bill. She stated that the bill aligns well with DPS's goals and beliefs and is supportive of the focus on interventions. She added that Read-to-Achieve interventionalists serve about 500 students in DPS. She stated that as interventionists use their expertise, the ability of all teachers to support kids increases. She said that multilingual assessments are important indicators of reading proficiency. She added that DPS encourages the committee to include as many provisions for classroom-based interventions in the bill as possible.

Representative Solano asked how many different languages are spoken at DPS. Ms. Cordova responded that 135 languages are spoken and discussed supports for non-English speaking students.

04:35 PM -- Cali Nichols and Grady Nichols, representing themselves and other parents and kids, testified on the bill, indicating an amend position. Grady began the testimony, stating that he has a hard time with reading and that at his school, the teachers are unable to get him to learn to read. He described his experience with a reading tutor. He added that holding students back in school will not help because the student still will not know how to read because they are not being taught to read in the right way. Ms. Nichols continued the testimony, describing her efforts to partner with her son's school. She stated that she was the one who went to the school and told them that her son has reading challenges. She stated that she never received a list of resources that she was promised by the school. She stated that teachers are not being properly trained by institutions of higher education. She added that children are better served when the school works with the family for the betterment of the child.

Ms. Nichols and the committee discussed the retention provision of the bill.

04:53 PM -- Dr. Oliver Grenham, Dr. Steve Sandoval, and Linda Kister, Adams County School District 50, testified on the bill. Dr. Grenham discussed the efforts of Adams County School District 50. He stated that retention is only a partial solution to the literacy problem and does not fix the problem of social promotion. He stated that there needs to be a more comprehensive approach in all content areas and that literacy is the gateway. He added that retention holds the student back in all content areas, when all they may really need is literacy retention.

Ms. Kister continued the testimony, discussing the challenges that students face when they do not have the fundamental skills they need. She added that good teaching matters and that quality instruction is tied to success in school.

Dr. Sandoval contributed to the testimony, stating that there is a fine line in identifying students who have a learning disability as opposed to a reading disability.

05:06 PM -- Vinny Badolato, Vice President of Public Affairs, Colorado League of Charter Schools (CLCS), testified on the bill and provided a handout to the committee members (Attachment E). Mr. Badolato stated that CLCS is neutral on the bill, with the addition of Amendment L.007 (Attachment B). He stated that CLCS strongly supports the idea that all schools should teach children to read. He highlighted a few provisions of the bill. He expressed concern over the distribution of funding, stating that he worries that charter schools will get the short end of the stick.

Mr. Badolato responded to questions from the committee members.

05:17 PM -- Lisa Puckett, representing herself and other parents, testified on the bill. She asked the committee to remove the recommendation from the bill that kids be retained. She discussed her children, who are dyslexic. She stated that studies have shown that differences in the brain lead to these challenges. She described her experience with her sons' school and stated that the school failed to inform her of her sons' language-based disability. She stated that the problem with her sons' education has not been due to a lack of parental involvement or to not reading to them enough at home, but due to teachers at their school who are not equipped with the tools they need to teach children correctly.

05:29 PM -- Uly Atkeson, representing himself and other students, testified on the bill. He discussed the support that he received for reading assistance and stated that other children should receive the same assistance. He responded to questions from Representative Solano.

05:33 PM -- Bruce Caughey, Vince Puzick, and Debbie Pierre, Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE), testified on the bill. Mr. Caughey stated that CASE is in an amend position on the bill. He stated that in order to do this right, we need to invest in early literacy; retention alone is not the key. He discussed the bill's fiscal note, noting the costs that will be borne by local education providers. He added that there needs to be a stable funding source.

Ms. Pierre continued the testimony, stating that the acquisition of grade-level reading skills is something they support.

Mr. Puzick continued the testimony, discussing the financial implications of the bill. He stated that the bill requires new or modified data management systems, which are costly, and would be footed by the district. He noted four letters that are required to be sent home to parents, under the provisions of the bill. He stated that time and money needed for documentation should not overshadow the time and money put towards educating. He stated that there is currently no clear sense of funding for professional development. He discussed the staffing levels needed to meet the provisions of the bill.

The witnesses responded to questions from the committee members.

05:50 PM -- Lucinda Hundley and Jacalyn Whittington, Consortium of Special Education Directors, testified on the bill. Ms. Hundley stated that the consortium is in an amend position on the bill. She stated that the bill appropriately exempts students who are cognitively disabled, but there are other students who have similar disabilities that impact their ability to read and be literate, including those who are dyslexic or blind. She stated that retention exposes the school district to accusations of discrimination. She added that accountability for all student learning is important.

Ms. Whittington continued the testimony and provided examples of students who would be impacted by the bill.

The witnesses responded to questions from the committee members.

06:01 PM -- Elliott Asp and Mark Overmeyer, Cherry Creek Schools, testified on the bill. Mr. Asp stated that the district is in an amend position on the bill. He discussed his decision to retain his oldest daughter, stating that he made that decision with the teachers and staff at her school, and noting that the state did not make the decision for him. He stated that the Colorado Basic Literacy Act (CBLA) has not worked as hoped due to accountability and funding. He stated that schools should be held accountable for the growth of the children that they have gotten to work with. He discussed the challenges of implementing the bill and where districts will get the resources to do so. He stated that a school-wide read plan might be a good idea for schools that have several children on read plans. He stated that the lack of sufficient funding is a barrier to truly impacting early literacy. He added that schools and districts need to have the tools to train teachers.

Mr. Overmeyer continued the testimony, discussing funding and his experience as the person responsible for Read-to-Achieve funds in his district.

Mr. Asp and Mr. Overmeyer responded to several questions from the committee members.

06:35 PM -- Angela Engel, Uniting 4 Kids, testified in opposition to the bill.

06:38 PM -- Frank Waterous, Senior Policy Analyst, The Bell Policy Center, testified on the bill. He stated that his organization is in an amend position on the bill and provided a handout to the committee members (Attachment F). He stated that the problem with the bill is the student retention piece. He stated that research does not support retention as a long term solution.

06:44 PM -- Nancy DeVine, Chief Academic Officer, Greeley-Evans School District 6, testified on the bill. She stated that retention does not serve students, teachers, or families. She gave background of her school district and the demographics of the families they serve. She stated that her district has 130 minutes of literacy education daily. She stated that teachers use assessments in every grade to ensure that students are on track to success and to diagnose student needs. She stated that due to continuous reductions in funding, the district is not able to increase the level of intensity of interventions that they need in order to make students proficient. She added that students do not see retention in any other way than as having failed.

06:54 PM -- Pamela Bisceglia, Advocacy Denver, testified on the bill. She discussed student disabilities and expressed concern for the bill's provisions.

06:58 PM -- Katie Johanson, International Dyslexic Association Rocky Mountain Branch, testified on the bill. She stated that while her organization is in support of the general concept of the bill, they do not support the consequences of a child not meeting reading proficiency. She stated that retaining children does not facilitate the success of the student. She stated that she would like to see the bill amended to include requirements for pre-service teacher qualification.

Ms. Johnanson responded to questions from the committee members.

07:05 PM -- Julie Bolding, Colorado Society of School Psychologists, testified in opposition to the bill. She stated that being retained does not teach a child to read. She stated that the developmental range for students is vast, especially for boys, who develop slower. She added that few elementary level teachers, who are teaching all children all subjects, are able to master the skills need to teach reading.

07:11 PM -- Cheryl Gretz, representing parents, testified in support of the bill, with amendments. She described her experience with a dyslexic son and stated that she had to figure this out on her own. She stated that she does not think that the training was there for the teachers at her son's school. She stated that her son has had intense remediation and that, when given the tools, he is reading at a first grade level; he is currently in fourth grade. She described her son's experience in the classroom.

07:15 PM -- Kelly Nordini, representing herself, testified on the bill. She provided background of her decision to retain her daughter in third grade. She stated that, after years of pleading, the school finally provided a reading teacher to her daughter. She stated that without an effective teacher and responsive interventions, retention is a mixed bag, at best. She stated that it is the children who are retained who are going to end up bearing the burden. She added that the bill does not ensure that kids will learn to read, and referred to the language in the bill.

Representative A. Kerr asked Ms. Nordini what she feels is missing from the bill. Ms. Nordini responded that, although she is not a reading expert, in her experience, you cannot do this without a teacher who is trained specifically to teach reading. She added that it takes intensive interventions and that kids cannot learn in a classroom of 29 other students, as teachers cannot teach reading and maintain their classroom simultaneously and be effective.

07:20 PM -- Sally Augden, League of Women Voters Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill. She discussed retention, saying that it is not efficient and not effective.

07:24 PM -- Peggy Littleton, former member, Colorado State Board of Education (SBE), testified in opposition to the bill. She questioned the need for the legislation, stating that Colorado has already adopted model content standards. She stated that the most important tool missing from the bill is having teachers who know how to implement effective interventions. She added that we need to teach teachers how to teach kids.

07:30 PM -- Elenn Steinberg, the International Dyslexic Association, testified on the bill. She indicated that she is in an amend position on the bill. She discussed her son, who is dyslexic, and his experience.

07:32 PM

The committee took a brief recess.

07:45 PM

The committee came back to order. Julie Pelegrin, Office of Legislative Legal Services, came to the table to highlight the amendments to the bill that were brought forward. She walked the committee through each section the unofficial preamended version of the bill (Attachment A), highlighting the provisions of Amendment L.007 (Attachment B).


BILL:	HB12-1238
TIME:	08:06:55 PM
MOVED:	Massey
MOTION:	Adopt prepared Amendment L.007 (Attachment B). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Hamner
		VOTE
	Hamner
	Holbert
	Joshi
	Kerr A.
	Murray
	Peniston
	Ramirez
	Schafer S.
	Solano
	Summers
	Todd
	Beezley
	Massey

YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

08:08 PM

Representative Solano distributed Amendment L.013 (Attachment G). She discussed the amendment, which she stated strikes the retention language of the bill. Committee discussion of the amendment ensued.

8:19 PM

Committee discussion of Amendment L.013 continued.


BILL:	HB12-1238
TIME:	08:25:20 PM
MOVED:	Solano
MOTION:	Adopt prepared Amendment L.013 (Attachment G). The motion failed on a roll call vote of 5-8.
SECONDED:	Todd
		VOTE
	Hamner	No
	Holbert	No
	Joshi	No
	Kerr A.	Yes
	Murray	No
	Peniston	Yes
	Ramirez	No
	Schafer S.	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Summers	No
	Todd	Yes
	Beezley	No
	Massey	No

YES: 5 NO: 8 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL

08:26 PM

Representative Beezley distributed Amendment L.006 (Attachment H). Representative Massey stated that the bill sponsors see this as a friendly amendment.


BILL:	HB12-1238
TIME:	08:29:51 PM
MOVED:	Beezley
MOTION:	Adopt prepared Amendment L.006 (Attachment H). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Murray
		VOTE
	Hamner
	Holbert
	Joshi
	Kerr A.
	Murray
	Peniston
	Ramirez
	Schafer S.
	Solano
	Summers
	Todd
	Beezley
	Massey

YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

08:30 PM

Representative Murray distributed Amendment L.009 (Attachment I). She discussed the amendment. Representative Massey stated that the bill sponsors see this as a friendly amendment.


BILL:	HB12-1238
TIME:	08:38:28 PM
MOVED:	Murray
MOTION:	Adopt prepared Amendment L.009 (Attachment I). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Beezley
		VOTE
	Hamner
	Holbert
	Joshi
	Kerr A.
	Murray
	Peniston
	Ramirez
	Schafer S.
	Solano
	Summers
	Todd
	Beezley
	Massey

YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

08:39 PM

The committee discussed the bill as amended. Several of the committee members discussed their positions on the bill.


BILL:	HB12-1238
TIME:	09:04:48 PM
MOVED:	Massey
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 12-1238, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a roll call vote of 10-3.
SECONDED:	Hamner
		VOTE
	Hamner	Yes
	Holbert	Yes
	Joshi	Yes
	Kerr A.	Yes
	Murray	Yes
	Peniston	No
	Ramirez	Yes
	Schafer S.	Yes
	Solano	No
	Summers	Yes
	Todd	No
	Beezley	Yes
	Massey	Yes

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

09:08 PM

The committee adjourned.