House Committee on Education (03/12/2009)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Date:	03/12/2009	ATTENDANCE

Time:	02:44 PM to 04:24 PM	Baumgardner	X
		Benefield	X
Place:	HCR 0112	Massey	X
		Middleton	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Murray	X
	Representative Merrifield	Peniston	X
		Priola	X
This Report was prepared by		Scanlan	X
	Katey McGettrick	Schafer S.	X
		Summers	E*
		Todd	X
		Solano	X
		Merrifield	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
SB09-123 SB09-052 Briefing on the Federal Stimulus Package		Amended, Referred to Appropriations Amended, Referred to Appropriations Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only

02:45 PM -- Senate Bill 09-123

Representative Todd, the sponsor of Senate Bill 09-123, concerning the Healthy Choices Dropout Prevention Grant Program, presented her bill to the committee. She discussed the link between obesity and school performance. She also reviewed some of the opportunities that would be made available to schools through the grant program. She shared a packet of materials with the committee (Attachment A).

02:51 PM

The following people testified on the bill:

02:51 PM -- Kim Tatsch, representing the Junior League of Denver, testified in support of the bill. She explained the mission of the Junior League, which includes community service.

02:56 PM -- Karen Connell, representing the Colorado Department of Education, testified on the bill and shared information about the department's health education program.

02:59 PM -- Rick Metz, representing the Colorado Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, testified in support of the bill.

03:01 PM -- Beth Davis, representing the Women's Wilderness Institute, testified in support of the bill. She noted the importance of young girls mastering physical activity tasks and gaining a feeling of self efficacy. She shared a testimonial from a young girl who participated in the institute's wilderness program.

03:04 PM -- Elizabeth Clark, representing the Colorado Association of School Nurses, testified in support of the bill. She shared the role school nurses play in student learning.


BILL:	SB09-123
TIME:	03:07:19 PM
MOVED:	Todd
MOTION:	Moved amendment L.003 (Attachment B). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Benefield
		VOTE
	Baumgardner
	Benefield
	Massey
	Middleton
	Murray
	Peniston
	Priola
	Scanlan
	Schafer S.
	Summers
	Todd
	Solano
	Merrifield

Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

03:08 PM

Representative Todd concluded her remarks on the bill and asked for the committee's support.


BILL:	SB09-123
TIME:	03:10:08 PM
MOVED:	Todd
MOTION:	Moved to refer Senate Bill 09-123, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a 10-2-1 vote.
SECONDED:	Benefield
		VOTE
	Baumgardner	No
	Benefield	Yes
	Massey	Yes
	Middleton	Yes
	Murray	No
	Peniston	Yes
	Priola	Yes
	Scanlan	Excused
	Schafer S.	Yes
	Summers	Yes
	Todd	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Merrifield	Yes

Final YES: 10 NO: 2 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

03:11 PM -- Senate Bill 09-052

Representative Pommer, sponsor of Senate Bill 09-052, concerning the funding source for the Higher Education Research Fund, presented his bill. He discussed the changes amendment L.002 makes to the bill, specifically noting that the money for the Higher Education Research Fund will come from the Limited Gaming Fund, as opposed to the Waste Tire Fee Recycling Development Cash Fund, which was how the bill was originally drafted.

03:14 PM

The following people testified on the bill:

03:15 PM -- David Skaggs, representing the Department of Higher Education, testified in support of the bill and shared a handout with committee members (Attachment C).

03:16 PM -- P. Craig Taylor, representing the Colorado School of Mines, testified in support of the bill.

03:18 PM -- Michael Poliakoff, representing the University of Colorado, testified in support of the bill and shared a handout with committee members (Attachment D).

03:20 PM

The committee discussed the impact of changing the funding stream for the bill, which will now come from the Limited Gaming Fund.


BILL:	SB09-052
TIME:	03:23:46 PM
MOVED:	Massey
MOTION:	Moved amendment L.002 (Attachment E). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Merrifield
		VOTE
	Baumgardner
	Benefield
	Massey
	Middleton
	Murray
	Peniston
	Priola
	Scanlan
	Schafer S.
	Summers
	Todd
	Solano
	Merrifield

Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	SB09-052
TIME:	03:28:20 PM
MOVED:	Todd
MOTION:	Moved to refer Senate Bill 09-052, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a 11-1-1 vote.
SECONDED:	Priola
		VOTE
	Baumgardner	No
	Benefield	Yes
	Massey	Yes
	Middleton	Yes
	Murray	Yes
	Peniston	Yes
	Priola	Yes
	Scanlan	Excused
	Schafer S.	Yes
	Summers	Yes
	Todd	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Merrifield	Yes

Final YES: 11 NO: 1 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

03:29 PM -- Briefing on the Federal Stimulus Package

Matt Gianneschi, representing the Office of the Governor, and Richard Wenning, representing the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), presented on the education spending in the federal stimulus package, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which was recently passed by the United States Congress. Dr. Gianneschi shared a handout with the committee (Attachment F). Mr. Wenning reviewed the department handouts with the committee (Attachment G).

03:33 PM

Dr. Gianneschi explained that he planned on discussing three concepts. He first discussed the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF), which he noted contains the largest amount of funding for education in the federal stimulus package. He noted there is a modest amount of discretion in spending the money in the Governor's office, but that the majority of the other funds flow directly through CDE. He explained that the IDEA Part C funding spending is formulaic. He also discussed the Race to the Top Grant Program, which is the incentive funding in the bill, totaling $5 billion, that is completely in the control of United States Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan. He outlined the rest of his remarks, explaining that he would discuss the funds controlled by the Governor's office, the funds controlled by CDE, and finally, the Race to the Top Grant Program.

Dr. Gianneschi explained that Governor Ritter was very involved in working with the U.S. House of Representative and U.S. Senate as the stimulus bill went through Congress. He noted that the conference report was a combination of both bills, and stated that the Obama Administration is adamant about calling the stimulus a recovery and reinvestment package. He noted that the federal government is telling states that the package is about reform and stabilization. He noted the four specific principles of the stimulus as it pertains to education:

spend funding quickly to save and create jobs;
improve student achievement through school improvement and reform;
ensure transparency reporting and accountability;
invest one-time ARRA funds thoughtfully to minimize the funding cliff.

He specifically reviewed the components of student achievement:

making progress toward rigorous college- and career-ready standards and high quality assessments that are valid and reliable for all students, including English language learners and students with disabilities;
establishing pre-K to college and career data systems that track progress and foster continuous improvement;
making improvements in teacher effectiveness and in the equitable distribution of qualified teachers for all students, particularly students who are most in need; and
providing intensive support and effective interventions for the lowest-performing schools.

03:42 PM

Representative Merrifield asked if there would be an opportunity to add programs under the student achievement piece of the requirements. Dr. Gianneschi explained that money could be used for things such as the teacher identifier program. Representative Merrifield asked about professional development for educators. Dr. Gianneschi noted that Colorado was one of four states that the National Governor's Association (NGA) gave funding for turnaround strategies, with Colorado being awarded $150,000.

03:46 PM

Dr. Gianneschi continued his remarks by discussing the magnitude of the SFSF, explaining that 82 percent is devoted exclusively to K-12 and Higher Education, which is known as the Education Block Grant. Representative Massey asked if any money goes directly to school districts. Dr. Gianneschi explained funding is supposed to flow through the state formula, as it existed prior to October 2008, and that the state is still trying to interpret how the funding distribution will work. Dr. Gianneschi explained that Colorado lobbied the U.S. Congress to have an addition to the U.S. House version of the stimulus that would hold the state harmless against its Amendment 23 funding requirements. Representative Merrifield asked how the State Education Fund (SEF) interacts with the stimulus package. Dr. Gianneschi replied that the state has asked for guidance from the federal government, but does not have the guidance yet. He noted that the money must be spent by fiscal year 2011.

03:51 PM

Dr. Gianneschi reviewed the flexible grant portion of the stimulus package, which is to be spent at the discretion of governors on what is called government services under the ARRA. He noted that the government services is not limited to education, and could not say at the time of the briefing what it would be spent on. Representative Merrifield presented concerns on how this interacts with the School Finance Act. Dr. Gianneschi explained that Governor Ritter is concerned about this as well. Representative Solano asked if the legislature will have any say in how the money will be spent. Dr. Gianneschi responded that the Governor will work with the legislature, but for right now, the Governor's Office is in the process of figuring out the actual amount of funding the state will receive. Representative Solano also asked about the state's full-day kindergarten capital construction program which is currently on hold, and whether stimulus money can fund that program. Dr. Gianneschi replied that the Education Block Grant may not be used for that purpose.

03:58 PM

Mr. Wenning discussed Title I and IDEA funding with the committee members. He reviewed some of the possible uses of the funds, including improving teacher training and extending school day and school year (for the full list of possible uses, see Attachment G, page 3 of the CDE recovery alert # 1). He explained that the allocations are required by the end of April, noting that 50 percent of the Title I and IDEA funds will become available now and the remaining 50 percent are available contingent upon a satisfactory and approved revised state plan. Representative Massey asked about sustainability of programs after the money, and how that will affect funding. Mr. Wenning explained that the federal department will need to provide guidance and the department will work with districts to ensure the programs are sustainable. Representative Todd asked if there will be competition between the districts to get the funding. Mr. Wenning explained that the funding is formulaic, and should not create a race for money, and that the broader concern is spending the money within the designated timeframes.

04:08 PM

Representative Massey asked if funding would be set aside for small rural districts. Mr. Wenning replied that the department is ready to assist districts in allocating the funding they receive. Representative Massey noted that small districts do not have business managers to work on funding allocation, and stressed the importance of department's proactive outreach to districts. Representative Murray asked about the Title I funding, how much it amounts to per pupil. Mr. Wenning replied that the district allocations are available on CDE website. Representative Murray asked if the Education Block Grant funding can be parsed out district by district. Dr. Gianneschi explained it is tough to give an estimate because the Education Block Grant is to be distributed through the state formula.

04:15 PM

Representative Summers asked how the stimulus money affects online schools. Mr. Wenning replied that allocations for Title I are at the district level, and if online schools receive Title I, they would be eligible for this money under the stimulus. Representative Schafer asked about the implications for accreditation and accountability. Mr. Wenning explained that Senate Bill 09-163 creates a new single accountability system that will provide information at state, district, and school level, and positions Colorado to influence the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reauthorization.

04:18 PM

Dr. Gianneschi discussed the Race to the Top Grant Program, which are competitive grants for which states may apply, and that the four reform areas are basis of the competition in supplemental funding. He explained that some time this fall, roughly 8 - 12 states will be selected for these funds and will receive funding for fiscal year 2010, with $400 - $500 in competitive funds being awarded for the next fiscal year. He noted that Colorado is well positioned for this funding, and is moving aggressively to secure grants. He stated that the Lieutenant Governor is chairing the working group for preparing the grant application. Representative Merrifield asked if the grant money can be spent over a longer period of time. Dr. Gianneschi replied that it is unknown at this time.

04:23 PM

The committee adjourned.