Education Interim Committee

educational programs and institutions available to Utah students. The program expansion effort is helping the state to avoid creating and funding new academic programs to meet student needs.

    Mr. Jonsen discussed the Professional Student Exchange Program. He said the compact provides 15 fields of professional career education, mostly in the health professions. In the Western Undergraduate Exchange, compact state students may attend undergraduate programs outside their home state for 150 percent of the receiving school's resident tuition which is much less than the standard nonresident tuition. Classes offered in the undergraduate exchange are usually under enrolled and specialty programs.

    Other Utah Commissioners of WICHE present to answer questions from the committee were Ms. Cecelia H. Foxley, Commissioner of Higher Education, and Mr. Dale O. Zabriskie, a member of the State Board of Regents.

3.    Presentation of the 1998 Interim Period Calendar - Sen. Steele indicated that Legislative Management is requiring each interim committee to limit its study efforts to no more than five topics. The following studies are proposed for the interim period.

    a.    Higher Education - Master Planning and Governance
        
    b.    Innovation and Reform - Student Issues and Physical Facilities
        
    c.    Middle School - Middle School Educational Reform in Teacher Preparation,         Curriculum and Class Structure

    d.    Professional Development - Certification, Recruitment and Academic Standards
        
    e.    School Finance - School Fees, Equity and Equalization

    Sen. Steele said it is critical that the committee understand the issues within the five topics and respond to then with legislative proposals that have developed, rejected or refined the issue. He explained that the education community has already created several subcommittees and task forces to review and prepare recommendations for some of the proposed 1998 interim topics. After the chairs met with public and higher education leadership, committee members were invited to participate with these subcommittees and task forces to develop recommendations for the interim committee. Sen. Steele suggested that resources from NCSL, ECS, and WICHE be utilized in the studies and all data and proposals be subjected to a stringent "so what" test. He asked committee members to decide where they would like to participate and make those preferences known to the chairs or staff.

     MOTION: Rep. Siddoway moved to accept the five study items as discussed and listed

on the agenda as the study items for the Education Interim Committee for the 1998 Interim. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Allen and Rep. Wright absent for the vote.

    Rep. Frandsen reviewed the interim schedule. No meetings will be held in December. The chairs would like to hold the joint meeting with both boards in Cedar City. He felt the format of this meeting over the years has been more productive when held there. He suggested the committee meet with both boards in Cedar City and ask Management for two additional times during the interim, preferably in September and November.

    Rep. Buffmire referred the committee to a report in the agenda packet from the chairs of the Utah Tomorrow Strategic Planning Committee. She said the project has been a long term commitment for the planning committee and requested committee members to specifically review the vision statement and performance measures for public education. She said legislators need to give serious consideration to those recommendations calling for performance budgeting. She felt planning recommendations could coincide with study topics review during the interim.
        
4.    Report on School Finance Study -Ms. Laurie Chivers, Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, distributed a handout entitled, "School Finance Study." She explained that the objective of the study team is to determine whether the current method of funding public education is equitable, and to propose changes, if needed, which would bring greater assurance of an equitable and quality education for all students in Utah. The study group will review the adequacy of formula funding and inequities in necessarily existent small schools, debt consolidation, tort liability, board and voted leeway and capital facilities. Superintendent of Public Instruction, Scott Bean, said the study team will review Minimum School Program funding formulas to determine whether changes are needed. Sen. Hillyard suggested that programs needing adjustment be reviewed to determine if funding can be redirected to other programs.

5.    Higher Education Master Planning - Mr. Charlie Johnson, Chairman of the State Board of Regents, discussed the board's master planning priorities. The format includes the board knowing: "1)Where are we today; 2)What we want to be in the future; and 3) How we get there from here." A survey to indicate the importance of planning issues identified by the State Board of Regents, included in the agenda packet, will be used by four master planning task forces. He said the committee could expect the board to assume full accountability for this project. It will review funding mechanisms, performance standards, and the use of technology in the delivery of public higher education.

    Several committee members indicated they wanted to be involved in the master planning effort and the school finance study and asked to be informed of meeting dates so they could attend on a regular basis. Staff will receive the minutes from these committees and make them

available to the committee. There will be an effort to put minutes of these meetings on a web page.

6.    Joint Liaison Subcommittee Report - Mr. Steve Laing, Assistant Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Mr. Danny Talbot, Superintendent of Wasatch School District, reported on the recommendations of the Joint Liaison Subcommittee for Professional Development. Mr. Laing said the Joint Liaison Committee directed the subcommittee on to establish specific recommendations on three key issues involving teacher preparation and teacher staff development: a) standards for middle level educators; b) development of a middle school endorsement; and c) the ability of the state to include a requirement for all middle school teachers to earn an endorsement. He said the college of education at Utah State University has prepared a middle level endorsement for its graduates.

    Sen. Hull expressed concern with the efforts which have been made to enhance middle school teacher training. He felt, in addition to current recommendations, policies and procedures should be considered to strengthen school management and discipline.

7.    Implementation of "Schools for the 21st Century" Legislation - Mr. Steve Laing distributed a handout, "Utah State Office of Education, HB 145: Schools for the 21st Century" for committee review. He said the new law requires seven tasks that must be completed by candidates for the 21st Century Schools project. Rep. Buffmire asked for differences between Schools for the 21st Century and Centennial schools. Mr. Laing said three major goals must be identified and implemented and schools must show consistent progress toward these goals. These schools must have the ability to access their current status and where they want to be. Questions regarding the implementation of the charter schools' component were discussed.

    Mr. Gary Carlson, Office of the Governor, said that the Governor plans to establish a task force for middle level education. The task force will consist of members of the education and business communities, legislators, and parents.

8.    Adjournment

    Chair Steele adjourned the meeting at 4:25 p.m.