MINUTES OF THE

SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE

210 Senate Building, Utah State Capitol Complex

March 3, 2014

 

Members Present:     Sen. Stuart C. Reid, Chair

                                    Sen. Patricia W. Jones

                                    Sen. Mark B. Madsen

                                    Sen. Aaron Osmond

                                    Sen. Howard A. Stephenson

                                    Sen. Stephen H. Urquhart

                                   

Members Excused:    President Wayne L. Niederhauser

 

Members Absent:      Sen. Jerry W. Stevenson

 

Staff Present:             Ms. Tiffany Stanley, Policy Analyst

                                    Ms. Wendy Hill, Committee Secretary

 

NOTE:  A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

 

Chair Reid called the meeting to order at 8:34 a.m.

 

S.B. 240       Carson Smith Scholarship Amendments (Sen. J. S. Adams)

 

Sen. Adams explained the bill to the committee.      

 

MOTION:  Sen. Jones moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Madsen and Sen. Stephenson absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Jones moved to place the bill on the Consent Calendar.  The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Madsen and Sen. Stephenson absent for the vote.

 

S.B. 34         Governance of the Utah Education and Workforce Alliance (Sen. H. Stephenson)

 

MOTION:   Sen. Stephenson moved to replace S.B. 34 with 1st Sub. S.B. 34. The motion passed unanimously.

 

Sen. Stephenson explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke to the bill:                     Dr. Martell Menlove, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

 

Spoke against the bill:             Peter Cannon, citizen 

 

MOTION:  Sen. Stephenson moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed with Sen. Jones voting in opposition.

 

S.B. 183       Proficiency Levels of the Statewide Assessments (Sen. H. Stephenson)

 

MOTION:   Sen. Stephenson moved to amend the bill as follows:

 

1.                  Page 1, Lines 19 through 20: 


             19                       {set cut scores for statewide assessments using the National Assessment of

             20        Educational Progress as a benchmark}    consider NAEP scores,  ACT scores, and previous statewide assessment scores in setting cut scores for statewide assessments   ;

                         and


 

2.         Page 3, Lines 61 through 65:     


                                61          (b)  In setting cut scores for statewide assessments of language arts or mathematics

                                62   achievement, the board shall   {use the NAEP as a benchmark so that the percentage

                                       of students

                                63   who are proficient in language arts or mathematics as measured by a statewide

                                       assessment is

                                64   approximately equal to the percentage of Utah students who are proficient in the

                                        same subject

                                65   as measured by the NAEP}    consider the most recent NAEP scores, the most recent ACT scores, and scores on previous statewide assessments  .

 

The motion passed unanimously.

 

Sen. Stephenson explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke to the bill:                     Dr. Martell Menlove, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

 

Spoke against the bill:             Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh, President, Utah Education

                                                            Association

                                                Peter Cannon, citizen             

 

MOTION:  Sen. Stephenson moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

S.B. 49         Parental Permission to Release Student Information (Sen. J. Valentine)

 

Sen. Valentine explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke to the bill:                     Dr. Martell Menlove, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

                                                Joel Campbell, Society of Professional Journalists

 

Spoke against the bill:             Richard J. Nance, Director, Utah County Department of Drug and

                                                            Alcohol Prevention and Treatment, Utah Behavioral                                                    Healthcare Network

 

MOTION:  Sen. Osmond moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed with Sen. Jones voting in opposition and Sen. Stephenson absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Osmond moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Stephenson absent for the vote.

 

Chair Reid adjourned the meeting at 9:44 a.m.

 

 

 

________________________

Sen. Stuart C. Reid, Chair