SB 206 House Floor debate- April 18, 2011 SB206 by Coody of the House, Ford of the Senate, an act

relating to schools Coody: Thank you Mr. Speaker. SB206 simply creates the P-20 Council Task Force. I would be happy to answer any questions. Speaker, there is an amendment on the bill. Clerk will read the first amendment, page 3, section 1, lines 2 by inserting , the State Director of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education after the word Instruction and before the word and., submitted by Dorman. Dorman: Thank you Mr. Speaker. We added on the Chancellor to have all 3 directors of entities of Education. Speaker: unanimous consent. Adopted Questions on bill as amended. Cannaday: Thank you Mr Speaker. Representative Coody, help us understand a little bit what the anticipated outcome of this task force would be. Coody: That is an excellent question. Thank you so much Representative Cannaday. This is simply a committee that would help to have a vertical alignment pre-K through the last year of post graduate work. Representative Cannaday: Thank you. This vertical alignment Representative Coody, would that be longitudinal, connected to the Wave? Give us some technology here that uh, or some kind of scope of this. Representative Coody: This will be decided by the committee who are best able to decide how that vertical alignment would be. But it will help to maximize the achievement of all students from early childhood through elementary to secondary and post secondary and career technology education. Representative Grau: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Representative Coody, one of the things that this task force or group is going to study is a P-20 council or educational partnership that would assure a seamless system of education. I dont know what that means. Would you explain a seamless system of education means? Representative Coody: That too is an excellent question. Sometimes as a child goes through school things are repeated maybe something that he learned in 2nd grade, might be reaped in 3rd grade. This will help to see that it is seamless in that things that dont need to be repeated wont be repeated and things that need to be there wont be eliminated, accidentally perhaps. Representative J. McDaniel: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Representative Coody, they, the task force, have to complete their work by November 1, 2011, is that right?

Representative Coody: Yes, this is generally what we do with task forces, they are given time from the time the session is over and until November/December. Representative McCullough: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Madame Chairman, perhaps again, this is perhaps because Im not as involved in this as you are, but could you define a little bit more what P-20 represents? Representative Coody: P stands for Pre Kindergarten and then you would go through grade 20 so to speak, which would be the 4th year after high school graduation, no actually it would be post graduate work in college or some other area. Representative Kern: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I have several , if thats OK? Representative, ah, Coody, I forgot who you were. Is it not true that this P-20 was mandated by Race To The TOP? Those states, ah, that were trying to get RTTT money? Representative Coody: You know that was an excellent question, because when this was included in our application in RTTT this was not, not ah, so much for RTTT but it is a great idea, whether there was a RTTT or not. We did not make RTTT, but it is still a , a great idea. Representative Kern: uh, Representative Coody, why is it that in this data were going to be collecting on these students, theyre going to be asking for things like, who owns the house this child lives in, eye color, things like that. Are you aware that those kinds of things are part of the data thats going to be asked for? Representative Coody: No, no, not at all, I didnt see that in the task force consideration at all. Thats going to be decided by the task force. Representative Kern: That is something thats in the P-20 directives that sent down from the Federal Government. Representative Coody: Were not under the P-20 directives, were not in RTTT. Representative Kern: Yes, Madame, I, I do understand we didnt get RTTT money. Uh, but are you not, isnt there some concern that this P-20 could turn into, the same sort of thing and be much like, some have a concern that starting these health exchanges sets up what Obama wants, and doing this P-20 could also set up what Obama is wanting with his education care or whatever you want to call it. Representative Coody: I am not at all concerned about that, or I wouldnt be running the bill if I were. Representative Nelson: I know youll love this question. But uh, is Superintendent Baressi on board with this, whats her position?

Representative Coody: Absolutely, she will be one of the Chairs of that committee. She is completely for this, yes. Representative Condit: Representative Coody, I may be mistaken, but isnt this already in place, for common education, pre-k, through 12th grade. With the different subject areas? Representative Coody: Not to the extent that this will be with this particular task force. Representative Cannaday: So we dont know for sure if it correlates to the Common Core or any other correlates that would come out of this, at this point? Representative Coody: This is only a task force- and as is true of most task forces the committee members, the chairs decide. Representative Cannaday: Once more, thank you. So this would be comparable to an interim study, is that correct? No legislation is anticipated out of this? Representative Coody: No, its just a task force. Representative Lockhart: Forgive me, I maybe asking something that was discussed in committee, Im not on any of the education committees. I heard you say earlier that, you are looking at things that are repeated in the classrooms, is that the purpose of this study? Representative Coody: That is only part of it, but I did mention that just as an example, to see that things arent being repeated, that things arent left out, to make it the best possible seamless examination of a childs education from pre-K through post graduate school. Representative Lockhart: OK, my, my point is we are not looking at just memorization skills, you know long term memory is promoted by repeated, uh, learning, like the Saxon math book, where they continue to use the same thing as they go through the school year. Were not doing away with things of that nature, the promoting of long term learning? Representative Coody: You are absolutely right. Theres nothing wrong with repeating things that need to be repeated. Its not going to do away with that, no. Representative Condit: Is there a fiscal impact on this bill? Representative Coody: Not a bit. Representative Condit: Were not going to pay mileage or anything like that? Representative Coody: No. The vote failed: 42/49/ 10 excused