H_ED_2017A 02/27/2017 Committee Summary

01:30 PM -- HB17-1184



Speaker Duran presented and summarized House Bill 17-1184 concerning developing additional resources for modern technology education in public schools. She distributed a handout to the committee (Attachment A).



17HouseEd0227AttachA.pdf



Speaker Duran answered questions from the committee regarding computer science graduates in Colorado.



01:34 PM -- Kelly Caufield, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Colorado Succeeds, testified in support of the bill. She said Mile High United Way is in support of the bill.



01:37 PM -- Tom Brinegar, representing Colorado Succeeds, testified in support of the bill.



























Ms. Caufield and Mr. Brinegar answered questions from the committee regarding the resource bank and the role of the Colorado Department of Education (CDE). They also answered questions regarding the potential partnerships between industries and government to provide educational resources.



01:45 PM -- Jim Deters, representing Galvanize, spoke in favor of the bill.



01:50 PM -- Jen Landers, representing Jaybird and Colorado Succeeds, spoke in favor of the bill.



01:53 PM -- Melissa Risteff, representing Couragion, spoke in favor of the bill.



01:55 PM -- Andrea Young, representing the Colorado Technology Association, spoke in favor of the bill.



Mr. Deters and Ms. Young answered questions from the committee regarding the need in the technology industry for vocational skills.



Mr. Deters answered questions from the committee regarding free market approaches to vocational technology education.





02:05 PM



Ms. Risteff answered questions from the committee regarding technology skills necessary for employment.



Ms. Landers answered questions from the committee regarding CDE and access to resources. Ms. Young discussed the partnership between the technology industry and CDE.



Mr. Deters answered questions regarding the lack of diversity in technology skilled jobs and the need for inclusiveness. Ms. Young answered questions from the committee regarding access to reliable broadband.





02:15 PM



The witnesses continued to answer questions regarding technology vocational resources.



02:24 PM -- Jerry Vasquez, a student at Skyline High School in the St. Vrain Valley School District, testified in support of the bill. He spoke about his experience with computer science training resources.



Mr. Vasquez answered questions from the committee discussed his experience in a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program.



02:28 PM -- Logan Stype, a student at Skyline High School in the St. Vrain Valley School District, testified in support of the bill. He spoke about his experience in a STEM program.

























Mr. Stype answered questions about his work with robots and students with autism in the STEM program.



02:31 PM -- Genesis Vasquez, a student at Skyline High School in the St. Vrain Valley School District, testified in support of the bill. She spoke about her experience with a computer science program and her interest in medicine.



02:34 PM -- David Vazquez-Maldouado, a student at Skyline High School in the St. Vrain Valley School District, testified in support of the bill. He spoke about his experience in a computer science program.



02:35 PM -- Thom Ingram, a teacher in the St. Vrain Valley School District, testified in favor of the bill. He answered questions from the committee regarding training of teachers and resources to students.



02:40 PM -- Gary Scofield, representing himself, did not take a position on the bill. He spoke about his experience as a technology teacher and shared his concerns about the bill.



Representative Lee distributed and summarized amendment L.003 (Attachment B).



17HouseEd0227AttachB.pdf

Representative Lundeen distributed and summarized amendment L.002 (Attachment C).



17HouseEd0227AttachC.pdf

Speaker Duran provided closing comments on the bill.



The committee members provided closing comments.

02:53 PM



The committee recessed.





02:59 PM



The committee came back from recess.

































02:59 PM -- HB17-1160



Representative Hamner and Representative Wilson presented and summarized House Bill 17-1160 concerning authorizing a local education provider to determine the language in which a student who is an English language learner takes reading assessments in kindergarten through third grade.



Representative Hamner and Representative Wilson answered questions regarding the Reading to Ensure Academic Development (READ) Act and assessments for language and reading.



03:06 PM -- Emily Volkert, representing herself, testified in support of the bill. She discussed her experience as a teacher and the use of assessments. She provided a handout of her testimony (Attachment D).



17HouseEd0227AttachD.pdf



03:10 PM -- Christine Muldoon, representing Denver Public Schools, testified in support of the bill. She answered a question from the committee regarding the assessment necessary for language skills.



03:17 PM -- Lisa Escarcega, Executive Director of the Colorado Association of School Executives, testified in support of the bill.



03:20 PM -- Jorge Garcia, Executive Director of the Colorado Association for Bilingual Education, testified in support of the bill.



03:26 PM -- Jen Walmer, representing Democrats for Education Reform, testified in support of the bill.



Representative Lundeen distributed and summarized amendment L.001 (Attachment E).



17HouseEd0227AttachE.pdf

03:33 PM



Representative Wilson answered questions from the committee regarding reduction in costs.



The co-sponsors provided closing comments on the bill.



The committee members provided closing comments.

03:36 PM -- SB17-123



Representative Wilson and Representative Hamner, co-sponsors, presented and summarized Senate Bill 17-123 concerning a high school diploma endorsement for biliteracy. The co-sponsors provided a handout to the committee (Attachment F).



17HouseEd0227AttachF.pdf



Representative Wilson answered questions from the committee regarding systems for testing students in biliteracy.



03:45 PM -- Jorge Garcia, Executive Director of the Colorado Association for Bilingual Education, testified in support of the bill. He answered a question from the committee regarding a body of evidence as proof for literacy in a language.

























03:55 PM -- Becky Loftus, a teacher in Jefferson County Public Schools, testified in support of the bill.



03:57 PM -- Tomi Thelsen, representing the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers, testified in support of the bill.



04:01 PM -- Ella Wilden, a student in Jefferson County, testified in support of the bill.



04:04 PM -- Janine Erickson, representing the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers, testified in support of the bill.





04:08 PM



The co-sponsors provided closing comments on the bill.



The committee members provided closing comments on the bill.

04:11 PM



The committee adjourned.