Alaska State Legislature

News From The House Majority

web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Ken Freeman, Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
phone: (907) 465-3804
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

House Passes Measure Calling for Student Testing

For Immediate Release: April 30, 1997 Contact: Con Bunde (907) 465-4843

JUNEAU - Ensuring Alaska's students are ready to function in the working world and have the skills necessary for college is the intent behind legislation passed Wednesday by the Alaska State House of Representatives.

Under the provisions of HB 146, high-school students are required to pass a competency examination in the areas of reading, English and mathematics before receiving a secondary school diploma.

"One of the concerns we frequently hear from parents and business leaders is we have students with high school diplomas who are not able to function in the working world," said Representative Con Bunde, Chairman of the House Health, Education and Social Services Committee (HESS), which sponsored the bill.

"To help curtail this problem, the state will require students to pass a comprehensive exam before they are granted a high school diploma certified by the State of Alaska," said Bunde. "We want to ensure our high-school students are moving into the working world and on to college with the necessary skills to excel."

Bunde said the test will be determined by the Department of Education. A student who fails this examination and who is no longer in attendance will get a certificate of attendance showing the number of years of attendance and that the pupil has not passed a competency examination or received a diploma. The student will have the opportunity to be reexamined, but it must take place within three years after the pupil is no longer in attendance at a high school.

"The intent of this legislation is to raise public expectations and encourage students toward higher levels of achievement. This bill does not set barriers, but rather sets goals for our high school students," said Bunde.

HB 146 is part of a comprehensive package of education legislation introduced in February. The other measures introduced by the House HESS Committee include:

• HB 145: An act relating to certification of teachers
• HB 147: An act relating to charter schools and to the establishment of state boarding schools
• HB 148: An act relating to changes to the public school foundation program

HB 146 will be up for reconsideration vote before the House on Thursday.

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