MINUTES OF THE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION Sixty-eighth Session March 27, 1995 The Committee on Education was called to order at 3:30 p.m., on Monday, March 27, 1995, Chairman Wendell P. Williams presiding in Room 330 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada. Exhibit A is the Agenda. Exhibit B is the Attendance Roster. COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. William Z. (Bill) Harrington, Chairman Mr. Wendell P. Williams, Chairman Mrs. Gene Wines Segerblom, Vice Chairman Ms. Patricia A. Tripple, Vice Chairman Mr. Thomas Batten Mr. Max Bennett Mrs. Deanna Braunlin Mrs. Vonne Chowning Mrs. Marcia de Braga Mr. Mark Manendo Mr. P.M. Roy Neighbors Ms. Jeannine Stroth GUEST LEGISLATORS PRESENT: Assemblywoman Jan Evans, Assembly District 30 STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: H. Pepper Sturm, Chief Principal Research Analyst OTHERS PRESENT: Ray Bacon, Nevada Manufacturer's Association Dave Howard, Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce Eric Cooper, Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Doug Burris, University and Community College System of Nevada Michael L. Rusk, Nevada Council on Occupational Education Erik Beyer, Nevada Council on Occupational Education Keith Rheault, Nevada Department of Education Carolyne Edwards, Clark County School District Janice Flanagan, Reno Branch, American Association of University Women Janet Hay, Nevada Vocational Association Janice Brown, Nevada Vocational Association Tony Marin, Western Nevada Community College Matt Jones, Carson High School Kathleen Thiessens, Carson High School Karen Baggett, Committee on Economic Development Barbara Weinberg, State Job Training Office Doug Byington, Nevada Association of School Administrators Greg Betts, Rural School Districts Henry Etchemendy, Nevada Association of School Boards Shera Annunzio The hearing was opened on Assembly Bill 303. ASSEMBLY BILL 303 - Requires state board of education to adopt program to provide pupils with skills to make transition from school to work. Chairman Williams announced A.B. 303 was concurrently referred to the Education Committee and the Ways and Means Committee. Assemblywoman Jan Evans, Assembly District 30, introduced and spoke on A.B. 303. Explaining it was a continuation of an effort began by the legislature many years ago, Ms. Evans stated funds have been requested each session for occupational education. When money is available, an appropriation is received for occupational and career education. The genesis of the bill was in the interim between 1987 and 1989 when an Interim Study Committee was held on Occupational Education. The report is available for the committee's perusal. The program has been pursued a little at a time because of the expenses involved. Encouraging the committee to read the bill and the handout distributed (Exhibit C), Ms. Evans stated a new term, "school to work transition" is included. In May, 1994, Congress passed a federal act, the School to Work Opportunity Act. Nevada successfully applied for and received planning grant on this issue. Some states are requesting implementation grants, which Nevada hopes to do in the future in addition to planning funding for expanding school to work. It is hoped to use state dollars to leverage federal dollars. The appropriation for the bill is $2,000,000 for each year of the biennium as is denoted on Page 3, Lines 46 and 47. The distribution is on the basis of successful applications from school districts. A base grant is received by the districts first with additional funding being distributed based on school size. Larger districts will be eligible for a larger portion. The fiscal aspect will be reviewed by the Ways and Means Committee. The money for this program is included in the Governor's budget. It is a "one-shot" appropriation. Dr. Keith Rheault, Deputy Superintendent, Nevada State Department of Education, spoke on the components of A.B. 303 from prepared remarks (Exhibit D). He explained 68% of Nevada high school students go directly to work after high school. The majority of those students received little assistance in the transition during their school years. Many high school graduates work until they reach their mid-twenties in jobs where they obtain few skills. Current high school guidance systems assist college bound students and few guidance and employment services are available for the non-college bound students. Dr. Rheault provided the committee with an Executive Summary of the Nevada School-to-Work Transition System (Exhibit E). It was noted the school to work system will take time to develop. The Nevada State Education Department and the State Board of Education strongly support A.B. 303. Dr. Rheault submitted a minor amendment to the record (Exhibit F), which came up when the bill was approved by the state board, to be added to the preamble regarding women and minority groups. Ms. Kathleen Thiessens, student at Carson High School, Carson City, Nevada, spoke in favor of A.B. 303. Ms. Thiessens is currently involved in the vocational education program. Students visited employers who aided the students in the school to work transition. Some students have business experience through school programs or their parents, while others have no business experience. Students with some business experience get jobs or get better jobs. Students without business experience have no knowledge of the application and interview processes. She encouraged the committee's support of the bill. Mr. Matt Jones, student, Carson High School, Carson City, Nevada, spoke in support of the bill. Mr. Jones discussed confidence in sports and how important confidence is to employers. The preparation of students by the program aids their confidence. Assemblyman Manendo expressed his thanks to the students for coming before the committee. Noting many students do not opt to go to college or into the military, Mr. Manendo felt A.B. 303 will offer leadership skills and training necessary for the students to succeed. He complimented Ms. Evans for her work on the bill. Mr. Tony Marcin, student, Carson High School and Western Nevada Community College, Carson City, Nevada, stated he has been in the tech-prep program for two years. He was interested in electronics and found out about the program by accident. He complimented his instructor, a retired employee of Bentley Nevada, and his technological knowledge, along with his ability to share with the students what business needs. The goal is to teach the students useable skills. Mr. Marcin stated his instructor told him when employed by Bentley Nevada, he had to seek employees in Arizona due to a lack of technicians in Nevada. He asked the committee for their support. Mr. Ray Bacon, Executive Director, Nevada Manufacturer's Association, explained the manufacturing sector is the fastest growing employment sector in the state. Currently statewide growth in manufacturing jobs is thirteen percent. It is exceedingly difficult to find qualified employees. Mr. Bacon noted he has been involved in the school to work effort for some time as a private sector representative. Strong support was offered for the concepts. The program is still in its infancy. A concern expressed by Mr. Bacon would be to include in Section 3 stating a private industry council would approve the programs to ensure the programs are on target. The private industry council could be local or statewide and include tourism, gaming, manufacturing, retail, construction, labor, services and mining. It could vary based upon community needs. In discussions with manufacturer's representatives from other states who are in receipt of implementation program funding, Mr. Bacon has discovered if this program is not funded with some level of state money, the chance is very large it will receive no federal money. He also disclosed all approved initial programs had a private sector approval section to be sure the program was focused on workplace needs. Mr. Bacon distributed an informational sheet to the committee (Exhibit G). Mr. Eric Cooper, Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, Las Vegas, Nevada, spoke in favor of A.B. 303. Mr. Cooper distributed and submitted for the record a letter from Mr. Ted Wiens, Jr., Chairman of the Board of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, and Tim Cashman, Chairman of the Chamber's Education Task Force (Exhibit H) in support of A.B. 303. Mr. David Howard, Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce concurred with Mr. Cooper in support of A.B. 303. He added this sort of program is good for people and business people. Mr. Michael Rusk expressed his support of A.B. 303. Mr. Doug Burris, Director, Community College affairs, University and Community College Systems of Nevada (UCCSN), reinforced the support of the chancellor and UCCSN for the bill as presented. Important to UCCSN is the collaboration underway which is the first of its kind in the state's history. The agencies and organizations described in the bill and identified in testimony have been working together with business representatives and other organizations as they have attempted to build a partnership to take students through high school, offer incentives to keep them in high school, and build a bridge into post secondary education and tech prep education. The Nevada workforce agencies have representatives from business, government, and labor at the state level, overseeing and directing the partnership program. There are four regions in the state with the Nevada workforce agencies overseeing the development of the programs within these regions. At each of the local levels we are in the process of developing partnerships with the same representation. For the first time in the state there will be a partnership at the state level through the regions out into the community. These partners are representing education at the secondary and post secondary level, as well as business and the various state agencies involved in human resource development within Nevada. These organizations are the oversight organizations to steer the program. The private industry councils as suggested might very well duplicate and undermine the approach of the program. It is the Nevada Workforce Agencies' structure, which is the collaborative partnership, that will see the operation through in the local arenas. Those at the university level strongly support the bill as it has been authored and presented to the committee. Mr. Burris encouraged the committee to support A.B. 303. Mr. Erik Beyer, Nevada State Council on Occupational Education, spoke in favor of A.B. 303. Mr. Beyer explained nationwide 80% or more of high school graduates will not require a college degree for what they end up doing. Four out of five high school graduates engage in a career where some post secondary education is necessary, but not a baccalaureate degree. Much of the funding in Nevada is spent on college prep courses. Mr. Beyer stated he chaired the Education Committee ten years ago when the Nation at Risk report was issued by the U.S. Department of Education. His mail was flooded with letters from high school students who begged for more vocational educational classes and less academic classes. The students expressed their desire for job skills employment could be obtained after graduation. Mr. Beyer suggested the funding in the bill be ongoing and not a "one shot" appropriation. Florida has tracked students who graduated with vocational education training. In less than four years the students have repaid the state, through property, sales and other taxes, the cost of their education. As a member of the private business sector, Mr. Beyer explained he hires high school graduates. He described difficulties in finding graduates who can take over computer jobs available. Nevada trains less than twenty-four percent of the people needed for available jobs. The jobs are being filled by imported workers. Reading from an editorial in the Reno Gazette Journal, November 18, 1994, Mr. Beyer quoted "where is the high tech workforce in this state?...To relocate, business wants high tech workers and Nevada has too few." Relocation of business to a new location is based upon availability of skilled workers. Business looks at skilled worker availability before cost of living, social environment, and tax structure. A recent report by American National College, Springfield, Massachusetts, indicated the availability of a skilled labor force rated highest among the Forbes 500 and the Business Week 1000 businesses surveyed. Mr. Beyer emphasized how we need to train our young people to fill the available jobs in Nevada. He encouraged support of A.B. 303. Ms. Carolyne Edwards, legislative representative, Clark County School District, appeared before the committee representing the educational coalition. An effort is made to form a coalition of all those who work in education in the state of Nevada. This includes representatives from PTA, parents, counselors, university representatives, school district representatives, and teacher bargaining union representatives, Nevada School Boards Association, rural alliances and superintendents. All these people wholeheartedly support A.B. 303 and encourage the committee's support for the effort and goodwill behind the long-standing commitment contained in the bill. Ms. Janice Flanagan, American Association of University Women, Reno Branch, and the State of Nevada spoke in favor of A.B. 303. She urged passage of the bill. Ms. Janet Hay, Nevada Vocational Association Public Policy Chair introduced Janice Brown, Divisional Vice President, Trades and Industry for the Nevada Vocational Association. Ms. Janice Brown referred the committee to a handout which had been distributed to the committee (Exhibit I). She discussed the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA), which is a national student organization designed to develop leadership abilities and help students attain a purposeful life. The National Vocational Association membership is in full support of A.B. 303 and asked for the committee's support. Ms. Karen Baggett, Deputy Director of the Commission on Economic Development, spoke in favor of A.B. 303 from prepared remarks (Exhibit J). The Commission believed the school to work program will play a vital role in creating partnerships between the public education system and business employers. Ms. Carol Jackson, Director of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, spoke in support of A.B. 303. She explained there are over 33,000 businesses in the state of Nevada. Their number one complaint is lack of skilled employees. Upon high school graduation, most individuals do not have a skill. Highly skilled workers and high wages are needed nationwide and this issue has been addressed by the federal government. Development of the necessary partnerships between state agencies, education, business, and unions is important. Development can also begin for training and internships for youth. She reiterated that 68% of high school graduates do not go on to college right out of high school and need skills to support themselves. Mr. Manendo noted he is a graduate of the Area Technical Trade Center and participated in VICA. There was no testimony in opposition to A.B. 303. Ms. Evans stated she would be happy to work with the committee on any of the suggested changes. Chairman Harrington commended the bill. Assemblyman Tripple noted how the committee had heard how many high school graduates do not go on to college. She inquired if the vocational program was open to all students. Ms. Evans stated she believed under current operation, the program is open and available to all students. Ms. Tripple commented on prerequisites for students to be involved in the program. Assemblyman Chowning expressed her delight at the differences time has made in the progress toward the passage of this bill. She commended all parties involved, statewide and nationally, for their work and commitment to vocational education. She also commended the involvement of the UCCSN, noting it is a complete change from previous stands by the university system on this issue. Noting her support of the idea of bringing college to high school, Ms. Chowning stated her anxiousness for the committee to hear how it will occur. Mr. Manendo, in answer to Ms. Tripple's inquiry, stated prospective students are interviewed for the program. He felt it was more an interview to gauge willingness to participate than anything. Three hours of the student's school day are taken at the Area Technical Trade Center. The students were taken on a first come, first serve basis. Mr. Manendo felt this program really looks toward the future and expressed his excitement. Ms. Tripple noted people have been put into two groups, the college bound and the not college bound. She expressed her concern that this was unwise as college bound students could be as much in need of this type of program as those students who were not college bound. She hoped it would be open to college bound students. Ms. Tripple stated she sees this as one program and not two programs. Ms. Evans agreed with Ms. Tripple. Chairman Williams noted many times students do not go to college right after high school but go later. He expressed a wish for Ms. Evans to take the amendments suggested to Ways and Means. MR. MANENDO MOVED DO PASS ON A.B. 303. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY MRS. CHOWNING. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Ms. Evans thanked the committee. There was no one present to speak on Assembly Bill 296. Chairman Williams reminded the committee that A.B. 340 would be heard on Friday, March 31, 1995, at 4:00 p.m. at the Grant Sawyer Office Building in Las Vegas, Nevada. He announced no meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 29, 1995. Chairman Harrington explained the Friday, March 31, 1995 meeting would be teleconferenced for those members who do not wish to make the trip to Las Vegas. Teleconferencing will be in Room 119 of the Carson City Legislative Building. Assemblymen Tripple, de Braga and Neighbors indicated they would remain in Carson City and would attend the meeting via teleconference. There being no further business to come before the committee, the meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED: Barbara Prudic, Committee Secretary APPROVED BY: Assemblyman William Z. Harrington, Chairman Assemblyman Wendell P. Williams, Chairman Assembly Committee on Education March 27, 1995 Page