Legislators hear about testing issues, Q Comp

The state needs to establish its testing priority for high school students, Albert Lea Area Schools Superintendent Mike Funk said Monday evening to the House Education Finance Committee.

Funk said he wants potential college students to focus on the ACT and that students looking to immediately enter the workforce out of high school should receive hands-on experience.

The field hearing, at Brookside Education Center, included District 27A Rep. Peggy Bennett, R-Albert Lea, vice chairwoman of the House Education Innovation Police Committee; District 48B Rep. Jenifer Loon, R-Eden Prairie, chairwoman of the House Education Finance Committee, and other members of the Education Finance Committee.

Funk said the Albert Lea High School graduation rate has risen over the last few years.

“We are seeing significant progress in that area,” Funk said.

The high school’s graduation rate is 88.7 percent, near their graduation target rate of 90 percent. When factored with the Albert Lea Area Learning Center, the graduation rate drops to 76.6 percent.

Funk presented the district’s progress in the World’s Best Workforce bill, passed in 2013, to ensure each school district in the state is making strides to increase student performance.

According to the Department of Education, each district had to develop a plan in the bill that addresses the following five goals:

All children are ready for school.

All third-graders are reading at grade level.

All racial and economic achievement gaps between students are closed.

All students are ready for a career and college.

All students are graduating from high school.

Funk said challenges to the school include meeting growth targets for students.

“It’s real important for us to know where they are at and marshal our resources to meet their needs,” he said.

Funk said success isn’t necessarily measured by a four-year college degree, and that 13 percent of Freeborn County residents have a four-year-college degree.

Bennett said it’s important to realize that high-paying jobs are available without going to a four-year college.

Funk expressed concern over a perceived lack of rigor in concurrent enrollment courses.

Concurrent enrollment is advertised as offering qualified high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to earn university credit in their high school setting during regular school hours.

He said the district introduced new Advanced Placement courses this year to address the issue. Students will take the Advanced Placement courses throughout the school year, then take an Advanced Placement exam in May to determine whether they qualify for college credit. The district will cover the cost for the students to take the test.

“I think it sounds tremendous what you’re doing,” said District 50A Rep. Linda Slocum, DFL-Minneapolis. “I really like it.”

School administrators described the district’s progress in the Q Comp program to the committee.

Director of Secondary Education Kathy Niebuhr urged the committee to continue to support the program.

“This program provides time and staff for targeted staff development or professional development during the school day,” Niebuhr said.

Q Comp was enacted through bipartisan agreement in the state Legislature in 2005. It is a voluntary program that allows local districts and exclusive representatives of the teachers to design and collectively bargain a plan that meets the components of the law.

Bennett said bringing hearings to a local level is good for local residents.

“It’s good for people to see how we operate,” she said.

According to Bennett, the session gives people an opportunity to be more active in government.

“It’s exciting for us,” she said. “It gives you a more hands-on view on things.”