STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1115

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 1086
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education and Technology, to which was
referred H.B. No. 1086 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to amend the requirement that
fifty percent of each school day be devoted to oral expression,
written composition, and the spelling of the English language.

     Testimony is support of this measure was submitted by the
Department of Education and the Hawaii State Teachers
Association.

     Your Committee finds that there are times when meeting the
fifty percent requirement of each instructional day is not
feasible or practical.  This rigid standard hampers the
Department of Education's ability to provide a varied
instructional program which allows students to maximize their
learning potential.

     Your Committee recognizes that specific curriculum decisions
are properly within the purview of the Board of Education.  Your
Committee notes that this measure will not delete the requirement
that schools teach English altogether.  Rather, this amendment
allows the Board of Education and the Department of Education the
freedom and flexibility to establish a strong learning
environment and implement the Hawaii Content and Performance
Standards, as provided in Section 302A-201, Hawaii Revised

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1115
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Statutes.  This ensures that the basics will continue to be
taught.  This measure simply deletes the mandate that fifty
percent of each day be devoted to specific aspects of the
curriculum.  

     To clarify the intent of the Legislature, your Committee has
amended this measure to delete its contents in their entirety,
and replace them with the contents of S.B. No. 1270, S.D. 1, the
companion Senate version.  As amended, this measure will delete
the fifty percent time requirement and reference to the first
eight grades, and add that the Department of Education's course
of study and instruction shall be regulated in accordance with
the statewide performance standards established under Section
302A-201, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education and Technology that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 1086, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1086,
S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Education and
                                   Technology,



                                   ______________________________
                                   DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

 
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