STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1589

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.R. No. 195
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.R. No.
195 entitled:

     "HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO
     RECONSIDER ITS TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN TO
     MOVE SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO
     INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this resolution is to request the Department
of Education (DOE) to reconsider its timetable for implementation
of the plan to move sixth grade students from elementary schools
to intermediate schools.

     Testimony in support of the resolution was submitted by
three parents of Noelani School students and a public middle
school student.  The DOE submitted comments on the resolution.

     Your Committee finds that the DOE has in recent years moved
to implement the middle school concept, in which students are
grouped in grades six through eight.  Formerly, intermediate
schools grouped students in grades seven through nine.  As a
result of replacing intermediate schools with middle schools,
sixth grade classes at various elementary schools have been
eliminated.  Recently the DOE has recommended the elimination of
Noelani School's sixth grade.

     The testimony of the Noelani School parents included "An
Issue Paper on the Elimination of the 6th Grade at Noelani

 
 
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School" (Issue Paper) prepared by the Noelani Parents Ad Hoc
Committee, with 14 individuals named as members.  The report
asserts that the DOE's "Position Paper Regarding Grade Six
Student Placement" that was distributed to parents at Noelani
School does not provide evidence that middle schools are better
than elementary schools for sixth graders.  In responding to a
question at the public hearing, the DOE stated that an assessment
of middle schools in Hawaii has not been performed.  The Issue
Paper indicates that sixth grade student performance is better in
elementary school than in middle school.

     The Issue Paper also asserts that the recommendation to
eliminate the sixth grade from Noelani School was made without
consulting the parents of Noelani School students.  The
School/Community-Based Management (SCBM) Council at Noelani
School did not have the opportunity to discuss the matter prior
to the time of the DOE recommendation.

     Parents at Noelani School have raised an issue that has
statewide implications.  Besides the lack of data regarding any
benefits of having sixth graders in Hawaii attend middle school,
no studies nationally indicate that grouping students in grades
six through eight has academic benefits.  As such, the creation
of middle schools with this grouping is questionable.

     At a minimum, the DOE should consider offering parents a
choice of having their children attend a school with grades
kindergarten through five or a school with grades kindergarten
through six.  The sixth grade issue at each elementary school
should be determined by the SCBM Council.

     Your Committee is encouraged that the Board of Education has
requested that the DOE further refine its middle school policy,
as well as develop relevant implementation and administrative
guidelines.  According to the DOE testimony, these guidelines
will elaborate on the involvement of local communities as schools
and districts plan to restructure schools to implement middle
school concepts and strategies.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 195,
and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.


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



                                   ______________________________
                                   KEN ITO, Chair