STAND. COM. REP. NO. 657

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 869
                                        S.D. 2




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

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B.
No. 869, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to require the Department of
Education to set appropriate counselor to student ratios to
promote effective learning and development of students.

     Specifically, this bill:

     (1)  Requires the Department of Education to adjust the
          staffing of counselors at schools with a
          disproportionate number of at-risk students, so that
          schools with a higher than average percentage of at-
          risk students have an adequate number of counselors to
          counsel at-risk students; and

     (2)  Defines the term "at-risk students" to mean students
          with a Family Court record or failing grades, or both,
          or who need special motivation with particular
          attention paid to them.

     Although your Committee fully supports the intent of this
bill, it also realizes that this measure may force the unintended

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 657
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redistribution of existing counselor positions between schools
and departmental school districts unless funds are appropriated
to create more counselor positions.  An unintended consequence of
this bill might be to cause more students to be designated as
"at-risk" simply to retain existing counselor positions at a
school or within a departmental school district.

     Consequently, your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Requiring all schools to utilize the criteria,
          screening processes, and documentation requirements for
          the comprehensive school alienation program as the
          basis for designating "at-risk students"; and

     (2)  Making a technical nonsubstantive change for purposes
          of consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No.
869, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third
Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 869, S.D. 2.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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