REPORT TITLE:
School Accountability


DESCRIPTION:
Establishes temporary commission of educational accountability in
the office of the auditor.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        2994
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO EDUCATION.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  (a)  There is created within the office of the
 
 2 auditor a pilot program establishing a temporary commission on
 
 3 educational accountability.  The pilot program shall continue for
 
 4 four years, subject to legislative appropriation.  The commission
 
 5 shall consist of nine members including:
 
 6      (1)  One member representing teachers and other personnel of
 
 7           the department of education appointed by the exclusive
 
 8           representative of bargaining unit 5;
 
 9      (2)  One member representing educational officers and other
 
10           personnel of the department of education appointed by
 
11           the exclusive representative of bargaining unit 6; 
 
12      (3)  One member representing the University of Hawaii
 
13           college of education appointed by the president of the
 
14           University of Hawaii;
 
15      (4)  Two members appointed by the governor;
 
16      (5)  Two members appointed by the senate president; and
 
17      (6)  Two members appointed by the speaker of the house of
 
18           representatives.
 
19 The commission shall elect a chairperson from its membership.
 

 
Page 2                                                     2994
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 Members shall be appointed by August 15, 2000, and shall serve
 
 2 for the duration of the commission, which shall cease to exist on
 
 3 June 30, 2003.  Any vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the
 
 4 organization represented by the departing member.
 
 5      (b)  The office of the auditor shall provide staff support
 
 6 to the commission; provided that the commission may engage the
 
 7 services of a consultant and interested members of the public to
 
 8 assist the commission in developing the evaluation process and
 
 9 protocols.
 
10      SECTION 2.  (a)  The commission, by October 31, 2000, shall
 
11 develop a process and protocols for a pilot comprehensive
 
12 evaluation of public schools that shall be conducted in ten
 
13 public schools every two years.  The commission shall adopt a
 
14 mechanism of selecting the ten schools to participate in the
 
15 pilot program.  The evaluation process shall include inspection
 
16 of records and on-site review of every aspect of the school's
 
17 operation, including:
 
18      (1)  Observation of classroom teaching and learning
 
19           processes;
 
20      (2)  Observation of leadership, management, and operations;
 
21      (3)  An audit of the expenditure and budget planning
 
22           process;
 
23      (4)  Interviews with students, parents, and community
 

 
Page 3                                                     2994
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           members;
 
 2      (5)  An evaluation of the high schools in terms of how they
 
 3           are providing practical skills to students so that they
 
 4           will be prepared for employment after they graduate;
 
 5           and
 
 6      (6)  A review of the school's improvement plan and its
 
 7           process.
 
 8      (b)  The evaluation protocols shall include specifications
 
 9 for the on-site review, including:
 
10      (1)  Criteria for the selection of on-site evaluation team
 
11           members who are specialists in their fields (e.g.,
 
12           administrators, teachers, specialty teachers as
 
13           appropriate, including retired educators, from the
 
14           public as well as private higher and lower education
 
15           institutions in the State, and financial auditors);
 
16      (2)  Assignment and scheduling of the evaluation teams, with
 
17           members serving on a rotating basis;
 
18      (3)  Criteria and selection of the instruments or techniques
 
19           to be used by the on-site evaluation teams;
 
20      (4)  Procedures for data collection;
 
21      (5)  Procedures for the compilation of written reports and
 
22           verbal feedback; and
 
23      (6)  Criteria and recommendations for follow-up activities
 

 
Page 4                                                     2994
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           as may be appropriate.
 
 2      (c)  The commission shall select the initial team or teams
 
 3 by December 31, 2000.  A permanent staff member from the office
 
 4 of the auditor shall convene the team or teams and assume
 
 5 responsibility for the full coordination of the review and
 
 6 preparation of the report.
 
 7      (d)  The commission shall submit a report to the legislature
 
 8 on the evaluation process and protocols established and its
 
 9 progress in establishing the initial evaluation team or teams
 
10 twenty days prior to the 2001 regular session.
 
11      SECTION 3.  Beginning January 2001, the commission shall
 
12 receive the reports of the evaluation teams, and transmit each
 
13 evaluation team report to the board of education and the
 
14 individual school within thirty days of completion of the on-site
 
15 review for that school to implement recommendations, if required.
 
16      The commission shall submit an annual report to the
 
17 legislature twenty days prior to the convening of the regular
 
18 sessions of 2002 and 2003.
 
19      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.
 
20 
 
21                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________