REPORT TITLE:
Early Childhood Education


DESCRIPTION:
Establishes the office of early childhood education within the
Department of Education.  Appropriates funds to operate the
office of early childhood education. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            514         
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO EDUCATION.
 


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

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that Hawaii's children are
 
 2 the State's most important resource.  Our future depends on their
 
 3 health, welfare, economic, and cultural well being.  Recent
 
 4 research has demonstrated that the early years are the most
 
 5 crucial in cognitive, emotional, social, and physical
 
 6 development.  Early childhood education and care professionals
 
 7 have conclusively demonstrated that appropriate education, care,
 
 8 and developmental practices have a significant effect on the
 
 9 growth and development of children and future adults.  These
 
10 practices differ markedly from those used with older children.
 
11      The State has recognized early childhood education as being
 
12 of vital importance to the development of Hawaii's children by
 
13 codifying section 302A-409, Hawaii Revised Statutes, as
 
14 originally enacted in 1989 by Act 367; however, to date, no
 
15 significant progress has been made to establish a quality early
 
16 education plan.  The legislature believes that there is need to
 
17 establish a mechanism to ensure development of that plan.
 
18      The purpose of this Act is to establish an office of early
 
19 childhood education within the department of education.
 

 
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 1      SECTION 2.  Section 302A-101, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended as follows:
 
 3      1.  By adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted
 
 4 and to read:
 
 5      ""Director of early childhood education" means the director
 
 6 of the office of early childhood education."
 
 7      2.  By amending the definition of "early education" to read:
 
 8      "["Early education"] "Early childhood education" means a
 
 9 developmentally appropriate early childhood development and
 
10 education program for children from birth to eight years of age."
 
11      SECTION 3.  Section 302A-409, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
12 amended to read as follows:
 
13      "[[]§302A-409[]  Policy.] Office of early childhood
 
14 education; policy; establishment.  (a)  There is established
 
15 within the department of education the office of early childhood
 
16 education.  The board shall appoint the director of the office of
 
17 early childhood education, who shall serve at the pleasure of the
 
18 board.  The director of early childhood education shall manage
 
19 and conduct the affairs of the office of early childhood
 
20 education.  The director of early childhood education shall not
 
21 be subject to chapters 76 and 77, and shall be eligible for the
 
22 state employees' retirement system and for other benefits
 
23 generally applicable to officers and employees of the State.
 

 
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 1      (b)  The [department] office shall develop a plan for
 
 2 quality voluntary early childhood education that will be fully
 
 3 implemented and available statewide to all eligible children on a
 
 4 voluntary basis no later than January 1, 2000."
 
 5      SECTION 4.  Section 302A-410, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 6 amended by amending subsections (a) to (d) to read as follows:
 
 7      "(a)  The [department] office of early childhood education's
 
 8 plan for quality early childhood education shall focus on
 
 9 children from ages four up to six years.
 
10      (b)  The [board] director of early childhood education shall
 
11 adopt standards and criteria for quality early childhood
 
12 education based on current national standards and the needs of
 
13 Hawaii's children.  The standards and criteria shall provide the
 
14 basis upon which the early childhood education plan shall be
 
15 developed.
 
16      (c)  The [department of education] office of early childhood
 
17 education shall work cooperatively with the department of human
 
18 services, the department of health, college level education
 
19 programs, early childhood education organizations, parents of
 
20 young children, and other appropriate organizations, in
 
21 developing a quality early childhood education plan.  The plan
 
22 shall include [but not be limited to] the following:
 
23      (1)  Standards for curriculum, activities, facilities, and
 
24           teacher training for early childhood education;
 

 
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 1      (2)  Methods and materials designed to involve and educate
 
 2           parents and guardians in the education and development
 
 3           of their young children;
 
 4      (3)  A timetable and implementation schedule, approved by
 
 5           the [board,] director of early childhood education, to
 
 6           be submitted to the governor and the legislature;
 
 7      (4)  Costs for delivery of early childhood education
 
 8           services, including how costs can be shared between the
 
 9           public and private sectors; and
 
10      (5)  Assessment of training and certification capacity of
 
11           teachers, including assurances by teacher training
 
12           institutions to recruit and graduate qualified staff
 
13           for early childhood education.
 
14      (d)  Early childhood education shall be delivered through
 
15 private providers to the maximum extent possible, and provision
 
16 shall be made to enable parents and guardians to opt for home
 
17 care if they so choose by providing early childhood education
 
18 resources in each school for in-home use."
 
19      SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
20 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much
 
21 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 and the sum
 
22 of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal
 
23 year 2000-2001  to establish and operate the office of early
 
24 childhood education.  
 

 
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 1      SECTION 5.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 2 department of education for the purposes of this Act.
 
 3      SECTION 6.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
 4 New statutory material is underscored.
 
 5      SECTION 7.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
 6 
 
 7                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________