86
THE SENATE                           S.R. NO.              S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                    SENATE  RESOLUTION

  REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AND THE DEPARTMENT OF
    EDUCATION TO STUDY OTHER PROGRAMS NATIONWIDE THAT DEAL
    WITH PROFICIENCY-BASED UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS AND
    STANDARDS-BASED EDUCATION REFORM.


 1        WHEREAS, in 1995, nearly all public two-year institutions
 2   and 81 percent of public four-year institutions offered
 3   remedial courses, and 29 percent of the nation's first time
 4   students enrolled in at least one remedial reading, writing, or
 5   mathematics course; and
 6   
 7        WHEREAS, this has led to an ongoing debate between K-12
 8   schools and universities, where K-12 schools argue that they
 9   are unaware of the content or stakes concerning university
10   placement.  Universities argue that high schools lack academic
11   rigor; and
12   
13        WHEREAS, through this dialogue there has emerged a
14   national and state need to bridge the gap between K-12
15   standards and university admissions; and
16   
17        WHEREAS, several states and universities have begun to
18   research and enact programs to link standards and admissions
19   and to help bridge the gap between K-12 and their universities:
20   
21        (1)  The state of Oregon has the PASS program, which
22             focuses on proficiency scoring;
23   
24        (2)  The state of Wisconsin enacted a competency-based
25             admissions pilot program, which was conducted over
26             the last five years; and
27   
28        (3)  The state of Georgia has developed a proficiency
29             based pilot program and a K-16 council;
30   
31   and
32   
33        WHEREAS, in the State of Hawaii, there is an inordinate
34   number of high school students who do not qualify for admission
35   into the University of Hawaii system because they do not meet
36   the admissions standards and have not scored high enough on
37   their SAT's; and
38   
39        WHEREAS, high schools' proficiency standards should be

 
Page 2                                                     86
                                  S.R. NO.              S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        


 1   aligned to ensure that more of Hawaii's students are better
 2   prepared and have easier access to entrance into the University
 3   of Hawaii system and other colleges around the nation; now,
 4   therefore,
 5   
 6        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
 7   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2000, that the
 8   University of Hawaii, the Community Colleges, and the
 9   Department of Education are requested to work together to study
10   the following:
11   
12        (1)  National-level projects being established to address
13             issues of state standards, assessments, and
14             university admissions;
15   
16        (2)  State-level policy models that are designed to
17             promote articulation and linkages between high
18             schools and universities;
19   
20        (3)  Present examples of K-16 partnerships that focus on
21             the transition from high school to college;
22   
23        (4)  A single state high school proficiency test that will
24             also serve as a community college and university
25             admissions test;
26   
27        (5)  How other states around the nation have implemented a
28             proficiency-based admissions standards system; and
29   
30        (6)  The feasibility, implementation, and impact of a
31             Proficiency-based Admission Standards System which
32             addresses K-16 partnerships and proficiency-based
33             university standards in the State of Hawaii;
34   
35   and
36   
37        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii and
38   the Superintendent of Education are requested to submit an
39   interim report on findings and recommendations to the
40   Legislature no later than sixty days prior to the convening of
41   the Regular Session of 2001 and a final report of findings and
42   recommendations no later than sixty days prior to the convening
43   of the Regular Session of 2002; and
44   
45        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
46   Resolution be transmitted to the University of Hawaii and the
47   Superintendent of Education.