STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3029

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 2490
                                        H.D. 1
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education and Technology, to which was
referred H.B. No. 2490, H.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII TEACHER STANDARDS
     BOARD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow the Hawaii Teacher
Standards Board (Board) to extend credentials on a case-by-case
basis to teach beyond the existing three-year limit.

     The measure also restricts this credential extension
authority to a maximum of two, one-year extensions per teacher.

     Testimony in support of the measure was received from the
Department of Education and the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.
Testimony in opposition to the measure was received from the
HSTA.  Oral testimony was provided by one individual.

     Your Committee finds that currently, teachers hired under a
credential are generally in shortage fields or in geographic
areas that are difficult to fill.  The extension of time to
obtain their credentials is critical because these teachers have
to complete their teacher education programs and competency test
requirements while on-the-job.

     Your Committee agrees that this measure will support the
intent of Act 240, Session Laws of Hawaii 1995, which is "to

 
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provide every child in Hawaii with a teacher who is qualified to
practice the profession of teaching...and to establish public
confidence in the teaching profession."  The measure will have a
positive impact on the Department of Education (DOE) because
teachers hired under a credential would be allowed, on a case-by-
case basis, to obtain an extension of credentials from the DOE
based upon the Board's recommendation in order to complete the
requirements for licensure while continuing to demonstrate
satisfactory on-the-job performance.  Replacing these individuals
during this period of critical teacher shortages would be
difficult and may negatively impact student learning because of
the disruptions that might occur in their learning process.

     Your Committee amended the measure to:

     (1)  Allow the Board to make recommendations to the DOE on
          the granting of extensions of credentials on a case-by-
          case basis;

     (2)  Add as a condition precedent to obtaining a credential
          extension, that the teacher be actively pursuing and
          satisfactorily progressing in the licensing
          requirements;

     (3)  Require individuals seeking extensions to include the
          following in their written requests:

          (A)  Documentation, that the individual maintains, of
               passing scores for basic skills tests or
               documented efforts to pass such tests; and

          (B)  Documentation of passing scores for applicable
               subject matter content tests, unless the subject
               is included in the teacher preparation program; 

     (4)  Require the DOE to grant extensions of credentials
          based on recommendations of the Board;

     (5)  Require the DOE to report to the Regular Session of
          2001 on the number of extensions requested and granted;
          and

     (6)  Make technical, nonsubstantive amendments for drafting
          style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education and Technology that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 2490, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that

 
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it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B.
No. 2490, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third
Reading.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

 
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