STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1232-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.C.R. No. 158
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Education and Higher Education, to which
was referred H.C.R. No. 158 entitled: 

     "HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT THE DEPARTMENT
     OF EDUCATION AND THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII COMMUNITY COLLEGES
     INITIATE A COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP TO IMPROVE SERVICES FOR
     ADULTS AND EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
     THAT WILL RESULT IN SUBSTANTIVE OUTCOMES FOR THE TWO
     ENTITIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this Concurrent Resolution is to request the
Department of Education and the University of Hawaii community
colleges to initiate a collaborative partnership to improve
services for adults and expand opportunities for high school
students that will result in substantive outcomes for both
entities.

     Your Committees finds that the illiteracy rate in Hawaii is
high and that this contributes to difficulty finding jobs when
layoffs occur, and inability to rise economically even when
employed.  In 1989, a survey contracted for by the Governor's
Office of Children and Youth reported that about 154,000 adults
are functionally illiterate.  As Hawaii moves into the twenty-
first century, these individuals will be left behind
socioeconomically and psychologically.

 
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                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1232-00
                                 Page 2

 
     Your Committees also finds that both the community colleges
and the Department of Education are not only equipped, but also
concerned enough about this issue to be able to work
collaboratively to develop literacy curricula, programs, and
procedures for promoting sharing of resources in the delivery of
remedial literacy courses to adults.  This Concurrent Resolution
supports this partnership in an affirmative direction that will
benefit all affected parties.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committees on Education and Higher Education that is attached to
this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose
of H.C.R. No. 158, and recommend that it be referred to the
Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Education and
                                   Higher Education,
                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
DAVID MORIHARA, Chair              KEN ITO, Chair

 
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