STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2253

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2722
                                        S.D. 1




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

Sir:

     Your Committees on Water, Land, and Hawaiian Affairs and
Education and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 2722
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION
     PROGRAM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to fully implement a Hawaiian
language immersion program within the Department of Education.

     Testimony in support of the measure was received from the
Department of Education, Na Leo Kako`o O Oahu, and two private
citizens.

     Your Committees find that the full implementation of the
Department of Education's Hawaiian Language Immersion Program
will provide greater curricular access to students interested in
participating in the immersion program.

     Your Committees have amended the measure by:

     (1)  Removing the specific requirement that each student
          enrolled in the program must have at least one hour of
          English language class everyday;

     (2)  Allowing the Department of Education to use its
          discretion in whether to preferentially admit students
          who come from a fluent Hawaiian speaking family;

 
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     (3)  Stating that any institution of higher learning, rather
          than just the University of Hawaii, that has a teacher
          preparation program shall work collaboratively with the
          Department of Education to ensure that the educational
          staff of the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program is
          proficient in the Hawaiian language and possesses
          necessary teaching skills;

     (4)  Providing the Superintendent of Education with the
          flexibility to determine whether or not to establish a
          Hawaiian Language Immersion Program in a school where
          there is sufficient interest or to provide
          transportation for the interested students to attend a
          nearby Hawaiian Language Immersion Program;

     (5)  Providing the Department of Education with the ability
          to establish charter schools and lab schools, in
          addition to the power to establish Hawaiian Language
          Schools already proposed in the measure as received by
          your Committees;

     (6)  Specifying that the appropriation for the establishment
          of Hawaiian Language Immersion Schools are in
          accordance with the Operational and Financial Plan for
          the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program as recommended
          under H.C.R. No. 281 (1998);

     (7)  Deleting the appropriation for fiscal year 2000-2002;
          and

     (8)  Making numerous technical, nonsubstantive amendments
          for the purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Water, Land, and Hawaiian Affairs and Education and
Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are
in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2722, as
amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the
form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2722, S.D. 1, and be referred to
the Committee on Ways and Means.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2253
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                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Water, Land, and
                                   Hawaiian Affairs and Education
                                   and Technology,



____________________________       ______________________________
DAVID Y. IGE, Chair                COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair

 
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