STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1571-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: S.C.R. No. 57
                                     




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

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.C.R.
No. 57 entitled:

     "SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO
     REVIEW AND ASSESS THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S DEVELOPMENT
     OF EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS STATEWIDE",

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request the
Auditor to review and assess the Department of Education's
development of educational standards for public schools
statewide.

     Your Committee finds that in order to attain higher academic
achievement in our public schools and establish greater
accountability by the Department of Education, educational
content and performance-based standards must be developed and
reviewed periodically to measure and compare the academic
progress and growth of Hawaii's students.  A recent national
study, however, assessed Hawaii's educational standards with an
overall grade of D-minus and ranked our State 44th in its
English, history, geography, science, and math standards.

     According to testimony submitted by the Superintendent of
Education, he is well aware of the problem and agrees with your
Committee that a "review of the Hawaii Content and Performance
Standards is extremely important and fundamental to ensuring that

 
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quality standards are developed for Hawaii's students."  Although
the Superintendent expressed some reservations, he was "pleased
to work with the Auditor to ensure the rigor and credibility of
the external review ..."

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 57,
and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   KEN ITO, Chair

 
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