Report Title:
Teachers; Mentoring Program; Noncertified Hires
Description:
Requires the department of education to establish a teacher mentoring program. Maximizes amount of certified teachers. Allows for mandatory ongoing professional development during the school day or calendar. Allows the superintendent to waive licensing requirements in the case of teacher shortages and exempts these hires from the penalties imposed by chapter 302A-603. (SD1)
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
526 |
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TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to EDUCATION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§302A- Teacher mentoring program. The department, in conjunction with teachers, shall establish a teacher mentoring program to improve morale and retention, increase teacher effectiveness, and link responsibility to resources by creating an ongoing forum in which experienced teachers can support less experienced teachers. Teacher mentors participating in the program shall be selected and trained by the department and shall be provided with additional benefits by the department commensurate with their increased responsibilities. The department shall adopt rules that will provide an incentive for participation in this program by enabling teachers to advance within their class and to ascend to higher classes based upon levels of participation in the teacher mentoring program to be determined by the department."
SECTION 2. Section 302A-602, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
"(a) No person shall serve as a teacher in the department without first having obtained a certificate, license, or credential from the department in such form as the department determines[.] unless, after exhausting all reasonable recruitment means to find qualified, interested, and acceptable candidates, the superintendent of the department determines that a shortage of teachers necessitates a waiver of such certification. If the superintendent makes such a finding, uncertified teachers may be hired on a year-to-year basis.
The department of education shall provide noncertified teachers with teaching methodology inservicing. Noncertified teachers may also be mentored regularly by experienced teachers. Noncertified teachers hired under this chapter shall not be subject to the penalties imposed under section 302A-603. The department shall establish types of certificates in the educational field and the requirements to qualify for those certificates issued to teachers who are not required to obtain a license or credential pursuant to [[]sections 302A-801 to 302A-809[]]."
SECTION 3. Section 302A-1004, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
"(a) The department shall implement a comprehensive system of educational accountability to motivate and support the improved performance of students and the education system. This accountability system shall:
(1) Include student accountability; school or collective professional accountability; individual professional accountability for teachers, principals, and other employees; and public accounting for other significant partners to the education process (including, but not limited to, parents, community members, businesses, higher education, media, and political leadership);
(2) Link authority and adequate resources to responsibility;
(3) Define clear roles for all parties and lines of responsibility and mutual obligation and develop a collaborative process with stakeholders, including representatives of appropriate bargaining units, parents, administration, and students;
(4) Involve fair and adequate assessment against agreed upon goals;
(5) Invoke a full and balanced set of appropriate consequences for observed performance, including rewards and recognition for those schools that meet or exceed their goals, assistance to those that fall short, and sanctions for those that given adequate assistance and ample time, continue to fail to meet goals;
(6) Involve:
(A) A statewide student assessment program that provides annual data on student, school, and system performance at selected benchmark grade levels in terms of student performance relative to statewide content and performance standards and embodies high and rigorous expectations for the attainment of all students; and
(B) An annual assessment in core subjects for each grade level, as conducted by each school;
(7) Involve a comprehensive school profile or report card for each school, which shall include, but not be limited to, student performance measures, school attendance, drop-out rates, and parental involvement. These reports shall be made available annually to the board, the governor, the legislature, the parents, and the general public;
(8) Require that teachers and administrators engage in the continuous professional growth and development that ensure their currency with respect to disciplinary content, leadership skill, knowledge, or pedagogical skill, as appropriate to their position. This requirement may be established by the department in terms of credit hours earned in the professional development program conducted by the department within the school day or nonschool days or their equivalent in professional development activity certified by the department as appropriate in focus and rigor; and
(9) Establish an explicit link between professional evaluation results and individual accountability through professional development of the knowledge, skill, and professional behavior necessary to the position, by requiring that results of the professional evaluation be used by the department to prescribe professional development focus and content, as appropriate.
Beginning with the 2001-2002 school year, the department shall submit to the legislature, the governor, and the board of education at least twenty days prior to the convening of each regular legislative session a report of the specifics of the design of the comprehensive accountability system, as well as the fiscal requirements and legislative actions necessary to create the accountability system."
SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.