Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 163, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Board and Department of Education to reevaluate reading goals for students in Hawaii's public schools and increase system accountability for attaining those goals.

Your Committee heard testimony in support of the measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Education has begun concerted efforts to align, coordinate, and expand state and school reading initiatives. The department will be developing a common framework for beginning reading instruction that will help to guide schools in designing effective, research-based reading instruction programs or to assess their current reading systems. The framework will include a scope and sequence for reading K-3 and a list of characteristics of effective instructional programs for beginning reading.

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 H.C.R. No. 163, H.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.