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 S.B. No. 1360 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to repeal the incentive and innovation grant trust fund (fund) and to strengthen the innovation grant program of the Department of Education (DOE).

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Superintendent of Education and the State Auditor.

This measure is the recommendation of the State Auditor in the "Follow-Up Review of the Incentive and Innovation Grant Review Panel of the Department of Education", Report No. 97-4. This measure would ensure true innovation, adequate support for grant projects, effective project evaluations that can determine if the project can be transferred to other schools, sharing of information about projects throughout the school system, and a detailed annual report to the legislature.

The fund is for the purpose of providing incentive and innovation grants to qualified public schools. The grants are used to fund experimental and innovative instructional programs, in-service training, and other activities that promote innovation. This measure allows the DOE to make grants directly from legislative appropriations rather than from the fund.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1360, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1360, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.