Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2353, H.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Education to establish procedures and guidelines for and expand its statewide assessment program.

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

Your Committee finds that the measure would require the annual assessment of students in the same grades as that required by the Federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (grades 3 through 8 and one grade in high school) in reading and math using the most appropriate nationally normed test. The department noted that such testing would cost approximately $156,000 per year per grade tested (at $12 per student).

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 H.B. No. 2353, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.