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 S.B. No. 2283 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this short form bill is to amend the law relating to education.

Your Committee has amended this bill by inserting language relating to the efforts of the Good Beginnings Alliance to develop policy recommendations concerning all aspects of a coordinated early childhood education and care system. A key element of this effort is the adoption by statute of a definition of "school readiness" as young children "ready to have successful learning experiences in school when there is a positive interaction among the child's developmental characteristics, school practices, and family and community support." The amended measure also calls for a joint report from the interdepartmental council created by and the private nonprofit corporation discussed in Act 77, Session Laws of Hawaii 1997, on progress in improving Hawaii's system of early education and care.

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. 2283, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2283, S.D. 1, and be recommitted to your Committee on Education for further consideration.