Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 17 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to advance the age for entry into kindergarten from age five by December 31 of the school year to age five before August 1 of the school year and to require any cost-savings realized during that school year to be used for early education programs.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii State Parent Teacher Student Association, a private child and family therapist, and a public school counselor. Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by the Department of Education (DOE) and the Department of Human Services (DHS). Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children. The Department of Budget and Finance, the Hawaii State Teachers Association, and the Good Beginning Alliance submitted comments.

Your Committee finds that only two states, Hawaii and Maryland, allow entrance into kindergarten to children who achieve age five by December 31 of the school year. Your Committee further finds that this creates a kindergarten cohort where early born students are developmentally more advanced and ready to learn than their younger classmates. Thus, those who are younger often struggle and fall behind, needing remedial services as they advance into the first grade and possibly throughout their educational experience. Your Committee believes that gradually advancing the age for entry into kindergarten will not only provide a more inclusive educational experience for students, but will provide kindergarten teachers with a more homogeneous cohort of students who are more likely to learn and succeed.

Your Committee recognizes the concerns expressed about the need for early childhood education programs to assist those families whose children will no longer be eligible for kindergarten, and agrees that the State should assist in this regard. Your Committee further acknowledges that there are legitimate arguments for mandating kindergarten, especially given one estimate that 98 percent of Hawaii children attend either a public or private kindergarten. However, since several years will pass before the age requirement changes, the Committee will defer to the DOE for further information before making a decision regarding mandatory kindergarten.

After careful consideration and discussion amongst the committee members, 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. 17, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 17, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.