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. 954 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to expand the Families for R.E.A.L. program (program) throughout the school districts of Honolulu, central Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii, and for the Department of Education to conduct a longitudinal study of the program.

Good Beginnings Alliance submitted testimony in support of this measure and testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by the Department of Education.

The program emphasizes empowering parents as their young children's first teachers, rather than waiting for and relying on public school instruction when the child is age five or six.

Your Committee finds that research overwhelmingly supports the concept of parents being the first and foremost teachers of their children. Funding of this program will enhance the ability of the family and the school to connect and partner on behalf of children before they enter the school system. Presently there are three sites that successfully serve 300 to 350 families per site per year. An additional four sites will help to expand the program to more families in the State.

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. 954 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.