HB844 CD1 CCR166

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO.166

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 844

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 844, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this bill is to implement various strategies to promote teacher retention and recruitment. Specifically, this bill:

(1) Establishes and appropriates funds for the Hawaii Teacher Cadet Program Fund as a separate fund of the Hawaii Alliance for Future Teachers;

(2) Appropriates funds to Leeward Community College for additional teacher education faculty positions to establish the associate of arts in teaching program;

(3) Requires the University of Hawaii (UH) to review its admission policies for the College of Education;

(4) Appropriates funds to UH for additional teacher education faculty positions;

(5) Appropriates funds to the University of Hawaii College of Education for additional teacher education faculty positions;

(6) Establishes and appropriates funds for the Hawaii Educator Loan Forgiveness Program to reduce the financial hardships faced by potential student teachers;

(7) Sets procedures for new hires with respect to job offers, pay, and orientation;

(8) Appropriates funds for equipment, supplies, and transportation for DOE;

(9) Establishes and appropriates funds for a Statewide Teacher Induction Program to ensure that a certain new teacher-to-mentor ratio and that all mentors are qualified to work with newly hired teachers;

(10) Facilitates the licensing of teachers entering DOE by:

(A) Expanding the means by which a license may be obtained;

(B) Requiring the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) to clearly state requirements needed for Hawaii certification of out-of-state licensed teachers; and

(11) Supports the continuing professional development of in-service teachers by appropriating funds for various initiatives;

(12) Establishes various tax and other financial incentives to improve teacher recruitment and retention, including the preparation of an action plan that seeks to improve teacher compensation over the next 10 years; and

(13) Establishes and appropriates funds for the Master Teachers Training Program to assist teachers to increase the quality of their teaching skills and to serve as a resource to other teachers.

Your Committee on Conference finds that the State is experiencing a teacher shortage. While effective teaching is of high importance in a successful education system, it is crucial that consideration is given to implementing programs that improve the teacher licensing procedures and the hiring process to encourage teacher retention and recruitment. Additionally, new federal mandates require states to achieve certain educational goals and without proper staffing of instructors, the State will certainly fall behind in meeting the national standards. Your Committee on Conference found that many of the proposed initiatives were received with supportive comments.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:

(1) Removing the requirement that UH include in its budget requests the amount of $250,000 per fiscal year for the Hawaii Educator Loan Forgiveness Program;

(2) Remove the requirement that principals finalize teacher hiring before the end of the preceding fiscal year;

(3) Clarifying HTSB's licensing standards and policies;

(4) Deleting the requirement that HTSB conduct a comparability study of teacher tests used in other states;

(5) Deleting all provisions that establish various tax and other financial incentives to improve teacher recruitment and retention, including the preparation of an action plan that seeks to improve teacher compensation over the next ten years;

(6) Deleting all provisions relating to the Master Teachers Training Program;

(7) Deleting all appropriations for funds except for an appropriation of $50,000 for the operation of HTSB;

(8) Changing the effective date to upon approval; provided that section 16 shall take effect on July 1, 2005; and

(9) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 844, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 844, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair		____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Co-Chair
____________________________ BRIAN KANNO, Co-Chair		____________________________ CINDY EVANS, Co-Chair
____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair