Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 222 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Charter School Administrative Office to conduct a comprehensive review of the impact of Hawaiian-focused charter schools on Hawaiian student performance.

The Charter School Administrative Office submitted comments on this measure.

Your Committee finds that Hawaiian students rank among the lowest of all major ethnic groups in the public schools system. They have disproportionately high numbers of special education referrals and have the highest dropout and lowest graduation rates. In an effort to address these poor outcomes, Hawaiian-focused charter schools have worked to incorporate culture into the education process. Analysis demonstrates that this process has allowed Hawaiian students to excel in academic settings and life, and further review of its effectiveness is needed to assess any improvements to the system.

Due to concerns raised regarding the lack of resources needed to conduct a comprehensive review, your Committee has amended this concurrent resolution to address the comments expressed by the Charter School Administrative Office (CSAO). Accordingly, your Committee has made the following amendments:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 222, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 222, S.D. 1.