Appropriates $      for advocates and liaisons who are linguistically and culturally able to help Micronesian students successfully adapt to living and learning in schools that have significant populations of Micronesian students and to provide in-service training to other teachers and staff.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that many of the State's schools have significant populations of students who have recently arrived from the Federated States of Micronesia. These students are experiencing cultural and linguistic difficulty in adapting to life in Hawaii and especially in the State's educational system. Micronesian students are often misunderstood by their peers and by some adults. There is a need for advocates on school campuses to help Micronesian students with educational strategies and adaptation to life in the schools and to provide in-service cultural training to teachers and staff.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for schools with significant populations of Micronesian students to provide advocates and liaisons who are linguistically and culturally able to help Micronesian students successfully adapt to living and learning in the State's schools and to provide in-service training to other teachers and staff.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007, for the provision of advocates and liaisons who are linguistically and culturally able to help Micronesian students successfully adapt to living and learning in schools in the Honolulu departmental school district that have significant populations of Micronesian students and to provide in-service training to other teachers and staff.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.