THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

137

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

  

STATE OF HAWAII

  
   

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP AN INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE IMMERSION MAGNET SCHOOL ON OAHU.

 

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that 18,000 students, or approximately ten percent of the public student population, is identified as "English as Second Language" learners; and

WHEREAS, the self-reported ethnicity of Hawaii's public school students in the 2005-2006 school year included over twenty-six percent of students identified as part or full Hawaiian, over twenty percent identified as Filipino, almost ten percent identified as Japanese, more than three percent each identified as Samoan and Chinese, and almost three percent identified as Hispanic; and

WHEREAS, hundreds of language immersion and two-way bi-lingual programs exist across the country; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's own demographics place it in a unique position among the other states to create effective language immersion and two-way bilingual public school programs; and

WHEREAS, public Hawaiian language immersion schools have been enjoying extraordinary success and popularity among parents and students, resulting in an exponential student population growth; and

WHEREAS, a magnet language school as a new education alternative that incorporates Pacific Rim languages into immersion and two-way bilingual programs would capitalize on our State's wealth of resident cultures and languages, and bring academics in our public schools to new heights; and

WHEREAS, immersion and two-way bilingual education programs would offer Hawaii's children a more competitive advantage in our increasingly global economy; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that the establishment of a magnet immersion and two-way bilingual public school would be a worthwhile and valuable endeavor; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to establish a magnet language immersion school task force to plan, develop, and realize a magnet immersion and two-way bilingual public school in Hawaii that incorporates languages which could include Mandarin, Japanese, Tagalog, Korean, French, and Spanish; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be comprised of the following members:

(1) Superintendent of Education, or the Superintendent's designee;

(2) The Chair of the Board of Education, or the Chair's designee;

(3) The President of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, or the President's designee;

(4) The President of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, or the President's designee;

(5) A member of the Department of Education Strategic Plan Steering Committee;

(6) A member of the Hawaii business community to be appointed by the Governor;

(7) Two members of the Hawaii ethnic cultural community with an emphasis on international education to be appointed by the Governor;

(8) Two members of nonprofit educational agencies with an emphasis on international education; and

(9) Two existing or prospective language immersion or bi-lingual education teachers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall designate its own chairperson, who shall have the primary responsibility in carrying out the purposes of this resolution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall:

(1) Gather all current and necessary research on Hawaii demographics and educational models relevant to the creation of a magnet language school that would service Hawaii's communities effectively;

(2) Meet once a month to draft a short-term magnet immersion and two-way bilingual school development plan to commence in one year to eighteen months;

(3) Identify target Pacific Rim languages and cultures to be implemented into magnet school programs;

(4) Identify methods to grow the program and establish long-range development goals;

(5) Designate a curriculum model for developing fluent bilingual education and literacy skills in each target language;

(6) Collaborate with the Department of Education, existing Department immersion and two-way bilingual programs, community education and business organizations, and other international education stakeholders; and

(7) Conduct any other business deemed necessary to carry out the purpose of this Resolution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall provide the Legislature with a report, including proposed legislation, at least twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education, the Chair of the Board of Education, the Office of the Governor, the President of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, the President of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, and the Chair of the Department of Education Strategic Plan Steering Committee.

 

 
 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Language Immersion Schools; DOE Task Force