STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 287

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 441

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 441 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHER LICENSING AND CREDENTIALING STANDARDS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to help relieve the teacher shortage in Hawaii by providing native Hawaiian educators with the opportunity to attain licensure through alternative methods. Specifically, this bill:

(1) Requires the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) to develop and implement alternative routes to teacher licensing; and

(2) Enhances the ability of native Hawaiian educators to successfully complete the national competency examination by providing them with graduate and post-graduate financial assistance.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs testified in support of this bill. The Department of Education, University of Hawaii, and Hawaii State Teachers Association supported the intent of this measure. HTSB supported the intent of this bill with amendments. A concerned individual offered comments.

Your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Removing the requirement that HTSB develop and implement alternative routes to licensing;

(2) Expanding financial assistance to all underrepresented members of Hawaii's teaching population, rather than only native Hawaiian educators; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 441, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 441, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________ SCOTT K. SAIKI, Chair		____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Chair