STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1742-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.R. No. 130

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.R. No. 130 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO REQUIRE ONE HUNDRED HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE FROM EACH STUDENT PRIOR TO GRADUATION FROM HIGH SCHOOL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this resolution is to encourage students to become good citizens who contribute to building healthy communities by urging the Department of Education (DOE) to require 100 hours of community service from each student prior to graduation from high school.

DOE supported the intent of this resolution.

Your Committee has amended this resolution by:

(1) Specifying that numerous states, public school districts, and private schools throughout the nation are integrating service learning and community service projects as essential components of the academic curriculum, as well as requirements for graduation;

(2) Clarifying that the active participation and engagement of students in the civic health of their communities is essential to developing contributing citizens with lifelong habits of service and civic responsibility;

(3) Stating that place-based education, community-based education, and the pedagogy of service learning offer students relevancy and engagement with the world in which they live, and have been proven to be curricular approaches that enhance student interest and increase the chances of students remaining in school to graduate;

(4) Clarifying that service learning, community-based education, and community service projects are excellent ways to enable students to practice civic responsibility, understand their roles as citizens in a representative democracy, and encourage volunteerism through civic participation;

(5) Urging the Board of Education (BOE) to request DOE to develop plans to integrate creative approaches for service learning and community services in the requirements for each student to graduate from high school;

(6) Clarifying that DOE is urged to offer teacher and administrator in-service on integrating service learning and place-based and community-based learning strategies into the regular curriculum so that community service projects become an integral part of a student's learning experience prior to graduation from high school;

(7) Clarifying that DOE is requested to engage each high school's career and guidance counselors, student activities coordinator or student government advisor, school community council, and student council leaders, with the assistance of community organizations and businesses, in dialoging and planning for the integration of service learning, including community service projects, into the school's educational curriculum;

(8) Amending the title to read: "URGING THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP PLANS TO INTEGRATE CREATIVE APPROACHES FOR SERVICE LEARNING AND COMMUNITY SERVICE IN THE REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH STUDENT TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL"; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 130, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 130, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

 

____________________________

ROY TAKUMI, Chair