Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 3059 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish and maintain a model curriculum for teachers to implement to meet the Hawaii performance standards as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Department of Education. Comments in opposition to this measure were received from the Charter School Administrative Office, the Hawaii Educational Policy Center, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and The League of Women Voters of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the goal of this measure is to provide a model curriculum, not necessarily for the department to implement universally, but to give teachers or school administrators a framework to use as a guide. The model curriculum covers specific subject areas to demonstrate where partnerships may develop in the public-private arena, and across disciplines, to meet students' varied needs. An alternative bill which sought to implement a statewide curriculum based solely on the "Core Knowledge" program (S.B. 2497), was deferred this session so that this more inclusive measure could go forward.

Your Committee has amended this measure by omitting reference to a "standardized statewide" curriculum and department implementation of the curriculum, and by making technical, nonsubstantive 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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3059, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3059, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.