HCR171

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that a quality education remains one of the most important topics of concern among residents of the state; and

WHEREAS, providing the best possible education should include the use of technology and increased access to the use of computers and the Internet; and

WHEREAS, investment in learning technology has been nationally recognized as a pivotal component in the creation of a skilled workforce capable of promoting economic development and long-term sustainability; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Education (DOE) has readied the State's educational environment for increased learning technology with the success of programs such as E-school, Project EAST, and several robotics programs; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to bridge the digital divide that currently exists between students of varying socio-economical backgrounds and one way to bridge this divide is to ensure access to computers and technology for all students; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to maximize the amount of time students are exposed to advanced technology to gain familiarity, practice skill sets, and achieve competence on computer applications; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to provide teachers with practical tools and equipment to assist them with organizing information, researching curriculum material, and other such mechanisms to diminish their heavy workload; and

WHEREAS, the concept of one computer per child, called "one-to-one computing," is an educational experiment that is becoming more common across the nation as one-to-one computing programs have boosted academic achievement by improving writing and reading test scores and getting students more engaged in learning; and

WHEREAS, the state of Maine has already enacted a highly successful one-to-one computer access program which has provided 36,000 laptop computers, one for every seventh and eighth grade public school student and their teachers; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the adoption of a one-to-one computer program similar to Maine's would greatly enhance the quality of education in the state; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that DOE is requested to conduct a feasibility study of establishing a one-to-one computer access program similar to that of Maine's or other similar programs across the nation, for middle school students and teachers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include:

(1) The current use of learning technology in classrooms in the state;

(2) The current readiness of faculty to use technology in teaching;

(3) The cost of supplying seventh and eighth grade students and their teachers with laptop computers and computer-related equipment;

(4) Recommendations of strategies and goals for improving and equalizing access to and the use of learning technology in all schools;

(5) Data on learning technology initiatives developed and implemented by school districts across the nation, including funding mechanisms, types of technologies used, and the impact on teachers and students;

(6) Available funding mechanisms, such as public-private partnerships and endowments, to fund a one-to-one computer program in the state; and

(7) A strategic plan on creating and implementing a Hawaii Learning Technology Initiative within the DOE;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DOE is requested to submit a report and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2008; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the Superintendent of Education.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Establishing a One-to-One Computer Access Program Within the DOE.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	171
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII