HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	236
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH AT LEAST ONE CIVIC STANDARD AT EVERY GRADE LEVEL FROM K-12 THAT INTEGRATES SERVICE LEARNING AND EXPECTS STUDENTS TO ENGAGE, PARTICIPATE, AND BECOME ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

     WHEREAS, democracy depends on citizens being informed, prepared, and willing and able to take on an active role in government; and

     WHEREAS, civic participation requires a set of learned skills and proper attitude; and

     WHEREAS, schools therefore have a public purpose and need to prepare young people with the knowledge, dispositions, and skills necessary to be competent and responsible members of our civil, democratic society throughout their lives; and

     WHEREAS, civic learning refers to the attitudes and actions of citizens engaging in the affairs of the community; and

     WHEREAS, in 2004, the Legislature passed Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004, which enabled the Department of Education to significantly shape our public school system; and

     WHEREAS, now more than ever, schools are expected to reach out to parents, families, businesses, and organizations to create learning communities to improve students' academic achievement, safety and well-being, and responsible citizenship; and

     WHEREAS, Act 51 states that "[a]lthough many responsibilities are laid upon education, ultimately, education must do no less than advance the endowment of human culture itself, so that each succeeding generation finds itself further along the road toward peace, social justice, and environmental sustainability in a society guided by creativity, compassion, and curiosity"; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Education has created strands of political science and civics within social studies classes that are not yet accompanied by benchmarks, sample performance assessments, and rubrics for all grade levels; and

     WHEREAS, performance assessments for each grade level should require the application and practice of concepts or the demonstration of higher level thinking skills related to civic learning but currently merely expect students to understand, describe, and explain the concepts; and

     WHEREAS, taxonomy has a major effect on curriculum planning for teachers; and

     WHEREAS, revising existing standards relating to civic learning, as well as creating a continuum of standards from kindergarten through grade twelve that integrates service learning and community-based education, would result in a coherent, relevant, and meaningful sequence of content, skills, and activities that build competence in civic learning; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, that the Board of Education is requested to create and adopt a policy for civic learning for all K-12 grade levels; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Education is requested to establish an educational strand of political science and civics for every grade level, including requisite benchmarks, performance assessments, rubrics, and examples; and

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

Report Title: 

Department of Education; civic learning