SB613

SECTION 1. The early learning education task force, established by Act 259, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006, was assigned the following task:

"The task force shall develop a five-year plan with annual increments for a coherent, comprehensive, and sustainable early learning system that shall ensure a continuum of quality early learning opportunities for young children in the State from birth up to age five, and which maximizes public and private resources."

Among the guiding principles for the design of an early education system is the fact that skilled and knowledgeable early care and education practitioners are an essential key to quality and they must have access to education and training opportunities as well as receive equitable compensation and opportunities in order to succeed.

The task force found there are five key elements to proactively increasing early educator capacity, namely to:

(1) Expand the availability and reach of scholarships, with state-funded financial aid, to support early educators in completing college degrees and early childhood education-related coursework;

(2) Expand distance learning options for all early educators;

(3) Expand offerings of early childhood education-related college courses and community-based training to meet the needs of early educators and junior kindergarten teachers who are currently in the workforce;

(4) Establish a mentoring and coaching program to improve the quality of early childhood programs statewide, starting with a focus on programs for four-year-olds; and

(5) Establish a recruitment and retention initiative to attract new entrants to the early childhood field, encourage practitioners to improve their qualifications, and entice highly-qualified early educators to remain in Hawaii's early learning community.

The legislature further finds that an effective incentive program can be designed based on the model used for the annual incentive pay that is awarded to licensed teachers who receive national certification.

The legislature also finds that additional funding is needed for teachers for junior kindergarten programs to ensure an appropriate student-to-teacher ratio at one teacher for every fifteen students.

In addition, more can be done to identify unused public school land or facilities for use by state early childhood education programs.

The purpose of this Act is to establish an early educator incentive program that will provide funding for professional development, as well as subsidies for employees of early education schools who agree to continue their employment for a minimum of three years in an early education school affiliated with a public school, to require the department to identify unused public school land or facilities for use by state early childhood education programs, and to appropriate funds.

SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§302A- Early educator incentive program. (a) There is established an early educator incentive program within the department for administrative purposes.

(b) The program shall be administered by a nonprofit organization, the contract for which shall be awarded through a competitive bid process.

(c) The administrator of the program shall create a competitive bid system for early education schools that are willing to participate in the program and become affiliated with a public school.

(d) Early education schools may receive up to $ per designated employee per year to:

(1) Pay for the professional development of designated employees and pay for a wage subsidy of up to $ per employee for up to five years following receipt of a license;

(2) Develop a memorandum of agreement with a department of education school or public charter school to locate an early education facility on or near the public school campus and develop a collaborative and seamless education plan that would maximize continuity between the child's early education and public school learning environment and curriculum;

(3) Provide for the part-time assignment of a designated employee in the public school as an assistant to the regular teaching faculty; and

(4) Create opportunities for the movement of participating personnel with the children as they move from preschool to the public school in order to minimize disruptions, maximize readiness of children to enter public school, and to maximize the readiness of the schools to receive them.

For purposes of this section, "designated employee" means an employee who does not yet have a license recognized by the Hawaii teachers standard board to teach in a Hawaii public school, who agrees to complete a prescribed program of state-approved professional development courses leading to licensure in elementary education, and who further agrees to continue to be employed in an early education workforce incentive program preschool or affiliated public elementary school for no less than three years following the receipt of a license."

SECTION 3. Section 302A-1506.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§302A-1506.5[]] Early childhood education facilities; identifying sites[.]; inspections. (a) The department of education shall identify unused public school facilities for use by early childhood education programs. Suitable empty classrooms, as determined by the department, shall be [~~inventoried for potential use in~~] prepared and utilized for early childhood education programs[.]; provided that the classrooms shall meet the licensing standards determined by the departments of education and human services. Priority shall be given to land or facilities on sites with sufficient space for three or more classrooms to be renovated or constructed.

(b) The department shall assist in the identification of possible construction sites for private providers to build early childhood education facilities.

(c) The department shall inspect each early childhood education program facility as frequently as it deems necessary for the proper operation, sanitation, and safety of the facility. The inspections shall be made at least once a year. All early education program facilities shall be open at all times to visitation and inspection by representatives of the departments of education, human services, and health, and by the designated representatives of the respective county fire departments.

(d) The department may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to effectuate this section."

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same amount, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for the early educator incentive program.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same amount, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for junior kindergarten teachers, to ensure that the student-to-teacher ratio in junior kindergarten programs shall not exceed fifteen students for every one teacher.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that sections 4 and 5 shall take effect on July 1, 2007.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	613
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII