SR115 SD1

WHEREAS, the education of Hawaii's public school students occurs not only during school hours but also after the school day has ended; and

WHEREAS, the No Child Left Behind Act requirements have required all schools to focus on meeting narrow academic mandates to the demise of other content areas, including fine arts, performing arts, foreign language, physical education, other subject areas, and school activities; and

WHEREAS, the After-school Plus Program (A+ Program), which first began in 1990, provides a valuable resource to students and their parents through:

(1) Assistance with homework;

(2) Enrichment activities; and

(3) Supervised recreational activities,

that extend beyond basic custodial care; and

WHEREAS, among other things, the A+ Program:

(1) Offers a stimulating and caring environment for students;

(2) Reinforces and expands students' learning experiences;

(3) Enhances the relationship between home and school to meet students' needs collaboratively;

(4) Improves students' level of physical fitness; and

(5) Makes better use of school facilities; and

WHEREAS, the A+ Program is an important and integral component in helping students achieve their educational goals and reach their potential; and

WHEREAS, service providers for the A+ Program and other service providers are capable of offering a wide range of academic and extracurricular learning opportunities that support and add to the offerings of the schools, especially in subjects and activities that schools are unable to effectively offer because of the No Child Left Behind Act; and

WHEREAS, academic services and extracurricular activities offered on school campuses during non-school hours can fill a void for families already searching for opportunities to meet their children's academic needs and interests, as well as offer the convenience of not having to transport children from a school to an after-school activity; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, that the Department of Education (DOE) is requested to develop a plan to increase academic and extracurricular services to students in the A+ Program and other on-site programs developed and offered by A+ and other service providers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the non-school hour services include:

(1) Tutoring for specific academic subjects;

(2) Training in study skills, such as time management and note-taking;

(3) Training in test-taking skills;

(4) Other services in addition to the homework-assistance services, enrichment activities, and supervised recreational activities currently offered by the A+ Program; and

(5) Other academic offerings, including noncredit classes in fine arts, performing arts, foreign language, and physical education and extracurricular activities sponsored by the A+ program and other service providers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a school's School Community Council shall advise its principal who shall make the final decision on whether to implement non-school hour programs beyond what presently exists; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the DOE is requested to submit the plan to the Legislature at least twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2008; and

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

Report Title:

A+ Program; Additional services

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	115
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII