STAND. COM. REP. NO.  891

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1014

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1014, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers for Hawaii's public schools by, among other things:

     (1)  Changing the membership and reporting schedule of the Performance Standards Commission;

     (2)  Removing the reference to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the grades currently being tested, in anticipation of possible changes to the federal law;

     (3)  Providing for alternative assessments, including those based on the academic growth of students;

     (4)  Clarifying the dual purposes of the Hawaii Educator Loan Program;

     (5)  Appropriating funds to the Hawaii Educational Policy Center to:

          (A) Staff the Performance Standards Commission;

          (B) Work with the Department of Education (DOE) and other educational research organizations to develop alternative assessment tools, including a comprehensive "growth model" to measure student achievement over time; and

          (C) Provide independent comment and analysis on issues before the Legislature, Board of Education, and DOE;

     (6)  Appropriating funds for various programs to:

          (A)  Increase the capacity of the University of Hawaii (UH) College of Education to educate qualified teachers;

          (B)  Meet federal requirements for institutional support of disability studies; and

          (C)  Expand teacher professional development and mentoring;

          and

     (7)  Appropriating funds for the Office of School Redesign.

     The State Council on Developmental Disabilities, UH at Manoa College of Education Faculty Senate, UH at Manoa College of Education Alumni Association, Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA), HSTA-Retired, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill.  The Center on Disability Studies and two concerned individuals supported this measure with amendments.  DOE and UH supported the intent of this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing the appropriation amounts to unspecified amounts to encourage further discussion;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1014, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1014, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair