STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1276

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 1933

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Education and Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1933, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve public education in the state by:

     (1)  Enhancing academic and fiscal accountability in the Department of Education (DOE);

     (2)  Improving education and workforce development by establishing and appropriating funds for an Applied Learning High School Academy Program;

     (3)  Providing for various teacher preparation, professional development, research, and assistance programs;

     (4)  Improving early childhood education through teacher professional development and assistance, by encouraging collaboration between state-funded programs and private providers, improving access by special education students to early childhood education programs, and identifying unused public school land or facilities for use by early childhood education programs; and

     (5)  Improving the academic achievement of students in mathematics and science.

     The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, State Council on Development Disabilities, University of Hawaii (UH), UH College of Education Faculty Senate, UH College of Engineering, Center on Disability Studies, Kamehameha Schools, Good Beginnings Alliance, and many concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Early Learning Educational Task Force, Hawaii Government Employees Association, and Hawaii State Teachers Association supported the intent of this measure.  The Governor supported the bill in part.  DOE offered comments.

     Because many of the initiatives included in this bill are incorporated in other bills that are moving through the legislative process, your Committees have amended this bill by deleting most of the language in the bill, except:

     (1)  Part III, which relates to the various teacher preparation, professional development, research, and assistance programs; and

     (2)  Part V, which relates to improving the academic achievement of students in mathematics and science.

     Your Committees have amended the remaining language by:

     (1)  Deleting the provisions establishing and appropriating funds for the Research Experiences for Teachers Program;

     (2)  Deleting the provisions establishing and appropriating funds for a professional development program to provide science and mathematics teachers with opportunities to increase their knowledge and understanding of recent developments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics;

     (3)  In regards to the Hawaii Educator Loan Program, clarifying that ten percent of the total amount of the loan and interest shall be waived for every year of the first five years that a loan recipient teaches in a Hawaii public school in a hard-to-fill position; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1933, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1933, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Labor & Public Employment.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Higher Education,

____________________________ JERRY L. CHANG, Chair

____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Chair