STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1510

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 613

      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 Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 613, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to promote quality early childhood education opportunities for Hawaii's children from birth to age five by:

     (1)  Requiring the Department of Education (DOE) to prepare unused public school facilities for use by early childhood education programs, if the classrooms have been identified as being suitable for this purpose;

     (2)  Appropriating funds for junior kindergarten teachers to achieve a student-to-teacher ratio of not higher than fifteen-to-one at underachieving schools with a high percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced lunches.

     A concerned individual testified in support of this bill.  DOE, Early Learning Educational Task Force, Good Beginnings Alliance, Maui Good Beginnings Community Council, and a concerned individual offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing the appropriation for junior kindergarten teachers by:

          (A)  Removing the stipulation that the appropriation assist underachieving schools with a high percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced lunches; and

          (B)  Changing the target ratio to a ten student to one teacher ratio;

     (2)  Removing the requirement that priority for unused public school facilities for use by early childhood education programs be given to land or facilities on sites with sufficient space for three or more classrooms to be renovated or constructed; and

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

     Your Committee has further amended this bill by adding the following provisions:

     (1)  Relating to junior kindergarten:

          (A)  Prohibiting schools from moving students between junior kindergarten and kindergarten with certain exceptions;

          (B)  Requiring separate curricula for junior kindergarten and kindergarten students;

          (C)  Removing the option of blending junior kindergarten and kindergarten students in a single classroom;

          (D)  Requiring DOE to give preference to qualified teachers with early childhood education credentials and experience to be placed in junior kindergarten and kindergarten programs; and

          (E)  Requiring DOE to, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2008:

              (i)  Complete the planning and development of the appropriate curriculum for the junior kindergarten program; and

              (ii) Submit its findings and recommendations to the legislature on the planned junior kindergarten curricula, successful models, and assessments to be used in the placement and movement of students between junior kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade, as well as facilities to be used for junior kindergarten;

     (2)  Relating to the training and professional development of early childhood educators:

          (A)  Requiring that 10 percent of the funds appropriated into the Hawaii Educator Loan Program Special Fund be used to assist educators who are seeking Associate's or Bachelor's degrees in early childhood education and appropriating funds for this purpose; and

          (B)  Appropriating funds for developmental courses for public school junior kindergarten and kindergarten teachers that will result in a 12-credit certificate in early childhood education;

     (3)  Requiring DOE, the Department of Human Services, and Department of Accounting and General Services to work collaboratively to develop suitable pre-plus classrooms for early childhood education programs that serve preschool-aged children who are between three to five years of age at DOE and conversion charter school campuses statewide, and authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds for this purpose;

     (4)  Appropriating funds for an early childhood educational specialist to focus on early childhood education, kindergarten programs, and pre-plus administration; and

     (5)  Inserting clarifying purpose language.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 613, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 613, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ROY TAKUMI, Chair