STAND. COM. REP. NO. 461
Honolulu, Hawaii
S.D. 1
President of the Senate
Twenty-Fourth State Legislature
State of Hawaii
Madam:
Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 97 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the purchase of science textbooks and other teaching resources for public primary and secondary schools.
Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Education (DOE) and the University of Hawaii System.
Your Committee finds that our public schools are in dire need of new science textbooks at the primary and secondary levels. In 2006, the Legislature appropriated $2 million for school complex areas to purchase science textbooks and other related instructional materials pursuant to Act 160, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006. However, the fifteen complex areas subsequently requested moneys from the DOE for the purchase of science textbooks totaling approximately $6 million.
Your Committee recognizes that a deficiency exists in the current funding and the current need for science textbooks throughout the public school system. Your Committee believes that additional funding is necessary to provide adequate learning materials for science courses in public schools throughout the State. Additionally, funding should only be provided to those schools that demonstrate the existence of a K-12 articulated science curriculum to ensure that students are able to achieve appropriate levels of knowledge and skills in science with respect to each grade level. Your Committee further finds that to promote economic efficiency, the DOE should be required to take advantage of discounts for bulk purchases, when possible, and benefit from professional development support provided by vendors or publishers.
Your Committee is also concerned about monitoring the progress of students to ensure academic achievement and progress. Therefore, your Committee believes, that funding is necessary to provide for teacher assessments of the students' progress to determine their weaknesses as well as methods and resources that will help to ensure increased student learning and academic achievement.
Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Requiring the DOE to utilize discounts available through bulk purchasing;
(2) Requiring the DOE to utilize professional development support provided by vendors or publishers;
(3) Appropriating $750,000 to assist public school teachers in conducting assessments of their students to determine their progress and areas of weaknesses, and to identify methods or resources necessary to support academic achievement and development; and
(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.
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. 97, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 97, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,
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NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair |
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