STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1768

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 69

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.R. No. 69 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO UNDERTAKE A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEDIUM BETWEEN "ONE SIZE FITS ALL" AND "TO EACH HIS OWN","

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to improve services by requesting the Department of Education to undertake a study to determine the most effective medium between the "one size fits all" and the "to each his own" approaches.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Educational Policy Center and one individual.  Comments on the measure were also submitted by the Department of Education, the College of Education of University of Hawaii, the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, and the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

     Your Committee finds that there is a teacher shortage in Hawaii that is often hampered by the current licensing standards imposed by the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.  Your Committee further finds that new or alternative approaches should be considered in order to determine appropriate methods for licensing qualified teachers, while increasing the teacher pool within the State.  Under current standards, a "one size fits all" approach may not be ideal, although a "to each his own" approach also may not be entirely appropriate.  Your Committee believes that the Department of Education, the Board of Education, and the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, with input from teachers and other interested parties such as the Hawaii State Teachers Association, should be tasked with developing appropriate policies for addressing teacher licensing issues impacting teacher recruitment and retention, as well as for assessing growth and student achievement and statewide curricula issues.  However, these issues may be more adequately addressed individually by the most appropriate body.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the title and its contents to include language regarding the need for policies for the Department of Education that address issues raised by the No Child Left Behind Act, current teaching licensing practices and standards, and statewide curricula;

     (2)  Changing the purpose to request the Board of Education, the Department of Education, and the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to each develop policies to address one or more of the aforementioned issues; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes 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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 69, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 69, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair