HB1522

SECTION 1. Article I, section 1, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii maintains that all political power of this State is inherent in the people and the responsibility for the exercise thereof rests with the people. All government is founded on this authority. The framers of Constitution of the United States also agreed that democracy could only be maintained through an educated and informed citizenry.

The legislature finds that while Americans value and cherish the ideals of democracy, many reports and surveys have confirmed that far too many citizens do not understand the basic workings of our government or are cynical and distrustful of our political institutions and processes. Many leading educators and policymakers believe that restoring the civic mission of schools in this nation is the most effective method of positively impacting civic engagement. John Dewey, a leading twentieth century education theorist states that "democracy needs to be reborn in each generation and education is its mid-wife."

The legislature also finds that a representative democracy is dependent on its people being informed, prepared, willing, and able to take an active role in self-government and that our democratic processes are based upon citizen participation. The legislature further finds that participation in a representative democracy is a learned behavior. Public education was established on the premise that individuals do not automatically become free, responsible, engaged citizens. While many institutions, such as families, religious congregations, community-based organizations, and voluntary associations help form civic character, public education is the one unifying institution where young people can acquire knowledge, develop dispositions, and practice informed, reasoned participation, working collaboratively toward the founding ideals of freedom, independence, and opportunity.

The legislature also finds that Hawaii school children should understand the electoral process and practice other aspects of civic responsibility while in school to be prepared for their roles as citizens in adulthood. In recent decades, increasing numbers of citizens of Hawaii and other Americans have become disengaged from civic and political institutions and electoral activities such as voting. Research shows that the civic attitude of young people reflect these trends.

Young people are less likely to vote, less inclined to feel connected to government processes, less willing to enter into political discussions, less interested in running for elected office, and less able to utilize deliberative discourse as a method for resolving issues. The legislature further finds there is a drastic decline in the numbers of youth between the ages of sixteen and eighteen who registered to vote through the young voter registration program. According to the Hawaii office of elections, there were 3,612 young voters in 2006 who registered through the program. In 2006 however, there was a marked decline in participants of more than seventy-five per cent. A record low of eight hundred thirty-eight young voter registrants participated in the young voter registration program.

Moreover, the Hawaii superintendent of education stated recently that "as professional educators, we are committed to improving student achievement and preparing students to be responsible citizens and productive members of the work-force in our democratic society. We are dedicated to improving public education and continuing to stress the importance of a three-pronged focus on student achievement, safety and well-being, and civic responsibility."

The legislature further finds that we must be deliberate about preparing our youth to be willing and able to take their active role in civil society. Well-designed classroom, school—wide, and complex level programs that foster an understanding of fundamental constitutional principles through methods such as service learning, integration of current events, or simulations of democratic processes and procedures, together with required assessment and tracking of students' civic learning, will enhance educational accountability.

The purpose of this Act is to:

(1) Establish a grant program in the department of education for school complexes to maintain continuity in civic learning by developing interdisciplinary curriculum, cross-discipline lesson plans, educational materials, and community-based projects for civic learning, including student participation in the young voter registration program;

(2) Directly support the development of civic learning in students by appropriating funds for teacher training and social studies resource materials, provided that the school complex presents a comprehensive plan to assess student outcomes and evidence teacher effectiveness, and that the civic learning curriculum is aligned within the school complex.

SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§302A- Civic responsibility education grant program. (a) The department shall develop and implement a grant program to encourage civic learning and civic responsibility education in public schools. Expenditures shall be subject to the allotment and expenditure plan required under section 37-34.5.

(b) Grants shall be for the purpose of enabling school complexes to establish continuity in civic learning from kindergarten through grade twelve by developing interdisciplinary curriculum, cross-discipline lesson plans, educational materials, and community-based projects for civic learning, provided that all such lessons, materials, and activities are aligned within the school complex.

(c) The board shall establish and appoint the members of a grant award panel, which shall consist of at least one representative from each of the following groups:

(1) Parents;

(2) Students;

(3) Teachers;

(4) School administrators;

(5) School support staff;

(6) Businesspersons; and

(7) The military, whose participation shall be requested.

The panel shall include a representative from each departmental school district among its members.

The panel shall review proposals and make recommendations to the superintendent on grant awards. Panel members shall serve for a term of two years without compensation, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for necessary expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in the discharge of their official duties. A portion of the moneys appropriated for the grants, not to exceed one per cent, shall be used to offset the expenses incurred by the review panel.

(d) The panel shall develop a process for submitting proposals.

(e) All proposals for civic responsibility education grants shall include:

(1) A clear statement of how the proposed complex level grant will achieve the outcomes of:

(A) Identifying indicators of civic learning and responsibility;

(B) Student learning of the content, dispositions, and skills inherent in civic responsibility, including increased student participation in the young voter registration program;

(D) Interdisciplinary curriculum and cross-discipline lesson plans that are aligned within the complex;

(2) A method of evaluation and assessment to determine the extent to which the grant enabled the complex to:

(A) Increase student civic learning; and

(B) Determine teacher efficacy in the civic learning of students;

(3) A detailed budget and expenditure plan, which shall include any commitment of existing funds under the school or schools' allotment, including service learning grants, toward the proposed program; and

(4) Other criteria required by the panel.

(f) The panel shall assist the superintendent in the evaluation of all grant programs under this section on a continuing basis. If an approved program fails to meet the requirements of its proposal, the panel shall recommend to the superintendent that funding for the grant shall be terminated.

(g) The superintendent shall submit a report to the legislature on the operations of the review panel at least twenty days before the convening of each regular session."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for the civic responsibility education grant program.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for teacher training and the purchase of social studies resource materials for complexes and schools; provided that the school complex provides a plan for teacher training and a list of civic learning resource materials for students to learn and practice civic responsibility, including student participation in the young voter registration program; and further provided that the civic learning curriculum is aligned within the school complex.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 5. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1522
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII