HB2979

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that in 2007, the legislature adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 56, S.D. 1, which requested the Hawaii educational policy center to report on the retention and change in assignment of teachers within the department of education. Pursuant to its study, the Hawaii educational policy center made several findings and recommendations to the legislature, including that the information necessary to develop a teacher workforce strategic plan, as requested in the resolution, is currently unavailable because sufficient data has not been collected annually and consistently from all stakeholders.

The legislature further finds that the Hawaii educational policy center recommended that the legislature convene a teacher workforce strategic planning committee to develop, adopt, adapt, track, and evaluate the implementation of a strategic teacher workforce development plan for the State.

The purpose of this Act is to establish the teacher workforce strategic planning committee and provide funding therefor.

SECTION 2. (a) There is established the teacher workforce strategic planning committee within the University of Hawaii. The teacher education coordinating committee shall provide administrative, technical, and clerical support to the committee.

(b) The teacher workforce strategic planning committee shall consist of nine members, without regard to section 26-34, Hawaii Revised Statutes, as follows:

(1) The superintendent of education or the superintendent's designee;

(2) The chair of the Hawaii teacher standards board, or the chair's designee;

(3) One representative from the University of Hawaii at Manoa college of education;

(4) One representative from the University of Hawaii at Hilo education department;

(5) One representative from the University of Hawaii, West Oahu campus division of social services;

(6) One representative from Brigham Young University Hawaii school of education;

(7) One representative from Hawaii Pacific University teacher education program;

(8) One representative from Chaminade University education division; and

(9) One representative from the University of Phoenix Hawaii campus college of education.

(c) The members of the teacher workforce strategic planning committee shall select a chair from among the members. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. The members shall not receive compensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in the performance of their duties under this Act. Any member of the task force shall be immune from civil liability, as provided for under section 26-35.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

(d) The teacher workforce strategic planning committee shall:

(1) Develop, adopt, adapt, track, and evaluate the implementation of a strategic teacher workforce development plan;

(2) Develop an affordable, easily implemented, multi-agency teacher data system to identify and track teacher candidates through the educational, employment, and professional development pipeline. The system should collect timely and ongoing data to assist policymakers in making decisions and in identifying important trends or patterns that inform and improve targeted teacher recruitment, hiring, retention, professional support and development, and premature retirement or departure rates. The system should also contemplate the need for the transfer of appropriate data, with protocols to protect individual privacy; and

(3) Conduct research on the development and implementation of detailed entrance and exit surveys from institutions of higher education that match student and employee dispositions and experiences with the size, type, and culture of the school to which they were assigned. Research should also focus on why teachers decide to enter the workforce, reasons for transferring from school to school, and factors influencing teachers to leave teaching.

(e) The teacher workforce strategic planning committee shall submit its findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, if necessary, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2009.

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 2008-2009 for the teacher workforce strategic planning committee established pursuant to this Act.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2008, and shall be repealed on June 30, 2009.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2979
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII