STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3170

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 74

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 74 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP GUIDELINES TO REDUCE THE TRUANCY RATE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Education to convene a working group to develop guidelines to reduce the truancy rate in public schools.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Education and two individuals.

     Your Committee finds that truancy in the public school system is an increasing problem, in that truancy often correlates to, among other things, substance abuse, limited social and emotional competence, mental health problems, and poor physical health.  The rate of truancy in public schools continues to increase.  Truancy also leads to students becoming high school dropouts, who account for a higher percentage of individuals who live in poverty than their counterparts who earn high school diplomas, have been shown to earn only sixty-five per cent of the median earnings, and are more likely to be unemployed than high school graduates. 

     This measure requests the Department of Education to convene a working group to address the need to reduce the truancy, and eventual dropout, rate of students in the public school system.  Your Committee determines that increased efforts must be explored and initiated to ensure our students are in daily attendance and do not drop out of school so that they may have a brighter and more prosperous future.  Additionally, maximum success in reducing truancy rates also requires input from students at the high school and postsecondary levels.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requesting the inclusion of representation by high school and postsecondary students on the Working Group on Truancy Rate Reduction; and

     (2)  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.C.R. No. 74, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 74, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair