STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3193

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 83

       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. 83 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING A STUDY ON THE APPROPRIATE ACCOUNTABILITY STRUCTURE FOR THE HAWAII TEACHER STANDARDS BOARD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to commission an independent study on the appropriate accountability structure for the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Hawaii State Teachers Association.  Comments on the measure were also submitted by the Department of Education and the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.

     Your Committee finds that teacher licensing is under the purview of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, which, although administratively attached to the Department of Education, is autonomous from any agency or department of the State.  Your Committee further finds that some form of accountability is necessary to ensure the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board is fulfilling its mission and appropriately licensing and regulating teachers in the State.  Numerous other professional and vocational licensing boards currently fall within the authority of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.  This measure requests the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to commission an independent study to determine the appropriate accountability structure for the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, including exploration and propriety of oversight by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

     Your Committee determines that this study is necessary to ensure that the proper structure exists for the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board and to ensure proper regulation of teacher licenses that allows for the growth and support of an adequate teacher workforce in the State.  Additionally, your Committee finds that the Auditor is the appropriate entity to conduct such a study, which should be expanded to explore the manner by which other jurisdictions oversee teacher licensing in order to determine the most appropriate structure for Hawaii.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requesting the Auditor to conduct the study of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board accountability structure, which shall include examination of:

          (A)  Whether the current organizational placement of the Board as an administratively attached agency to the Department of Education is conducive to timely and efficient service to those applying for licenses;

          (B)  Whether the functions and operations of the Board are similar to those in other states or jurisdictions with similar numbers of students, such as Nebraska;

          (C)  Whether the functions and operations of the Board are similar to the functions and operations of other Hawaii agencies, such as the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and whether the Board might find a better fit in another agency;

          (D)  Whether the Board's long-range planning has built-in appropriate policy foundations, benchmarks, and accountability mechanisms; and

          (E)  Whether the Board's appeals process has a defensible, rational basis, and whether that process has yielded any structural changes, improved operations, or more effective screening of applicants over the years of the board's existence;

     (2)  Requesting that the Auditor review the fiscal management of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, which review shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

          (A)  How the Board's budget is developed and approved;

          (B)  How expenditures are made and monitored; and

          (C)  How external audit findings, if any, are resolved;

     (3)  Amending the title of the measure to reflect its amended purpose; and

     (4)  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. 83, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 83, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair