SR111.DOC

WHEREAS, Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004, also known as the Reinventing Education Act, was intended to implement a comprehensive educational reform of Hawaii's public schools; and

WHEREAS, Act 51 contained the following thirteen main elements to improve public education:

(1) Establish a weighted student formula;

(2) Provide additional information technology;

(3) Empower principals through a Hawaii principals academy and other means;

(4) Strengthen community involvement through school community councils and parent-community networking centers;

(5) Provide more mathematics textbooks;

(6) Lower class size in kindergarten, grade one, and grade two;

(7) Provide full-time, year-round, high school student activity coordinators;

(8) Provide support for students who need additional help to succeed in school;

(9) Establish a national board certification incentive program for teachers;

(10) Enhance teacher education;

(11) Reduce the bureaucracy that hampers the effectiveness of the department of education;

(12) Improve the educational accountability system; and

(13) Require the board of education members to hold community meetings in their districts; and

WHEREAS, one objective of Act 51 is for all graduates to achieve the General Learner Outcomes and content and performance standards in order to realize their individual goals and aspirations; and

WHEREAS, high school students should have opportunities, as intended under Act 51, that are not limited by time constraints, to study college level coursework and program endorsements to prepare them to be successful in a global society; and

WHEREAS, all high school graduates have the right to be fully prepared for post-secondary education or careers and their roles as responsible citizens; and

WHEREAS, in realizing its responsibility to provide fair and equal access to educational opportunities in the diverse communities throughout the State, the Legislature previously provided additional resources to small rural schools to allow for a well-rounded and varied offering of coursework and electives; and

WHEREAS, the weighted student formula, established under Act 51, is the mechanism that has been adopted to accomplish the mission and goals of the Department of Education in the delivery of educational services that are fair and equal; and

WHEREAS, the Committee on Weights, which determined the value attached to students, has failed to provide any substantial recognition for the special needs and challenges of small rural schools in accomplishing the Department of Education's mission of providing a fair and equal educational program; and

WHEREAS, it appears that the implementation of the weighted student formula has actually undermined student achievement by depriving small- and medium-sized schools of resources, forcing the reduction of teachers and school staff, and eroding confidence in the public schools, and as a result has created a vicious cycle that further compounds the problem; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Principals Academy, established under Act 51, is intended to empower principals to build strong school communities and lead their schools in meeting the school's mission, goals, and objectives; and

WHEREAS, there continues to be a shortage of qualified principals and schools continue to struggle to improve academic performance and emerge from restructuring; and

WHEREAS, School Community Councils, another Act 51 element, were established to enhance community involvement by providing key stakeholders with a substantially increased voice in school affairs through clear and concrete powers and responsibilities, shared with the principal, and enunciated under the law; and

WHEREAS, the Superintendent of Education was charged with developing internal policies and procedures for the procurement of goods, services, and construction, consistent with the goals of public accountability and public procurement practices; and

WHEREAS, a recent report by the State Auditor revealed that internal controls and policies for procurement practices are insufficient for preventing conflicts of interest, a fair and open procurement of contractors, and the establishment of a fair and accurate cost and price for contracts; and

WHEREAS, improving the educational accountability system under Act 51 was intended to improve academic achievement, safety, and civil responsibility; and

WHEREAS, it would be prudent for a joint task force to undertake a review of the thirteen main elements set forth in Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, that this body is requested to convene a joint task force during the legislative interim to hold public hearings and receive testimony on the status, progress, and results of Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004, and to develop a formal programmatic evaluation and impact assessment of the thirteen main elements of Act 51, including recommendations for improving, modifying, and amending Act 51; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it is requested that the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives appoint the members of the task force; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to submit its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2010; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education, the Chairperson of the Board of Education, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chairs of the Committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives having primary responsibility for matters relating to lower education.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Education; Task Force

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	111
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009
STATE OF HAWAII