CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 150

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2009

RE:    S.B. No. 1329

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1329, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to clarify provisions of the early learning system established by Act 14, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2008, by:

     (1)  Including a requirement that the Early Learning Council develop a plan to ensure that the needs of junior kindergartners are addressed;

     (2)  Authorizing all Early Learning Council members to designate representatives for their role on the council; and

     (3)  Renaming the Keiki First Steps Trust Fund as the Early Learning Trust Fund.

     Your Committee finds that the work of the Early Learning Council, created by Act 14, is essential in that it involves development of a comprehensive early childhood education system for the State to coordinate and improve upon the fragmented services currently being offered.  Your Committee further finds that it is important to provide the Council with the flexibility it requires to carry on this important mission.  To this end, the measure allows the Governor's appointees to the Council to name designees.

     Your Committee further finds that this measure can improve the early learning system by ensuring that the developmental and early learning needs of the State's young children are addressed by strengthening the two-tier junior kindergarten and kindergarten program and establishing stricter criteria for moving students between tiers.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting a provision that requires the Department of Education, beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, to use successful assessment tools and protocols for determining a student's initial placement and for decision making about a student's movement between junior kindergarten, kindergarten, and into grade one;

     (2)  Removing the requirement that the Early Learning Council develop a plan to phase out the junior kindergarten program; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of consistency and clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1329, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1329, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Co-Chair	____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair
____________________________ MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Co-Chair	____________________________ SHAN S. TSUTSUI, Co-Chair