STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3099

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 110

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 110, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO IMPROVE AWARENESS OF AND STRENGTHEN SUPPORT FOR PERSONS WITH DYSLEXIA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request that the Department of Education and University of Hawaii establish a working group to develop a comprehensive plan to improve awareness of and strengthen support for persons with dyslexia.

     More specifically, this measure seeks to improve awareness of and strengthen support for persons with dyslexia partly through the provision of training for educators in the State by the 2012-2013 school year.  The measure requests that the training include technical assistance and training in the early identification and assessment of dyslexia, and on the direct, explicit, and systematic research-based instruction of students in oral and written language.  The measure also requests the working group to submit a comprehensive plan to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2012 and requests the Legislative Reference Bureau to assist the working group by providing legislative drafting services.

     Written comments in support of this measure were submitted by Assets School, Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, The International Dyslexia Association, Special Education Advisory Council, and twenty-three concerned individuals.  The Legislative Reference Bureau submitted comments on this measure.  The written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition, or both, and poor spelling and decoding abilities.  Despite their intelligence, students with dyslexia struggle with many or all facets of learning how to read, spell, and write.  Your Committee also finds that dyslexia and other reading disabilities affect a significant number of students in Hawaii.  Further, your Committee believes that the working group requested by this measure will improve awareness of dyslexia and is the beginning of a coordinated statewide plan to enhance learning and improve the lives of students whose learning is hampered by dyslexia.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 110, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 110, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair