HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1683
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  Section 302A-411, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§302A-411  [Junior kindergarten and kindergarten] Kindergarten program; establishment; attendance.  (a)  The department shall establish and maintain [junior kindergartens and] kindergartens with a program of instruction as a part of the public school system; provided that:

     (1)  Attendance shall not be mandatory; and

     (2)  Charter schools shall be excluded from mandatory participation in the program.

     [(b)  The department shall establish a two-tier junior kindergarten and kindergarten program to support the range of developmental abilities of children in junior kindergarten and kindergarten.  Schools shall not move students between junior kindergarten and kindergarten, except in cases where the movement is warranted and based on appropriate assessments determined by:

(1) A qualified teacher with early childhood education background or experience; and

(2) The formative and summative assessment of a student's academic, physical, social, and emotional abilities,

provided that, beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, the department shall use successful assessment tools and protocols for determining a student's initial placement and for decision making about a student's movement between tiers and into grade one.  Junior kindergarten students may graduate directly to grade one when promotion is based on appropriate assessments and other progress data collected over time.

(c)  Beginning with the 2004-2005 school year, a child who will be at least five years of age on or before December 31 of the school year may attend a public school kindergarten.  Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, a child who will be at least five years of age on or before August 1 of the school year may attend a public school kindergarten.  Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, a child who will be at least five years of age after August 1 and before January 1 of the school year may attend a public school junior kindergarten.]

(b)  Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, a child who will be at least five years of age on the first day of instruction may attend a public school kindergarten.  Beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, the department shall not offer or maintain junior kindergartens.

     [(d)] (c)  The department may accept gifts to establish and maintain [junior kindergartens and] kindergartens."

     SECTION 2.  Section 302L-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

     "(a)  There is established an early learning council which shall be attached to the department of education for administrative purposes only, notwithstanding any other law to the contrary.  To the extent permissible by law, the council shall develop and administer the early learning system established in section 302L-2 to benefit all children throughout the State, from birth until the time they enter kindergarten.  In developing the early learning system, the council shall, among other things:

     (1)  Establish policies and procedures governing its operations;

     (2)  Develop a plan, with goals and objectives, for the early learning system, including the development, execution, and monitoring of a phased implementation plan;

     (3)  Coordinate, improve, and expand upon existing early learning programs and services for children from birth until the time they enter kindergarten;

     (4)  Establish policies and procedures to include existing early learning programs and services;

     (5)  Establish additional early learning programs and services;

     (6)  Establish policies and procedures governing the inclusion of children with special needs;

     (7)  Develop incentives to enhance the quality of programs and services within the early learning system;

     (8)  Coordinate efforts to develop a highly-qualified, stable, and diverse workforce, including:

         (A)  Ensuring that more early childhood educators and administrators, existing or potential, have opportunities to receive early childhood education degrees, including offering higher education scholarships;

         (B)  Increasing the availability of early childhood education coursework, including distance learning courses and community-based early childhood education training;

         (C)  Providing access to continuing professional development for all educators and administrators;

         (D)  Establishing a system for awarding appropriate credentials to educators and administrators, as incentives to improve the quality of programs and services, relevant to the various early learning approaches, service deliveries, and settings, such as for experience or coursework or degrees completed;

         (E)  Providing consultation on the social-emotional development of children; and

         (F)  Providing substitute teacher allowances;

     (9)  Develop and implement methods of maximizing the involvement of families, caregivers, and teachers in the early learning system;

    (10)  Develop an effective, comprehensive, and integrated system to provide training and technical support to programs and services within the early learning system;

    (11)  Develop standards of accountability to ensure that high-quality early learning experiences are provided by programs and services of the early learning system;

    (12)  Collect, interpret, and release data relating to early learning in the State;

    (13)  Recommend the appropriate proportion of state funds that should be distributed to programs and services across the early learning system, to ensure the most effective and efficient allocation of fiscal resources within the early learning system;

   [(14) Develop a plan to ensure that the needs of junior kindergarteners are addressed, including:

(A) Recommending an appropriate and effective curriculum;

(B) Establishing criteria for junior kindergarten teachers and aides;

(C) Incorporating Hawaii's preschool content standards for junior kindergarteners; and

(D) Recommending an effective transition from the early learning system to kindergarten;

(15)] (14) Promote awareness of early learning opportunities to families and the general public; and

[(16)] (15) Consult with community groups, including statewide organizations that are involved in early learning professional development, policy and advocacy, and early childhood programs, to broaden the council's knowledge of early learning."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2014.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Junior Kindergarten

Description:

Eliminates junior kindergarten beginning with the 2014-2015 school year. Effective July 1, 2014.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.