STAND. COM. REP. NO.  919-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 2875

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2875 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to further the education of third through sixth grade students in the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program by requiring:

     (1)  The Department of Education to administer reading, math, science, and other general state assessment tests developed originally in the Hawaiian language and not translated from English for students in those grade levels;

     (2)  The Board of Education to adopt rules establishing procedures for developing the assessment tests in collaboration with the Hawaiian language community; and

     (3)  The Department of Education to submit annual status reports on the development and administration of the assessment tests developed originally in the Hawaiian language for students in those grade levels.  

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs; the Local School Board of Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, K-12 Laboratory Public Charter School; Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs; Papa Ola Lokahi; and many concerned individuals supported the measure.  The Department of Education and a concerned individual offered comments on the measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2875 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair