STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1726

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   S.C.R. No. 147

      S.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 147, S.D. 2, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, AS PART OF ITS DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE HAWAIIAN STUDIES PROGRAM, TO CREATE A COALITION TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF DEVELOPING ASSESSMENTS IN THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE FOR HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION STUDENTS TO MORE ACCURATELY MEASURE THEIR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Board of Education to establish a coalition to address the issue of developing Hawaiian language assessments for Hawaiian language immersion students and to submit a report to the Legislature.  This measure also expresses the Legislature's support for the development of a request for a federal waiver from certain requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 to allow for the most appropriate assessments and standards for the Hawaiian language immersion program, and urges the U.S. Department of Education to approve such request.  

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kamehameha Schools, and Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs provided testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Education provided comments on this measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 147, S.D. 2, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Education.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

FAYE P. HANOHANO, Chair