STAND. COM. REP. NO 238

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 900

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 900 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a State Seal of Biliteracy to be affixed to certificates of recognition awarded to graduating students who attain proficiency in English and at least one other language.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health Office of Language Access; University of Hawaii System; University of Hawaii Office of the State Director for Career and Technical Education; University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures; University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of Second Language Studies; Kapiolani Community College Department of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Enterprise Honolulu; Hawaii Educational Policy Center; Hawaii TESOL; Hawaii Association of Teachers of Japanese; Hawaii Association of Language Teachers; Alliance Francaise of Hawaii; Little Ambassadors; American Association of Teachers of French Hawaii Chapter; Aloha State Association of the Deaf; Gallaudet University Alumni Association of Hawaii; Hawaii Deaf Surfriders Association; American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages; Hawaii School for the Deaf and the Blind Alumni Club; Chinese Language Education Association of Hawaii; and thirty-four individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

     Your Committee finds that proficiency in a foreign language is a valuable and marketable skill.  It is also a skill that enables greater cultural awareness and understanding.  The State Seal of Biliteracy will recognize the value of language proficiency whether the language was acquired in the home prior to learning English, through cultural immersion, or in the classroom.  The State Seal of Biliteracy will recognize proficiency in world languages including American Sign Language.

     Your Committee further finds that the State Seal of Biliteracy will recognize the value of first languages and encourage children of families who speak a language other than English in the home to be proud of their language skills, and to encourage further development of the first language and English.  Such skills should be recognized as a personal achievement and as a marketable skill.  State government, business, the tourism industry, and higher education all need multi-lingual speakers to meet the needs of their clients.  Over time, the State Seal of Biliteracy will be a recognizable standard of language proficiency.

     Your Committee further finds that establishing the State Seal of Biliteracy program would be complemented by the institution of a credit-by-exam initiative.  Credit-by exam programs give students an opportunity to receive course credit by demonstrating proficiency in a subject area.  Since the State Seal of Biliteracy would require such proof by means other than earning course credit, the Department of Education may consider a policy to award foreign language credit to those who earn the State Seal of Biliteracy.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifically including American Sign Language among the world languages for which the State Seal of Biliteracy may be awarded;

     (2)  Adding language recognizing the importance of the world language resources that immigrant English language learner students bring to Department of Education schools;

     (3)  Adding language to recognize and promote the continual development of the first languages of immigrant students as a means of achieving biliteracy;

     (4)  Adding language to permit demonstration of a high level of proficiency in one or more languages other than English by demonstrating first language proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing, in a language other than English, as certified by the student's high school to the superintendent; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 900, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 900, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair