STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2988

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 21

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.R. No. 21 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE STATE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL COMMISSION TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA GRANTING PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR ADULT LEARNERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the State Public Charter School Commission to convene a working group composed of interested legislators, members of the Department of Education, a member of the State Public Charter School Commission, members of community non-profits who have experience working with adult learners, and other interested stakeholders to evaluate the feasibility of establishing a high school diploma granting public charter school program for adult learners.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii West Oahu, Hawaii Public Charter School Network, Goodwill Industries of Hawaii, and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and the State Public Charter School Commission.

     Your Committee finds that a significant number of adult residents in Hawaii do not have a high school diploma.  Individuals who have high school diplomas earn more on average than those who have General Educational Development transcripts or similar high school equivalency credentials.  Although many adult residents of Hawaii without high school diplomas wish to earn such qualifications, the existing high school enrollment age limit in the State prevents adult learners older than twenty years of age from enrolling in public high school programs.  Your Committee finds that this measure is an important step toward giving adult learners in Hawaii valuable educational opportunities that would otherwise be denied to them.  Your Committee also finds that a more tightly focused working group with closer connections to adult learners will offer clearer insight into the establishment of an effective diploma granting program.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Limiting the number of members on the Task Force to seven;

     (2)  Removing unspecified interested legislators from the Task Force;

     (3)  Adding the Chairs of the Senate and House Committees on Education, or their respective designees, to the Task Force;

     (4)  Clarifying that the Superintendent of Education may assign a designee to the Task Force;

     (5)  Allowing the Board of Education to designate an individual to the Task Force rather than only a member of the Board of Education; and

     (6)  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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 21, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 21, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair