STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3144

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 24

       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. 24 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ENSURE THAT SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS HAVE ADEQUATE TIME TO PLAN AND PREPARE INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR THEIR STUDENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Education to ensure that special education teachers have adequate time to plan and prepare individualized education programs for their students.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

     Your Committee finds that special education teachers must adapt curricula, lesson plans, and other educational materials to the unique needs of individual students.  The process of preparing individualized education programs is time consuming.  Special education teachers frequently report that they do not have adequate time to prepare these programs.  Reducing the workload of special education teachers and giving them more time to prepare individualized education programs will benefit special education students and allow them to more fully take advantage of the educational services and opportunities in Hawaii's schools.  Your Committee additionally finds that disagreement exists regarding the ratio of special education students who require individualized education programs.

     As such, your Committee has amended this measure by removing language referring to the ratio of special education students who require individualized education programs.

     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. 24, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 24, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair