HB1386

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1386
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to online early education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part II, subpart C, to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§302A- Online early learning program. (a) There is established within the department of education the online early learning program to provide children who are four years of age with access to online early learning content.

(b) The department shall contract the services of an online early learning service provider using competitive sealed bidding pursuant to section 103D-302; provided that the service provider shall be:

(1) A nonprofit corporation subject to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; and

(2) Able to demonstrate a history of successful online early learning programs, as verified by independent, valid, and reliable evaluations.

(c) The department shall require the service provider to submit a quarterly report to the board of education containing the following:

(1) The number of families volunteering to participate in the program;

(2) The number of families selected to participate in the program;

(3) The number of families requesting a computer or home internet service;

(4) The number of families that are provided a computer or home internet service;

(5) The participating families' frequency of using the instructional software provided by the program;

(6) Parental feedback on the program; and

(7) Student performance on prekindergarten and kindergarten readiness assessment.

(d) For the purposes of this Act, "online early learning program" means a program that meets all of the following criteria:

(1) Is designed to improve a child's transition into elementary education and contains content in reading, math, and science;

(2) Is aligned with nationally recognized early learning standards;

(3) Is provided in the student's home and consists of at least forty-five instructional hours;

(4) Provides for installing a computer or home internet service, or both, for low-income families participating in the project that do not have a computer or home internet service;

(5) Includes a parental engagement and involvement component, with support models provided in English, Hawaiian, and other languages as needed; and

(6) Includes an evaluation component that measures a student's growth over the course of the program."

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2019-2020 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the department of education to establish an online early learning program for children who are four years of age.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2019.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________