STAND. COM. REP. NO. 498

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 725

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Lower & Higher Education and Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 725 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STANDARDIZED TESTING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to promote real-world learning experiences for Hawaii's children by:

(1) Limiting public school students' participation in standardized tests to only standardized tests as required by state and federal law;

(2) Requiring the Board of Education to notify students and their parents or guardians about the right to opt out of participating in standardized testing; and

(3) Prohibiting the use of standardized test scores for the valuation of teachers and educational officers.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus, Americans for Democratic Action, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Honolulu County Republican Party, and many individuals supported this measure. The Department of Education and Department of the Attorney General provided comments.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Department of Education shall notify students and their parents or guardians about the right to opt out of participating in standardized testing, rather than the Board of Education;

(2) Removing language which prohibited the use of standardized test scores for the evaluation of teachers and educational officers;

(3) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Lower & Higher Education and Labor & Public Employment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 725, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 725, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Lower & Higher Education and Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________ AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair

____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair