STAND. COM. REP. NO. 240

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 969

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 969 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, require each public elementary school or public charter elementary school to offer instruction in the basics of computer science and computational thinking;

(2) Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, require each public middle or intermediate school or public charter middle or intermediate school to offer instruction in exploratory computer science; and

(3) Require each public school and public charter school to submit an annual report to the Department of Education that lists the computer science courses that are offered that include a minimum amount of programming.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from HawaiiKidsCAN. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that computing-based occupations make up more than two-thirds of all projected new jobs in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, commonly known as STEM fields. This means that college graduates with computer science degrees are in high demand among employers across the nation. Your Committee further finds that there is a disparity between the demand for computer science education and its availability as only forty percent of schools offer such courses.

Therefore, the intent of this measure is to integrate and prioritize computer science curriculum in public schools as a way of introducing the basics of computer science and computational thinking to students, which may prepare them for employment in fields related to computer science that have the potential to drive job growth and innovation throughout the economy.

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. 969 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair