THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	900
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to the university of hawaii.

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Hawai‘i's public schools continue to face a critical teacher shortage. Over a five-year period, only fifty-four per cent of teachers who start continue in the profession and forty-six per cent leave their positions. In the 2017-2018 school year, there were over a thousand teaching positions filled by unlicensed teachers.

The University of Hawai‘i at Hilo has two distinct educator preparation programs: master of arts in teaching and kahuawaiola indigenous teacher education. Both programs are one year graduate level programs leading to initial teacher licensure through relevant coursework and extensive classroom practicum, hybrid programs offering face to face and distance learning serving students throughout Hawai‘i, annually enroll new cohorts, and have the capacity to take more students. These graduate level education programs have high success rates in preparing teachers who are committed to teaching in Hawai‘i. These programs serve students who know they want a career in education and who are more likely to stay in the profession. At the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, of the students who completed the master of arts in teaching program and started teaching, ninety-four per cent are still teaching in the department of education.

University of Hawai‘i at Hilo teacher preparation program retention rates are well above the state and national averages as they complete the one year programs leading to licensure. Ninety-one per cent of students complete the master of arts in teaching program. One hundred per cent of students complete the kahuawaiola indigenous teacher education program.

Ninety-six per cent of master of arts in teaching graduates are employed in the field of education after completing the year one licensure component. One hundred per cent of kahuawaiola indigenous teacher education graduates are employed in the field of Hawaiian education in the department of education, public charter, or private schools throughout Hawai‘i. Upon acceptance into the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo programs, many students do not enroll claiming an inability to pay for tuition and support a family, which may be why many students do not enroll or end up in other (non-University of Hawai‘i) programs.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate scholarship funds for University of Hawai‘i at Hilo students enrolled in the master of arts in teaching and kahuawaiola indigenous teacher education programs

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawai‘i the sum of $400,000 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 scholarship support for students in the master of arts in teaching and kahuawaiola indigenous teacher education programs, especially for those who plan to teach in the critical shortage areas of math, science, English, and Hawaiian.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2019.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

University of Hawai‘i at Hilo; Department of Education; Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education; Master of Arts in Teaching; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds to the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo for scholarships for students in the master of arts in teaching or kahuawaiola indigenous teacher education programs.

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