SCR56

WHEREAS, the Board of Education has a constitutional mandate to formulate statewide educational policy over the public school system set forth by Article X, Section 3, of the Hawaii State Constitution; and

WHEREAS, providing Hawaii's keiki with high quality educational experiences is of paramount importance to ensuring success for Hawaii's future generations; and

WHEREAS, reliable transportation promotes school attendance and ensures all keiki have access to high quality education across the State; and

WHEREAS, reliable transportation methods such as bicycles provide numerous benefits, including physical exercise, fewer financial expenses, greater flexibility than public transportation, and no carbon dioxide emissions; and

WHEREAS, Act 306, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, authorizes the Department of Transportation to issue rebates for electric bicycles and electric mopeds for individuals who are eighteen years or older; and

WHEREAS, teenagers in high school would particularly benefit from subsidized bicycles as students must commute between home and school, may work part-time jobs, and often lack the financial resources to purchase a motor vehicle or other modes of transportation; and

WHEREAS, providing subsidized bicycles through a bicycle grant program would alleviate low attendance rates and chronic tardiness, and allow students to spend more time in the classroom learning; and

WHEREAS, civic education helps develop critical thinking skills that are vital to the functioning of a democratic nation, including how to recognize social problems, evaluate possible solutions, separate evidence-based claims from opinions, and taking action; and

WHEREAS, in 2018, the Board of Education adopted the Hawaii Core Standards in social studies, which outline content, concepts, and inquiry skills students need to reason, wonder, and think about the vastness and richness of the human condition; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Core Standards in social studies also integrate and encompass the democratic values, civility, and global perspective needed to support the development of critical thinking and habits of mind that are the hallmark of a mature, community-minded citizen; and

WHEREAS, the proliferation of disinformation, misinformation, digital discrimination, and online hate speech have become larger, pervasive threats to modern society; and

WHEREAS, disinformation and online hate speech have been linked to outbursts of violence in the real world; and

WHEREAS, engaging students in the pursuit of active and informed citizenship will connect students to the world through informed instructional experiences that are led by teachers who are committed to active civic participation; and

WHEREAS, implementing civic education and media literacy programs teaches students to not only acquire knowledge but develop the skills to engage in the workings of a democracy and practice of democratic citizenship while also being cognizant of the danger of disinformation, misinformation, digital discrimination, and online hate speech; and

WHEREAS, financial education is a lifelong learning process that empowers individuals to plan for their futures; and

WHEREAS, historically, the education system has assumed that students learn important financial skills from their families; and

WHEREAS, not all students are being taught the financial skills they will need to be successful later in life; and

WHEREAS, the lack of financial literacy poses a significant barrier for individuals seeking to achieve financial prosperity and stability, especially for younger individuals who are preparing to become heads of households, investors, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and responsible citizens; and

WHEREAS, the creation of a financial literacy curriculum would not only prepare Hawaii's keiki in economic and financial matters, but would also promote the development of fiscal responsibility and financial management skills; and

WHEREAS, sign language is a powerful communication tool for those with hearing or speech disorders, autism spectrum disorders, dyslexia, specific language impairments, Down Syndrome, and other disabilities; and

WHEREAS, American Sign Language, or ASL, is a vital part of the linguistic heritage of the State that benefits and enriches hearing-impaired and non-hearing-impaired individuals; and

WHEREAS, Act 152, Session Laws of Hawaii 2016, recognizes American Sign Language as a world language for public school language requirement purposes; and

WHEREAS, while fluency in American Sign Language is a marketable skill, the lack of American Sign Language courses in Hawaii public schools makes it difficult to meet the needs of hearing-impaired students in their studies and educate students who are interested in studying American Sign Language; and

WHEREAS, public school students with deaf siblings or other family members would also benefit from the opportunity to acquire American Sign Language skills in an educational setting, as it would improve their ability to communicate with deaf family members; and

WHEREAS, developing additional programs in American Sign Language will create accessible education for all students in the public school system; and

WHEREAS, creating programs within public education that go beyond traditional academic subjects will prepare Hawaii's keiki to become well-rounded citizens while also preparing them to accomplish future academic, career, and life goals; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Board of Education is requested to review various subject matter areas for consideration in public school curriculum; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, specifically, the Board of Education is requested to consider the following programs and curriculum for implementation in public schools:

(1) Bicycle grants;

(2) Media literacy;

(3) Civic education;

(4) Financial literacy; and

(5) American Sign Language; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Education.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Board of Education; Department of Education; Public Schools; Curriculum; Media Literacy; Financial Literacy; Civic Education; Bicycle Grant Program; Sign Language

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	56
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII