THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

54

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DESIGN AND REPORT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING A GRADES 6-12 CAREER AND LIFE SKILLS PROGRAM, AS A PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE CAREER DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM.

WHEREAS, we live in a world of explosive technological change and intense global competition. In this restless new world, what is needed above all is a new mindset — if America and Hawaii are going to sustain a high standard of living into the twenty-first century and prevail as a global economic power in the long run. A completely different way of thinking is necessary if Hawaii is going to win a place in the new, dramatically more competitive global environment; and

WHEREAS, what is needed is a revolution that reaches far beyond the world of commerce into many walks of Hawaiian life - and especially in the way children are educated and the way young people are prepared for the new world of work; in how different parts of the community must learn to work together; in how Hawaii sees itself; and in how our State goes about building a more promising and reliable future; and

WHEREAS, our State’s performance in the global game does not begin with its corporations. Rather, it begins with the mind-sets of its people — how people are taught to think, deal with one another, and work together. In other words, the game begins in school; and

WHEREAS, a virtual wave of education reform efforts has washed back and forth across the landscape of American education. Hawaii has not been an exception. And yet, for all our efforts, little tangible improvement can be demonstrated. Despite recent budget difficulties, we have tried to keep education as a priority. In general, our teachers are better qualified and somewhat better paid, standards-based education is taking hold, and test scores are rising a little. However, there remains a persistent - indeed, growing - perception that education in Hawaii could do much better both for our youngsters and our future; and

WHEREAS, it would seem that the education crisis and economic crisis share a common root: a profound disjuncture between the outcomes of education and the workforce requirements of the emerging world economy. Educational institutions have too often failed to offer programs that have a tangible and believable impact on improving the employment and life prospects of the majority of students; and

WHEREAS, many schools have been focused on a single, overriding objective: to identify the "best and brightest" among their students and prepare them to enroll in four-year, baccalaureate degree programs. Students who make other choices are said to have "ailed to go to college"— with an unmistakable emphasis on the word failed. And yet, the perentage of occupations for which a baccalaureate degree or higher is a substantive prerequisite for entry has remained essentially unchanged for half a century, hovering at around 20%. At the same time, the number of occupations that require a technical background has increased to 60%. It is inevitable, then, that when a four-year degree and a professional career is touted as the ultimate objective of education, but only one in five can ever reach that objective, the morale of the majority of students is undermined; and

WHEREAS, successful implementation of the kind of high-performance, high-wage economy we envision for our future will require an altogether different kind of workforce: flexible and adaptive, self-disciplined and self-motivated, inquisitive and innovative, engaged and empowered, with high morale and high enthusiasm - a workforce for the 21 century. To create this new kind of workforce, a new kind of education is a necessary precondition; and

WHEREAS, the reform agenda for public education in the State of Hawaii should therefore include:

(1) The continued refinement and fostering of a universal, high performance, standards-based model for public education at all levels, preschool to adult;

(2) The development and implementation of a comprehensive, statewide, career development system and a lifelong skill development program geared toward the creation of a high skills/high flexibility workforce; and

(3) The definition and promotion of a high-productivity, high-quality, high-wage orientation for the economy of the State;

and

WHEREAS, the reform agenda should also affirm that:

(1) All students, regardless of perceived ability, learning styles, or career goals, can and should master a set of universal academic, life, family, and career skills - a Common Core of Learning-needed for success and self-sufficiency in a high performance world;

(2) All students - again regardless of their perceived ability, learning styles, or career goals - can and should be prepared for both postsecondary education and a career;

(3) Barely one in five jobs actually requires a baccalaureate degree or higher for entry, while all sectors of a high performance economy, not just professional occupations, need highly-trained, highly motivated, high performance workers; and

(4) In addition to college preparation, various career pathways should be made available throughout the State of Hawaii, designed to meet both the diverse demands of a high-skills, high-performance labor market and the diverse needs of the 75 - 85% of students who currently enter the labor market without the benefit of a baccalaureate degree;

now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2002, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Education, as a part of a comprehensive career development system, design a plan for implementing a grades 6-12 career and life skills program that:

(1) Is continuous and developmental;

(2) Is an extension of the Common Core of Learning that also enables students to focus in grades 11 and 12;

(3) Transitions easily into 2+2, Tech Prep, or baccalaureate programs;

(4) Includes internships and other types of community-based learning; and

(5) Includes as partners community colleges, private schools, universities, business and industry, community organizations, and labor unions;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department report on its progress in developing the program to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the Regular Session of 2003; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, Hawaii Government Employees Association, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, and Hawaii Business Roundtable.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Career and Life Skills Program