206
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.R. NO.              
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE  RESOLUTION

  REQUESTING THE APPOINTMENT OF A TEMPORARY ADVISORY COMMISSION
    TO RECOMMEND A NEW PROGRAM STRUCTURE FOR LOWER EDUCATION
    THAT IS AN EDUCATION GOALS, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DRIVEN
    SYSTEM, WITH A FINANCE COMPONENT DESIGNED TO FINANCE THE
    PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES REQUIRED TO MEET THESE GOALS.



 1        WHEREAS, the "program structure" for lower education
 2   (i.e., the display of programs that are grouped in accordance
 3   with the educational objectives to be achieved or the
 4   education-related functions to be performed) has been the
 5   subject of controversy for more than thirty years; and
 6   
 7        WHEREAS, despite numerous changes to the program structure
 8   of the Department of Education--the most recent beginning with
 9   the 1993-1995 fiscal biennium, no one program structure has
10   proven to be entirely satisfactory to the Department and the
11   Legislature for any great length of time; and
12   
13        WHEREAS, designing a program structure that is an
14   education goals, student achievement driven system, with a
15   finance component designed to finance the programs and
16   strategies required to meet these goals, requires personnel who
17   are trained in budgeting and accounting principles; and
18   
19        WHEREAS, establishing a clear link to the programs needed
20   to accomplish these education goals and to comply with the
21   Felix consent decree, is necessary in order to "cost out"
22   strategies for producing high levels of student achievement and
23   for complying with the requirements of the consent decree; and
24   
25        WHEREAS, linking the program structure for lower education
26   to education goals would provide the means for clearly relating
27   the appropriation, allocation, and expenditure of resources to
28   these goals as desired by the Legislature and demanded by the
29   taxpayers of this State; and
30   
31        WHEREAS, it is unclear whether or not the Department of
32   Education has the trained personnel needed to design such a
33   program structure or to "cost out" strategies for producing
34   high levels of student achievement and for complying with the
35   requirements of the Felix consent decree; now, therefore,
36   

 
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                                  H.R. NO.              
                                                        
                                                        


 1        BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
 2   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
 3   of 1999, that the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the
 4   House of Representatives, the Governor, and the Chairperson of
 5   the Board of Education are requested to appoint a temporary
 6   advisory commission to recommend a new program structure for
 7   lower education that is an education goals, student achievement
 8   driven system, with a finance component designed to finance the
 9   programs and strategies required to meet these goals; and
10   
11        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the advisory commission is
12   also requested to:
13   
14        (1)  Review the existing minimum qualifications for key
15             appointed and tenured positions within the Department
16             of Education with respect to the skills, knowledge,
17             and abilities that will be needed to implement the
18             new program structure; and
19   
20        (2)  Recommend changes to these minimum qualifications in
21             order to ensure that individuals occupying these key
22             positions in the future will have the skills,
23             knowledge, and abilities needed to implement the new
24             program structure;
25   
26   and
27   
28        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the advisory commission is
29   requested to be comprised of not more than eight voting
30   members:  two of whom are appointed by the President of the
31   Senate, two of whom are appointed by the Speaker of the House
32   of Representatives, two of whom are appointed by the Governor,
33   and two of whom are appointed by the Chairperson of the Board
34   of Education; and
35   
36        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Superintendent of
37   Education is requested to chair the advisory commission and to
38   serve as an ex officio nonvoting member of the commission; and
39   
40        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education,
41   the Department of Budget and Finance, the Department of Human
42   Resources Development, and the Legislative Reference Bureau are
43   requested to provide technical assistance to the advisory
44   commission on such matters as the budgeting and accounting
45   systems of the Department of Education, and the minimum
46   qualifications for key appointed and tenured positions within

 
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                                  H.R. NO.              
                                                        
                                                        


 1   the Department of Education, the state personnel system and the
 2   minimum qualifications of personnel therein, and legislative
 3   drafting, respectively; and
 4   
 5        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the advisory commission is
 6   requested to submit a status report to the Legislature not less
 7   than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session
 8   of 2000, describing the progress of the commission; and a final
 9   report to the Legislature not less than twenty days prior to
10   the convening of the Regular Session of 2001, containing the
11   findings and recommendations of the commission; and
12   
13        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
14   Resolution be transmitted to the President of the Senate, the
15   Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Governor, the
16   Chairperson of the Board of Education, the Superintendent of
17   Education, the Director of Finance, the Director of Human
18   Resources Development, and the Acting Director of the
19   Legislative Reference Bureau.
20 
21 
22 
23                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________