Report Title:

Appropriation; DOE; Parent-Community Networking Center Programs

Description:

Appropriates funds for Parent-Community Networking Center Programs.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

256

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR PARENT-COMMUNITY NETWORKING CENTER PROGRAMS.

 

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that there is overwhelming research evidence of the critical need for an integrated comprehensive system of family support, parent education, teacher-parent partnerships, and volunteer and resource development at the neighborhood, school, classroom, and family levels. According to the National Commission for Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF), forty-nine percent of student success is attributed to families, forty-three percent to teachers, and eight percent to small class size.

Parent-Community Networking Centers (PCNC) can provide the necessary programs and support to students, families, teachers, schools, and communities to improve student success. The goals of PCNCs are to:

(1) Create a sense of community at the school level, instill positive attitudinal changes among teachers and parents, and increase the numbers of parents involved in the education of Hawaii's youth;

(2) Help parents to support their children at home in reaching the content and performance standards;

(3) Provide more parental support to the classroom and teacher;

(4) Support teachers in forming strong teacher-parent partnerships; and

(5) Assist schools in informing and communicating with parents about their options under federal law, including the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

The legislature further finds that proper funding of PCNCs directly affects the success of its programs. Evaluative reports indicate that PCNCs that are funded at phases I and II result in improved school-community relations, positive attitudinal changes among teachers and parents, and increased parental involvement in the education of Hawaii's youth. In addition, PCNCs reportedly generate resources and services four-times the amount of resources expended in providing them. This makes PCNCs one of the most cost-effective programs in the department of education.

The legislature finds, however, that funding for phases I and II for PCNCs is inconsistent across the State. In many schools, PCNC funding is minimal or absent.

The legislature further finds that more mature PCNC programs must move into phases III and IV of development where teacher-parent partnerships are forged at the classroom level by the teacher and volunteer PCNC classroom parent. Satisfying teacher-parent partnerships at the classroom level while fostering a highly supportive sense of community at the school-building level has resulted in higher student achievement in each of the past four years at pilot phases III and IV at Kapunahala school, as evidenced by student SAT scores.

In addition, the legislature finds that there are many individuals in the community who desire to volunteer their time and share their talents to tutor children. However, there is no consistent state support system to prepare, train, and guide the volunteers.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the department of education:

(1) For equitable basic funding for all schools to implement PCNC phases I and II;

(2) For ten additional elementary schools to implement PCNC phases III and IV;

(3) For ten additional secondary schools to implement PCNC phases III and IV;

(4) For three PCNC assistants; and

(5) For PCNC-related research, including the development of assessment and evaluation tools, data collection, and analysis of program effectiveness and student achievement.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,576,400, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003-2004, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2004-2005, for Parent-Community Networking Centers; provided that:

(1) $250,000 shall be expended annually for establishment of new PCNC sites and programs, for the development of existing PCNC sites and programs, and for a resource teacher position to focus on secondary schools;

(2) $364,800 shall be expended annually for funding the thirty-two schools currently with PCNC programs at the basic level of $12,700 per school;

(3) $558,600 shall be expended annually for funding the thirty-eight schools currently without PCNC programs at the basic level of $14,700 per school;

(4) $124,000 shall be expended annually to implement phases III and IV at ten elementary schools;

(5) $124,000 shall be expended annually to implement phases III and IV at ten secondary schools;

(6) $105,000 shall be expended annually for three full-time state classified PCNC assistants: one assistant shall focus on assisting in developing and training parents based upon standards for parents as partners; one assistant shall focus primarily on volunteer development, training, and support in such programs as Volunteers in Service to America, RSVP, and Foster Grandparents, in which volunteers are recruited to tutor children grades K-12; and one assistant shall focus on supporting the training of all other volunteers in the schools; and

(7) $50,000 shall be expended annually for PCNC-related research, including the development of assessment and evaluation tools, data collection, and analysis of program effectiveness and student achievement.

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.

INTRODUCED BY:

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