Report Title:

DOE; Accountability; Academic Achievement, Safety and Well Being, and Civic Responsibility

Description:

Establishes academic achievement, safety and well being, and civic responsibility as the agreed upon goals for Hawaii's public education accountability. Defines performance indicators for these areas. (SD1)

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2059

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to educational accountability.

 

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

SECTION 1. As a result of the passage of Act 238, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000, a report was conducted by The Accord Group, LLC. This report synthesized input from a wide variety of stakeholders throughout the State and was designed to ascertain "what the State of Hawaii – from the top of the system to the bottom – must do to hold 183,000 students, and 260+ schools accountable, and what kinds of 'public accounting' must be done by the Board of Education, District and State Offices of the Board of Education, the Governor, parents, the business community, the Legislature, and other key stakeholders in the overall system."

The collaborative fact-finding process found agreement among the stakeholders on three primary goals that the public educational system should foster among students: academic achievement, safety and well being, and civic responsibility.

The purpose of this Act is to implement the recommendations of The Accord Group report by amending the Hawaii Revised Statutes to establish academic achievement, safety and well being, and civic responsibility as the agreed upon goals for Hawaii's public education accountability system, including a definition of civic responsibility.

SECTION 2. Section 302A-1004, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) The department shall implement a comprehensive system of educational accountability to motivate and support the improved performance of students and the education system. This accountability system shall:

(1) Include student accountability; school or collective professional accountability; individual professional accountability for teachers, principals, and other employees; and public accounting for other significant partners to the education process (including, but not limited to, parents, community members, businesses, higher education, media, and political leadership);

(2) Link authority and adequate resources to responsibility;

(3) Define clear roles for all parties and lines of responsibility and mutual obligation and develop a collaborative process with stakeholders, including representatives of appropriate bargaining units, parents, administration, and students;

(4) Involve fair and adequate assessment against agreed upon goals[;], including longitudinal progress and improvement spanning multiple school years. Outcome measures and action plans to address improving results should include but not be limited to the following components:

(A) Academic achievement:

(i) Reading proficiency by the end of third grade;

(ii) Personalized education plan for each student;

(iii) Ability to think critically; and

(iv) Graduation without remediation;

(B) Safety and well being:

(i) Attendance;

(ii) Comprehensive student support system plans in place to support each student with personalized classroom climate, differentiated classroom practices, family involvement, prevention/early intervention, support for transition between grades, community outreach and support, and specialized assistance and crisis/emergency support; and

(iii) Disciplinary offenses set forth in chapter 19 of the board of education administrative rules; and

(C) Civic responsibility:

(i) Knowledge of the fundamental processes of American democracy;

(ii) Skills necessary to actively engage in a democratic society;

(iii) Understanding and awareness of community and global issues;

(iv) Respect for self and others; ability to work together as part of a team; and

(v) Participation in school and community organizations;

(5) Invoke a full and balanced set of appropriate consequences for observed performance, including rewards and recognition for those schools that meet or exceed their goals, assistance to those that fall short, and sanctions for those that given adequate assistance and ample time, continue to fail to meet goals;

(6) Involve:

(A) A statewide student assessment program that provides annual data on student, school, and system performance at selected benchmark grade levels in terms of student performance relative to statewide content and performance standards and embodies high and rigorous expectations for the attainment of all students; and

(B) An annual assessment in core subjects for each grade level, as conducted by each school;

(7) Involve a comprehensive school profile or report card for each school, which shall include, but not be limited to, student performance measures, school attendance, drop-out rates, and parental involvement. These reports shall be made available annually to the board, the governor, the legislature, the parents, and the general public;

(8) Require that teachers and administrators engage in the continuous professional growth and development that ensure their currency with respect to disciplinary content, leadership skill, knowledge, or pedagogical skill, as appropriate to their position. This requirement may be established by the department in terms of credit hours earned or their equivalent in professional development activity certified by the department as appropriate in focus and rigor; and

(9) Establish an explicit link between professional evaluation results and individual accountability through professional development of the knowledge, skill, and professional behavior necessary to the position, by requiring that results of the professional evaluation be used by the department to prescribe professional development focus and content, as appropriate.

Beginning with the 2001-2002 school year, the department shall submit to the legislature, the governor, and the board of education at least twenty days prior to the convening of each regular legislative session a report of the specifics of the design of the comprehensive accountability system, as well as the fiscal requirements and legislative actions necessary to create the accountability system."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.