THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

94

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING A REPORT ON TO THE ESTIMATED COST, COST SAVINGS, AND IMPACT OF PROVIDING AND EXPANDING ONLINE INSTRUCTION THROUGH THE HAWAII VIRTUAL LEARNING NETWORK'S PROGRAMS AND COURSES.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, the mission of the Hawaii Board of Education is to promote excellence and equity in Hawaii's public schools and enable all students to meet their own unique and varied potentials; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that traditional classroom instruction offered by the Department of Education does not meet the needs of every student; and

 

     WHEREAS, some students learn at a faster rate than their peers, which causes those students to become bored at school; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Education is in the midst of an unprecedented fiscal crisis; and

 

     WHEREAS, instructional programs that require students to conduct most of their studies online could lower the cost of public education by reducing the number of teachers needed and cutting the cost of operating school facilities; and

 

     WHEREAS, Act 275, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, established the Hawaii Online Task Force to develop a systematic plan to expand opportunities for online learning to enhance the learning experiences of students across the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Hawaii Virtual Learning Network, a product of the Hawaii Online Task Force, is a collaborative partnership of the Department of Education's E‑School, Myron B. Thompson Academy, and the University of Hawaii Online Learning Academy that establishes criteria for, evaluates, and approves online courses to be offered in Hawaii's schools; offers training for Hawaii teachers to serve as online instructors; provides centralized support services to online students; and establishes partnerships with institutes of higher education, private schools, charter schools, state virtual schools, and commercial vendors; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Education already offers online courses to high school and middle school students through various initiatives such as the Hawaii Virtual Learning Network; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that that the Hawaii Virtual Learning Network has made laudable efforts to increase on-time graduation rates, increase student achievement and interest, prepare students for the workforce, and lower the cost of public education; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Education is requested to report to the Legislature:

 

     (1)  The cost of providing online instruction through the Hawaii Virtual Learning Network, in total and per student, and estimated cost savings of providing online versus classroom instruction;

 

     (2)  The cost of expanding the Network's programs or courses, including costs for technology and infrastructure, technical support, additional teaching materials, and occasional face-to-face meetings between teachers and students;

 

     (3)  The impact of the courses or programs provided through the Network on students and teachers who participate in the Network's programs or courses; and

 

     (4)  The academic achievement, including measures of improved learning if any, of student participants in the Network's programs or courses; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to submit its report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012; and

 

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

Report Title: 

Department of Education; Online Instruction Pilot Program