HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2407

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO THE ARTS.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature recognizes that the fine arts constitute a fundamental component of a student's comprehensive educational experience.  The legislature appreciates that the intellectual requirements of the fine arts help students develop problem-solving abilities and the critical-thinking skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.  It further acknowledges that the creative demands of the fine arts improve students' verbal and nonverbal communication skills; stimulates their imagination; and increases their ability to be resourceful and pragmatic.  Studying the fine arts can help students acquire and develop vocational, professional, and personal skills so they can eventually lead full and productive lives and become contributing members of their communities and society.  In addition, the legislature recognizes that the arts connect people across time, culture, and place, because they are both universal and culturally specific.

     By enacting Act 80, Session Laws of Hawaii 1999, and Act 306, Session Laws of Hawaii 2001, the legislature reinforced the development and implementation of content and performance standards for fine arts.  The state foundation on culture and the arts, working in consultation with the department of education, college of education and college of arts and humanities of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii Alliance for Arts Education, and Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, recognized that their coordinated efforts could sufficiently develop and implement high-quality arts-education programs for the State.  Collectively known as the Hawaii arts education partners, they provide critical services, despite resource shortfalls, and continue to work toward the provision of equally-accessible, arts-integrated education to students in Hawaii's schools.

     Currently, there are no permanent department of education complex-area fine-arts positions to serve public elementary schools.  In contrast, some intermediate, middle, and secondary public schools have music and visual-arts teachers, many of whom are certified in their respective disciplines.  Independent schools experience similar staffing challenges.  The legislature recognizes that developing and implementing fine-arts standards means to enable every student to study and experience the fine arts by means of sequential, consistent, and meaningful arts-infused, standards-based curricula delivered by qualified arts educators, arts specialists, and artists as educators.  The legislature further acknowledges the need to augment statewide resources for standards-based classroom instruction in all disciplines of the fine arts, particularly in the under-served areas of visual arts, music, drama and theater, and dance.

     The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to increase professional-development opportunities for public educators and teaching artists and ensure that the Artists in the Schools program remains in existence so that it can continue to provide broad access to arts education to students in Hawaii.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $750,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 for the training and professional development of arts educators in public schools and public charter schools from kindergarten through grade 12.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the state foundation on culture and the arts for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $250,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 for the Artists in the Schools program for arts education.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the state foundation on culture and the arts for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2012.


 


 

Report Title:

Arts Education

 

Description:

Appropriates funds for high-quality, integrated, meaningful arts education for students from kindergarten through grade 12.  Effective July 1, 2012.  (HB2407 HD1)

 

 

 

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