STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1199

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   S.B. No. 778

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 778, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to require and provide funding for the Department of Education to develop and implement, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, annual assessments in the Hawaiian language, in accordance with established standards and state and federal assessment requirements, for students in the Hawaiian language immersion program (ka papahana kaiapuni).

 

     Kamehameha Schools, Hawaii Public Charter Schools Network, Hawaii Bilingual/Hawaii Olelo Palua, Ewa Puuloa Hawaiian Civic Club, King Kamehameha Hawaiian Civic Club, and numerous concerned individuals supported the measure.  The State Public Charter School Commission and Hawaii State Teachers Association supported the intent of the measure.  The Department of Education, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Kalihi Palama Hawaiian Civic Club supported the measure with amendments.

 

     Your Committee has amended the measure by, among other things:

 

     (1)  Deleting its codified provisions, including the requirements that the Department of Education:

 

          (A)  Develop and implement annual assessments in the Hawaiian language for language arts, mathematics, and science for ka papahana kaiapuni students; and

 

          (B)  With the assistance of the Hawaiian-language community, establish procedures for the development of the assessments;

 

     (2)  Requiring the Department of Education to submit preliminary and final reports to the Legislature regarding:

 

          (A)  The status of the development and administration of the non-translated Hawaiian-language assessments;

 

          (B)  The status of federal compliance issues relating to the non-translated Hawaiian-language assessments, including the status of any waivers sought from the United States Department of Education; and

 

          (C)  Any other actions taken by the Department of Education to comply with this measure;

 

     (3)  Requiring the Department of Education's final report to the Legislature to include the Department's long-term plan to develop and administer non-translated Hawaiian-language assessments for each of the grade levels required for federal accountability purposes, including funding projections and any federal compliance issues;

 

     (4)  Clarifying that the annual Hawaiian-language assessments for ka papahana kaiapuni students be non-translated;

 

     (5)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2015; and

 

     (6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 778, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 778, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair