STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2793

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2384

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2384 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to promote the expansion of Hawaii's computer science education curricula to include the fields of design thinking and coding.

 

     Specifically, this measure requires the Department of Education to:

 

(1)  Develop a comprehensive plan to integrate design thinking and coding into the curricula of the State's middle, intermediate, and high schools; and

 

(2)  Submit the plan and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2019.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from Transform Hawaii Government, the OCC Legislative Priorities Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and one concerned individual.

 

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

 

     Your Committee believes that introducing students to complex computer science concepts early in their education will prepare students for highly-skilled careers.  Accordingly, encouraging Hawaii's students to learn design thinking and coding will help to develop a competitive information technology workforce in Hawaii and help to position Hawaii as a future leader in the information technology industry.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2384 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

 

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair