HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

80

THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENTS.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the 2009 United States Department of Education grant competition, the Race to the Top Assessment Program, shifted national education priorities from inquiry-based teaching to standardized testing.  This shift led to teachers and administrators spending more time, money, and energy on standardized testing at the expense of alternative learning pathways.

     The legislature further finds that an overemphasis on standardized testing narrows academic curricula, causing teachers to teach to the test and leading to reductions in arts and cultural education and vocational programs.  Overemphasizing standardized testing also creates a climate of compliance and fear among students, teachers, and administrators.  Moreover, research shows that the negative effects of standardized testing, such as diverted resources and low teacher morale, most directly harm students in low-income communities and minority students.

     The legislature also finds that the federal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 urged states to adopt innovative assessments as an alternative to standardized testing.  Authentic assessments align classroom curricula with real-world problem solving.  Examples of authentic assessments include project-based learning, problem-based learning, scientific experimentation, technological innovation, historical analysis, and portfolio writing.

     The purpose of this Act is to promote twenty-first century learning for Hawaii's public school children by amending the implementation of standards-based curriculum, including authorizing public school complexes to use authentic assessments as part of classroom-based performance assessments.

     SECTION 2.  Section 302A-321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[]§302A-321[]]  Standards-based curriculum.  (a)  When developing a standards-based curriculum and implementing it in a school or complex, at [the] minimum, the curriculum shall:

     (1)  Be specific in its standards-based scope and sequence over a school year for each grade level and course;

     (2)  Be consistent in course content;

     (3)  Be aligned across all grade levels; and

     (4)  Specifically address the state content and performance standards and related benchmark maps[; and

     (5)  Be implemented in all appropriate classrooms in the school or complex].

     (b)  School complexes may choose to develop an articulated and aligned K-12 standards-based curriculum in one or more of the following core content areas:

     (1)  Language arts;

     (2)  Mathematics;

     (3)  Science; and

     (4)  Social studies.

     (c)  School complexes shall provide professional development.

     [(d)  School complexes that develop a standards-based curriculum shall use standards-based formative assessment tools to monitor student progress, not less than on a quarterly basis throughout the school year.]

     [(e)] (d)  School complexes [shall] may develop rigorous classroom-based performance assessments[.], which may include authentic assessments.

     [(f)] (e)  School complexes may implement software programs at the school level to help to align school course material with Hawaii content and performance and federal educational standards.

     (f)  For the purposes of this section, "authentic assessments" means an evaluation of student performance that involves multiple forms of measurement other than standardized testing and that connects instructional content to real-world problem-solving, including project-based learning and problem-based learning."

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

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on June 30, 3000.


 


 

Report Title:

Education; Public Schools; Complexes; Curriculum; Authentic Assessments

 

Description:

Repeals the requirements for standards-based curriculum to be implemented in all classrooms in public schools and public school complexes and for public school complexes to use standards-based formative assessment tools to monitor student progress.  Authorizes public school complexes to develop rigorous classroom-based performance assessments, including the use of authentic assessments as part of classroom-based performance assessments.  Effective 6/30/3000.  (HD1)

 

 

 

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