STAND. COM. REP. NO. 299-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2915
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No.
2915 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve services to special
education students by:

     (1)  Limiting the caseload of a Department of Education
          (DOE) speech pathologist to 40 special education
          students; and

     (2)  Requiring that the actual number of students be based
          on the type of disability, the severity of disability,
          and the type and amount of services required by a given
          speech pathologist's students.

     The Hawaii Government Employees Association, Hawaii State
Teachers Association, Information Services, Hawaii Speech-
Language Hearing Association's Public School Caucus, concerned
speech pathologists, and parents submitted testimony in support
of this measure. 

     The DOE submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

     Your Committee finds that the caseloads of speech
pathologists have increased to the present unmanageable level,
which is often in excess of 75 students per speech pathologist.

 
 
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Such heavy caseloads not only result in the obvious deterioration
of service, but also in faculty frustration and burn-out that
lead to retention and recruitment difficulties of the DOE.   This
measure recognizes the positive correlation between the number of
students being serviced by a teacher and the effectiveness of
those services being rendered. 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Adding an appropriation section with the sum of $1 for
          purposes of continued discussion;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2000; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of 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 H.B. No.
2915, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2915, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   KEN ITO, Chair