STAND

 

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1257-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: S.B. No. 3101

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred S.B. No. 3101, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to improve early childhood education in the state by implementing and appropriating funds for the recommendations of the temporary Early Childhood Education Task Force established by Act 151, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005, including:

(1) Creating the Early Learning Authority to develop, implement, and provide for the sustainability of a coherent, comprehensive early learning system that maximizes public and private resources to provide early learning opportunities for all children in the state up to age eight; and

(2) Establishing the conceptual framework for Hawaii's early learning system.

The University of Hawaii, Good Beginnings Alliance, Hawaii Educational Policy Center, Waianae Coast Early Childhood Services, Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, American Academy of Pediatrics, Hawaii Chapter, Childcare Business Coalition, KCAA Preschools of Hawaii, Calvary Episcopal Preschool, Good Beginnings Council – Maui, and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill. The Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture supported this measure with reservations. The Department of Education (DOE), Department of Human Services, Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children, and Keiki O Ka Aina supported the intent of this bill. A concerned individual offered comments.

Upon consideration, your Committees have amended this bill by replacing its entire contents. As amended, this bill:

(1) Establishes and appropriates funds for the Early Learning Educational Task Force (Task Force), which:

(A) Will develop plans and timelines for a coherent, comprehensive, and sustainable early learning system, including making recommendations for the early learning system and submitting reports to the Governor and Legislature; and

(B) Is composed of two working groups, including:

(i) The interdepartmental working group which will develop plans to maximize public and private resources to provide early learning opportunities for all children in the state who are four years old by January 1 of that school year; and

(ii) The quality assurance working group which will focus on issues of quality in early childhood education;

(2) Appropriates funds to build upon the existing framework and services for early childhood learning, including:

(A) Enhancing junior kindergarten services to ensure children are provided with learning experiences that promote the skills they need to be successful in kindergarten or first grade;

(B) Expanding to three new sites DOE's Families for R.E.A.L., an early childhood program that fosters interaction between parents and their children; and

(C) Supporting grantees of the Early Head Start and Head Start programs, comprehensive early childhood education programs that serve low-income children and families;

and

(3) Takes effect on July 1, 2006; provided that the bill shall be repealed on July 1, 2008.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Labor & Public Employment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3101, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3101, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Labor & Public Employment,

 

____________________________ KIRK CALDWELL, Chair		____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Chair