STAND. COM. REP. NO.  373-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 14

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 14 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve early childhood education in Hawaii by:

     (1)  Making kindergarten attendance mandatory;

     (2)  Requiring that, unless for specified reasons, all children who will be at least five years old by July 1 of any school year attend either a public or private school; and

     (3)  Requiring the early learning system to facilitate children's transition to kindergarten, with priority given to underserved or at-risk children.

The Executive Office on Early Learning, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, Hawaii P-20, Good Beginnings Alliance, Hui for Excellence in Education, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Hawaii State AFL-CIO, Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture, and two concerned individuals supported the measure.  The Department of Human Services supported the intent of the measure.  The Department of Education supported the measure with amendments.  A concerned individual opposed the measure.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Requiring that, unless for specified reasons, all children who will be at least five years old by July 31 of any school year attend either a public or private school;

     (2)  Deleting the requirement that the early learning system must facilitate the transition to kindergarten of children, with priority given to underserved or at-risk children;

     (3)  Establishing within the Department of Education an individualized kindergarten readiness assessment system;

     (4)  Requiring the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Executive Office on Early Learning, to develop a statewide individualized kindergarten readiness system to collect information and data made available through the individualized kindergarten readiness assessment system;

     (5)  Inserting an appropriation of $870,000 for the administration, training, technology, and support necessary for the establishment of the individualized kindergarten readiness assessment system and to establish four full-time equivalent (4.0 FTE) positions within the Department of Education for professional development and training of kindergarten teachers; 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 H.B. No. 14, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 14, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair