STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2819

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2768

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2768, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO KINDERGARTEN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve educational opportunities for youth by making kindergarten attendance mandatory.

     Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Makes kindergarten attendance mandatory for children who will be at least five years of age on July 31 of the school year;

     (2)  Requires the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Executive Office on Early Learning, to develop a statewide kindergarten readiness program and a process to collect readiness assessment information and data;

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

     (4)  Makes an appropriation to the Department of Education.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of the measure from the University of Hawaii College of Education, the Hawaii State Teachers Association, the Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children, the Executive Office on Early Learning, Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, and one individual.  Written comments were submitted by the Department of Human Services.

     Your Committee finds that kindergarten attendance prepares children for elementary school by teaching fundamental reading, writing, and social development skills.  Your Committee further finds that making kindergarten attendance mandatory for children who are least five years old will help prepare them for educational achievement and continuing success.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding a section to reflect amendments to section 302A-411, Hawaii Revised Statutes, that will take effect on July 1, 2014;

     (2)  Clarifying the age requirements that apply to mandatory kindergarten attendance and the process and tools used to assess individualized kindergarten readiness;

     (3)  Changing the amount of the appropriation to an unspecified sum;

     (4)  Changing the effective dates to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

     (5)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 2768, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2768, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair