STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3162

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2486

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2486, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION DATA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Education to:

(1) Establish a standardized data collection process for public schools, including public charter schools, and complex areas to maintain records and report data to the Department;

(2) Collect and analyze data relating to, among other things, student discipline, seclusion, restraint, school climate, and student achievement; and

(3) Annually report certain information to the Board of Education, Legislature, and the public.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, American Association of University Women of Hawaii, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, Hawaii Women's Coalition, and Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!.

Your Committee finds that accurate data collection relating to absenteeism, discipline, and learning allows school system personnel and the Board of Education to determine interventions as necessary to encourage student success. Your Committee further finds that the United States Department of Education published a proposal on September 19, 2019, in the Federal Register announcing its intention to cease collecting certain types of data from public schools and public charter schools for the Department's mandatory civil rights data collection. This measure ensures that such important data will be collected on the state level.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2486, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair