STAND. COM. REP. NO. 32

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 807

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 807 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Education to submit an annual report on the school academic and financial plans to the Board of Education and the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the HE‘E Coalition and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that, currently, the Department of Education's academic plan and financial plan are two separate documents that are difficult to consider together. Your Committee further finds that it would be better to have a single consolidated report that illustrates how the use of financial resources impacts student outcomes. Requiring a consolidated report will allow for more transparency and accountability in Hawaii's school system.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the educational outcomes in the academic plan must have a clear description of priority improvement strategies and measures to determine progress;

(2) Clarifying that the inclusion of National Assessment of Educational Progress scores in the academic plan applies to those schools that participate in that assessment; and

(3) Specifying that the academic plan must include the last three years of Strive HI scores.

Your Committee notes that HE‘E Coalition suggested that there be continuous monitoring of academic plans by complex areas and state leadership to support schools' progress.

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 S.B. No. 807, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 807, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair