STAND. COM. REP. NO. 113-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1655

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1655 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Education to work with the Board of Education to create a public digital platform by the 2025-2026 school year that shows how schools statewide are adopting high-quality instructional materials for K-6 English language arts.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from HawaiiKidsCAN; Hawaiʻi State Literacy 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 the materials or core curricula that districts choose for reading instruction greatly impacts student learning and teacher practice. High-quality instructional materials are aligned to the science of reading and to the respective state's standards. Your Committee believes that investing in and adopting high-quality instructional materials will give Hawaii's teachers access to quality content and quality assignments.

Your Committee notes that the Department of Education has committed to having all public schools implement a comprehensive instructional program that reflects research based instructional strategies and addresses all or nearly all of the English language arts standards. This measure will ensure the Department of Education's commitment by requiring the Department to share with the public each school's progress in adopting high-quality instructional material.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Delaying the deadline for the creation of the public digital dashboard to the 2027-2028 school year;

(2) Requiring the public digital dashboard to show how schools statewide are adopting high-quality instructional materials for K-12, rather than K-6, English language arts;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000; and

(4) 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 Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1655, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1655, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair