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THE SENATE |
S.R. NO. |
105 |
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THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE RESOLUTION
Requesting the University of Hawaii SYSTEM, in collaboration with the Department of education and other institutions of higher education, to require completion of comprehensive coursework in reading, language, and literacy as a condition for graduation from any state-approved educator preparation program leading to teacher licensure.
WHEREAS, literacy is a foundational skill essential to academic success, workforce readiness, and civic participation; and
WHEREAS, reading proficiency by the end of third grade is a critical benchmark that strongly predicts future educational outcomes; and
WHEREAS, recognizing its importance, the Department of Education has identified literacy achievement as a priority area for student success; and
WHEREAS, preservice teacher preparation in learning to teach students how to read is the beginning of a teacher's lifelong professional growth; and
WHEREAS, ensuring that all teacher candidates are equipped with research- and evidence-based reading instruction practices is essential to improving student literacy outcomes across the State; and
WHEREAS, evidence-based research on how students learn to read and how reading should be effectively taught encompasses decades of interdisciplinary study in cognitive science, neuroscience, and education; and
WHEREAS, the complex process of achieving literacy emphasizes explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; and
WHEREAS, despite its efficacy, many teacher preparation programs nationwide have not consistently required comprehensive literacy coursework, resulting in gaps in instructional effectiveness; and
WHEREAS, aligning teacher preparation requirements with research-based instructional methods will strengthen educator readiness and student achievement statewide; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the University of Hawaii System, in collaboration with the Department of Education and other institutions of higher education, is requested to require all candidates enrolled in state-approved educator preparation programs leading to teacher licensure to successfully complete comprehensive coursework in reading, language, and literacy; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the reading, language, and literacy coursework requirement is requested to include instruction in:
(1) Research- and evidence-based reading development and instruction;
(2) Structured literacy practices, including phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension;
(3) Assessment and identification of reading difficulties, including characteristics of dyslexia; and
(4) Intervention strategies to support struggling readers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that completion of the comprehensive reading, language, and literacy coursework is requested to be a mandatory condition for graduation from any state-approved teacher education program and for recommendation for teacher licensure in the State; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the relevant state-approved teacher education programs are requested to implement this requirement no later than the 2028-2029 school year; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted the Chairperson of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, President of the University of Hawaii System, Chairperson of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents, Dean of the College of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and chief executive officer of each state-approved teacher education program.
UH; DOE; Literacy; Educator Preparation Programs; Teacher Licensure