STAND. COM. REP. NO. 574

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 1270
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education and Technology, to which was
recommitted S.B. No. 1270 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to give the Department of
Education more flexibility in regulating courses of study by
eliminating the requirement that fifty percent of each school day
be devoted to oral expression, written composition, and spelling. 

     This measure was recommitted to your Committee due to some
question as to whether this measure would completely delete the
requirement that schools teach any form of English.  Your
Committee notes that this measure simply deleted the mandate that
fifty percent of each school day be devoted to oral expression,
written composition, and spelling, and it is not the intent of
your Committee to delete the provision for the instruction of
English altogether.  Your Committee notes that Section 302A-201
establishes statewide performance standards, of which the study
of English is an integral aspect.

     Your Committee further finds that there are times when
meeting the fifty percent requirement of each instructional day
is not feasible or practical.  There are many student learning
experiences which can be enhanced by field trips within the
community, opportunities to work alongside visiting artists,
writers, and musicians, and exciting classroom lessons which can
take more than fifty percent of one day.  These enhanced learning

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 574
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situations provide students with a range and depth of experience
and knowledge which will enable then to learn, grow, and achieve.
The rigid time requirements mandated in the current statute
technically prevent such beneficial encounters from taking place.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the
fifty percent time requirement and the reference to the first
eight grades, and by adding that the course of study and
instruction shall be regulated in accordance with the statewide
performance standards established under Section 302A-201, Hawaii
Revised Statutes.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education and Technology that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 1270, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1270,
S.D. 1.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

 
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