Report Title:

Hawaii Teacher Standards Board; National Board Certification

Description:

Appropriates funds for the Hawaii teacher standards board to maintain a national board certification candidate support program for public school teachers.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

934

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to national board certification for department of education teachers.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, a national organization with nineteen partner states, including Hawaii, is focused on improving student learning by ensuring that there is a caring, competent, and qualified teacher in every classroom.

Since 2000, the sixteen-member Hawaii Policy Group of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, composed of a representative group of educational stakeholders, has collaborated on research-based recommendations to improve teaching in Hawaii. The recommendations encompass five key areas:

(1) Establishing and implementing standards for students and teachers;

(2) Teacher preparation and professional development;

(3) Teacher recruitment and placing qualified teachers in all classrooms;

(4) Encouraging and rewarding teaching knowledge and skill; and

(5) Creating schools that are organized for student and teacher success.

Research indicates that teacher qualifications comprise a significant factor affecting student achievement and that national board-certified teachers have a strong impact on their students. It is important to continue to identify, support, recognize, and reward Hawaii teachers in the department of education who voluntarily undergo the national board certification process.

National board certification requires a tremendous commitment of time and professional risk-taking. The application fee represents a large financial investment. To be successful, certification candidates need a strong support program, access to the support program and testing facilities, and release days to organize and prepare the documents and portfolio required for submittal.

In 2001, the legislature assigned responsibility for administration of the national board certification candidate support program to the Hawaii teacher standards board. In the past two years the number of candidates has increased from two in 2000 to seventy-four in 2001 to sixty-four in 2002.

The purpose of this Act is to maintain the legislature's commitment to support and recognize highly accomplished teaching by providing the Hawaii teacher standards board with continued funding for implementing and administering a program of support for national board certification candidates in the public schools and to appropriate finds to the Hawaii teacher standards board for the purpose of this Act.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $92,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003-2004, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2004-2005, to maintain a national board certification candidate support program for public school teachers to be implemented and administered by the Hawaii teacher standards board.

The national board certification candidate support program shall provide candidate support by establishing release days and providing facilitator and trainer stipends, training and training materials, and payment of transportation expenses to enable neighbor island candidates to attend candidate support sessions and assessment center exercises on the island of Oahu.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________