HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

80

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

rEQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO iMPLEMENT a WEIGHTED STUDENT FORMULA.

 

 

WHEREAS, Hawaii is a state comprised of eight islands, each with distinct populations, geographies, and educational needs; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's public education system is the only statewide system in the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, education reform has been a key issue for many years and many different strategies have been proposed to address education reform; and

WHEREAS, any effort to reform our schools must be grounded in experience and research and requires the input of all the key partners such as the governor, legislature, BOE, DOE, the business community and unions, as well as parents and students; and

WHEREAS, any new approach should build upon past efforts to decentralize the DOE such as was done with School Community Based Management (SCBM); and

WHEREAS, it is clear that unless schools are given greater financial control, any attempt to create decentralized governance structures will not truly empower them; and

WHEREAS, the Weighted Student Formula (WSF) is an innovative approach where the budget is student-centered rather than program- or personnel-centered and where the money follows the student; and

WHEREAS, WSF has proven to be effective in making meaningful gains in school districts such as Seattle, Houston, and Edmonton, Canada; and

WHEREAS, the DOE is facing challenges due to the federal "No Child Left Behind Act" that changes must be made to raise educational standards and address compliance to the law; and

WHEREAS, by implementing WSF throughout our system including charter schools, there will be increased opportunities for parents to choose schools that best address the needs of their children thereby empowering them because schools must respond to their needs, or suffer declining enrollments; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that the Board of Education is requested to submit a plan to implement the Weighted-Student Formula in the State of Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Superintendent of Education and Board of Education are requested to report findings and recommendations to the Legislature twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2004; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Board of Education and the Superintendent of Education.