Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.R. No. 14 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Education to encourage the use of closed-captioned television to teach reading to students.

The Department of Education and two individuals submitted testimony supporting this measure.

A two-year pilot project is proposed to instruct teachers on the literacy benefits of closed-captioned television viewing and require the teachers to produce written materials for the parents of their students explaining these benefits.

Your Committee recognizes the need to introduce new paradigms and methodologies that help students with language acquisition and that realizes the educational potential for closed-captioned television to teach reading to students. Your Committee finds that the pilot project, which would require the development of materials, monitoring, and reporting of findings, will help the Department of Education and the Legislature determine the efficacy of implementing the program on a broader scale.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 14 and recommends its adoption.