HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

224

TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The Hawaiian language, the native language of the Native Hawaiian people, was once a thriving language used by Native Hawaiians and foreigners alike.  However, by the late twentieth century, the Hawaiian language was pushed to the brink of extinction due to a number of factors, including an 1896 law that functioned to ban the speaking of the Hawaiian language in Hawaii schools.  Fortunately, the Hawaiian language was saved by several historic initiatives, including the department of education's Hawaiian language immersion program, which was launched in the 1980s.  Today, the Hawaiian language immersion program is offered at twenty-one public schools and educates more than two thousand students in kindergarten through the twelfth grade.

     The assessment requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 present a challenge for the Hawaiian language immersion program.  Because English is not formally introduced in Hawaiian language immersion program classrooms until the fifth grade, third and fourth grade students take assessments in the Hawaiian language to comply with the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.  During the 2005-2006 and through the 2010-2011 school years, these students have been taking the Hawaiian aligned portfolio assessment, which was developed in the Hawaiian language specifically for the Hawaiian language immersion program, to comply with the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

     The legislature finds that the Hawaiian language is a critical component of the heritage of the State of Hawaii, and that the State has a solemn obligation to perpetuate the Hawaiian language.  For example, the Hawaii state constitution recognizes the Hawaiian language as one of two official languages of the State.  Moreover, the board of education has adopted a policy, board of education policy 2105, acknowledging that its Hawaiian language immersion program is "an essential component to the revitalization and continuation of the Hawaiian language and culture."  The policy further states that one of the goals of the Hawaiian language immersion program is to set a challenging curriculum that follows the Hawaii content and performance standards.

     Furthermore, the federal Native American Languages Act of 1990 recognizes the United States' responsibility to ensure the survival of Native American languages and establishes the nation's policy of encouraging and supporting the use of Native American languages as a medium of instruction to help preserve those languages.

     The legislature further finds that to uphold its obligation to perpetuate the Hawaiian language, the department of education must provide the students of the Hawaiian language immersion program with an assessment system that most accurately measures their academic achievement.

     The purpose of this Act is to require the department of education to develop annual assessments in the Hawaiian language in language arts, mathematics, and science to be administered to students in grades three through six of the department of education's Hawaiian language immersion program.

     SECTION 2.  The Hawaii Revised Statutes is amended by adding a new chapter to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"CHAPTER

HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM

     §   -1  Assessments.  (a)  The department of education, for purposes of educational accountability under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, shall develop annual assessments in the Hawaiian language:

     (1)  In language arts and mathematics, to be administered to Hawaiian language immersion program students in grades three through six; and

     (2)  In science, to be administered to Hawaiian language immersion program students in grade four.

The assessments shall be administered annually commencing with the 2014-2015 school year.

     (b)  The assessments shall not be Hawaiian translations of the general state assessments and shall be:

     (1)  Aligned with the common core state standards or the Hawaii content and performance standards III, as appropriate;

     (2)  Valid, reliable, and consistent with nationally recognized professional and technical standards; and

     (3)  Compliant with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

     (c)  All ancillary assessment materials and tools that are made available to students taking the general state assessment shall also be made available in the Hawaiian language to students in the Hawaiian language immersion program to the extent that these materials and tools can be adapted for use in the Hawaiian language.  The department of education shall work with the Hawaiian language community and any contractor to develop the ancillary materials and tools required under this subsection.  Such materials and tools shall be comparable to those developed for Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium assessments aligned with the common core state standards.

     (d)  The department of education, with the assistance of the Hawaiian language community, including the Aha Kauleo Kaiapuni Hawaii, members of the Hawaiian language immersion program schools, the Hawaiian language programs at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the office of Hawaiian affairs, and other Hawaiian language community organizations, shall develop:

     (1)  Common core state standards assessments for students in grades three through six; and

     (2)  A Hawaii content and performance standards, third edition, science assessment for students in grade four,

as required under subsection (a)."

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $        or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2013-2014 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2014-2015 to develop curriculum and professional development materials for teachers in Hawaiian language immersion program schools.

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

     SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $        or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2013-2014 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2014-2015 to develop the assessments required pursuant to chapter    , Hawaii Revised Statutes.

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

     SECTION 5.  The department of education shall report to the legislature on the status of the procedures for the development of assessments in the Hawaiian language, pursuant to section    -1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, including the estimated costs and other critical resources or agreements for the development of the assessments, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2014.

     SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2013.



 

Report Title:

Hawaiian Language Immersion Program; Student Assessment

 

Description:

Requires the Department of Education to develop annual assessments in the Hawaiian language in language arts and mathematics for students in grades three through six, and in science for students in grade four in the Hawaiian language immersion program.  Effective July 1, 2013.  (HB224 HD1)

 

 

 

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