THE SENATE                           S.C.R. NO.            214
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                    SENATE  CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION

  REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO CONDUCT WORKSHOPS FOR
    EDUCATION ASSISTANTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS TO
    ADDRESS IMPORTANT ISSUES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION.



 1        WHEREAS, the Department of Education employs special
 2   education assistants who assist teachers in the special
 3   education classrooms; and 
 4   
 5        WHEREAS, 20,592 or 11.2% of the public school students are
 6   eligible for special education services; and
 7   
 8        WHEREAS, education assistants are located in most special
 9   education classrooms in which the goal is to provide programs
10   and services to children with special needs so they can:
11   
12        (1)  Become self-sufficient to the extent their needs
13             permit; 
14   
15        (2)  Realize their potential;
16   
17        (3)  Attain self-worth and personal dignity; and
18   
19        (4)  Become participating members of their families and
20             society;
21   
22   and
23   
24        WHEREAS, the Department of Education's 1998 Action Plan
25   clearly states that the goals of the special education program
26   are to:
27   
28        (1)  Raise performance expectations for all children;
29    
30        (2)  Coordinate the provision of services based upon the
31             strengths and needs of each child; and 
32   
33        (3)  Support professional development;
34   
35   and

 
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 1   
 2        WHEREAS, in order to support professional development for
 3   educational assistants to assist students to reach their
 4   potential, periodic training and re-training is needed for
 5   staff; and 
 6   
 7        WHEREAS, education assistants have not received any
 8   training in the last two years, yet special education teachers
 9   periodically attend workshops and training classes; now,
10   therefore,
11   
12        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
13   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 1999, the House of
14   Representatives concurring, that the Department of Education,
15   after consultation with the Educational Assistants Association,
16   conduct periodic workshops to inform and update public school
17   educational assistants on important issues the Department of
18   Education and the Educational Assistants Association deems
19   necessary, including the following:
20   
21        (1)  New laws governing Individualized Educational
22             Programs (IEP);
23   
24        (2)  Autism spectrum workshops;
25   
26        (3)  Working with special education teachers;
27   
28        (4)  Felix-Waihee Consent Decree and the roles of the
29             educational assistants;
30   
31        (5)  Learning lifestyles;
32        
33        (6)  Using computers in the classroom;
34   
35        (7)  Classroom management;
36   
37        (8)  CPR/First aid;
38   
39        (9)  Seizure disorders;
40   
41       (10)  Individuals who are emotionally, mentally, and
42             physically impaired;

 
 
 
 
 
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 1   
 2       (11)  Workplace safety;
 3   
 4       (12)  Signing and other communication methods and devices;
 5   
 6       (13)  Being an effective educational assistant;
 7   
 8       (14)  Working together with teachers and other co-workers;
 9   
10       (15)  Computer training;
11   
12       (16)  Operating special equipment like a Hoyer lift;
13   
14       (17)  Emergency plans;
15   
16       (18)  Department of Health placements after high school;
17   
18       (19)  Liability issues; and
19   
20       (20)  Drug-related disorders and identifying them;
21   
22   and
23   
24        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education
25   report progress to the Legislature twenty days before the
26   convening of the Regular Session of 2000; and 
27   
28        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
29   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of
30   Education, the Chairperson of the Board of Education, and the
31   Educational Assistants Association.
32 
33 
34 
35                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________