STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1133

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 1088
                                        H.D. 2
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education and Technology, to which was
referred H.B. No. 1088, H.D. 2, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL ATTENDANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Board of
Education to determine readiness standards for children entering
kindergarten.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the
Board of Education.  The Department of Human Services submitted
testimony in support of the intent of this measure with concerns
and reservations.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was
submitted by the Hawaii State Teachers Association. 

     Your Committee finds that attendance at kindergarten and
grade school should be based on the readiness of the child.
Further, studies have shown that a great deal of harm can be
caused to the self-esteem of a child by basing early education
decisions on any considerations other than the readiness of the
child for school.  

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its
contents in their entirety, and replacing them with the contents
of S.B. No. 1272, S.D. 2, its Senate companion measure.  Your
Committee has further amended this measure to incorporate

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1133
                                   Page 2


provisions which address the concerns of the Department of Human
Services.

     As amended, this measure:

     (1)  Specifies that the minimum ages required for attending
          kindergarten and grade school are to be based on the
          age of the child on the first day of the school year as
          determined by the Board of Education;

     (2)  Requires that the screening assessments for
          kindergarten readiness be free of charge; and

     (3)  Requires that the Department of Education transfer any
          funds that become available due to any lag of the
          number of students entering kindergarten to the
          Department of Human Services for the purposes of
          establishing programs for those children deemed not
          ready to enter kindergarten.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education and Technology that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 1088, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B.
No. 1088, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on
Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Education and
                                   Technology,



                                   ______________________________
                                   DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

 
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