REPORT TITLE: 
Education


DESCRIPTION:
Requires the Department of Education to establish an incentive
and merit pay program for teachers in kindergarten through third
grades at special needs schools.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            1577        
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                     A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO EDUCATION.



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


 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that students who attend
 
 2 schools in certain areas of the state perform very poorly when
 
 3 compared with students who attend schools in other areas.  Poor
 
 4 student performance is evidenced by such indicators as low
 
 5 standardized achievement test scores and low high school
 
 6 graduation rates.  The schools in which student performance is
 
 7 low have been described as "special needs schools".  
 
 8      A major factor contributing to poor student performance at
 
 9 special needs schools is the high rate of teacher turnover.
 
10 Student performance can be expected to improve when the rate of
 
11 teacher turnover is reduced and the teaching staff is stabilized.
 
12      One method of stabilizing the teaching staff is to establish
 
13 incentives for experienced teachers to teach at special needs
 
14 schools.  In addition, merit pay for teachers who demonstrate an
 
15 exceptional ability to motivate students and improve their
 
16 performance would be further incentive for them to remain at
 
17 special needs schools.
 

 
Page 2                                         1577        
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      The purpose of this Act is to establish an incentive and
 
 2 merit pay program that applies to those who accept teaching
 
 3 positions in kindergarten through grade three at special needs
 
 4 schools.
 
 5      SECTION 2.  Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 6 amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated
 
 7 and to read as follows:
 
 8      "�302A-    Teacher incentive and merit pay program; special
 
 9 needs schools.   (a)  Notwithstanding any other law to the
 
10 contrary, the department shall establish an incentive and merit
 
11 pay program to encourage teachers to accept assignments in
 
12 kindergarten through grade three at special needs schools.
 
13      (b)  The incentive and merit pay program shall include the
 
14 following:
 
15      (1)  An incentive pay scheme for qualified and experienced
 
16           teachers who accept an assignment to special needs
 
17           schools, over and above the normal salary;
 
18      (2)  A merit pay scheme whereby a teacher may be awarded
 
19           additional pay, either as an additional percentage of
 
20           the base monthly salary or as a lump sum award at the
 
21           end of a semester or the school year if the teacher has
 
22           shown exceptional success in motivating students and
 
23           improving student academic achievement levels; and
 

 
Page 3                                         1577        
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (3)  Ceilings on the amounts that may be awarded to a
 
 2           teacher for an incentive or merit award so that the
 
 3           total amount awarded to any one teacher does not exceed
 
 4           ten per cent of that teacher's base salary.
 
 5      (c)  The department shall submit an annual report to the
 
 6 legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of
 
 7 each session of the legislature on the incentive and merit pay
 
 8 program established by this section.  The report shall include
 
 9 the following:
 
10      (1)  A listing of all the names of teachers awarded
 
11           incentive and merit pay under the program;
 
12      (2)  The reasons for each award;
 
13      (3)  The amount of each award; and
 
14      (4)  An evaluation of the effectiveness of this program in
 
15           improving academic achievement in special needs
 
16           schools.
 
17      (d)  As used in this section, "special needs schools" means
 
18 those schools having a relatively large proportion of students
 
19 exhibiting low performance, as indicated by such factors as low
 
20 standardized achievement test scores and a low graduation rate
 
21 for the area."
 
22      SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
23 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much
 
24 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 and the sum
 
25 of $        or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal
 

 
Page 4                                         1577        
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 year 2000-2001 for the teacher incentive and merit pay program at
 
 2 special needs schools.
 
 3      SECTION 4.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 4 department of education for the purposes of this Act.
 
 5      SECTION 5.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
 6      SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
 7 
 
 8                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________