REPORT TITLE:
Credential Extensions

DESCRIPTION:  Allows the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to extend
teaching credentials for teachers for the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002
school years on a case-by-case basis for teachers who are unable
to become licensed due to extenuating circumstances.  (SD1)



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        2490
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO THE HAWAII TEACHER STANDARDS BOARD.



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

 1      SECTION 1.  Section 302A-803, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended to read as follows:
 
 3      "�302A-803  Powers and duties of the board.  In addition to
 
 4 establishing standards for the issuance of licenses and
 
 5 credentials, the board's powers shall also include: 
 
 6      (1)  Setting and administering its own budget;
 
 7      (2)  Adopting, amending, repealing, or suspending the
 
 8           policies, standards, or rules of the board in
 
 9           accordance with chapter 91;
 
10      (3)  Receiving grants or donations from private foundations;
 
11      (4)  Submitting an annual report to the governor and the
 
12           legislature on the board's operations;
 
13      (5)  Conducting a cyclical review of standards and
 
14           suggesting revisions for their improvement;
 
15      (6)  Establishing licensing and credentialing fees in
 
16           accordance with chapter 91, including the collection of
 
17           fees by means of mandatory payroll deductions, which
 
18           shall subsequently be deposited into the state treasury
 
19           and credited to the Hawaii teacher standards board
 

 
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 1           revolving fund; [and] 
 
 2      (7)  Establishing penalties in accordance with
 
 3           chapter 91[.]; and 
 
 4      (8)  Making recommendations to the department on the
 
 5           granting of extensions of credentials on a case-by-case
 
 6           basis pursuant to section 302A-805."
 
 7      SECTION 2.  Section 302A-805, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 8 amended to read as follows:
 
 9      "�302A-805  Teachers; license or credential required;
 
10 renewals.  (a)  Beginning with the 1997-1998 school year, no
 
11 person shall serve as a teacher in a public school without first
 
12 having obtained a license or credential from the department under
 
13 this subpart.  All licenses issued by the department shall be
 
14 renewable every five years, if the licensee continues to satisfy
 
15 the board's licensing standards.  All credentials issued by the
 
16 department shall be renewable every year, up to a maximum of
 
17 three years, if the credential holder continues to satisfy the
 
18 board's credentialing standards and actively pursues appropriate
 
19 licensing.  For the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 school years only,
 
20 the board may recommend, on a case-by-case basis, extending a
 
21 credential for one year, but not more than twice for any
 
22 credential holder; provided the individual seeking an extension
 
23 meets the following requirements and any other that the board
 

 
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                                                        S.D. 1
                                                        

 
 1 deems appropriate and submits a written request to the board
 
 2 consisting of:
 
 3      (1)  Copies of the department's form C with supporting
 
 4           documents that demonstrate active pursuit of and
 
 5           satisfactory progression in license requirements;
 
 6      (2)  Documentation of extenuating circumstances that
 
 7           explains the need for an extension or lack of
 
 8           availability of programs and courses required for
 
 9           licensing;
 
10      (3)  Narrative evaluation from current and past school
 
11           principals documenting teaching performance according
 
12           to the board's performance standards;
 
13      (4)  Submittal of the credential holder's proposed action
 
14           plan to meet all licensing standards;
 
15      (5)  Documentation of passing scores for basic skills tests
 
16           or documented evidence - which the individual
 
17           maintains - of concerted effort to pass the basic
 
18           skills test, beyond mere retaking of the test; and
 
19      (6)  Documentation of passing scores for applicable subject
 
20           matter content tests unless the subject matter is
 
21           integrated into the teacher preparation program.
 
22      (b)  The board shall consider the following, and any other
 
23 criteria the board deems appropriate in recommending any
 

 
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 1 extension:
 
 2      (1)  The diligence with which the credential holder has
 
 3           pursued licensing;
 
 4      (2)  The extenuating circumstances and the extent to which
 
 5           the individual has been subjected to constraints beyond
 
 6           the individual's control to the timely completion of
 
 7           all licensing requirements;
 
 8      (3)  Evidence of strong teaching performance according to
 
 9           the board's performance standards; and
 
10      (4)  Likelihood of successful implementation of the
 
11           credential holder's proposed action plan.
 
12      (c)  The department shall grant extensions of credentials
 
13 based on the board's recommendations."
 
14      SECTION 3.  The department of education shall submit a
 
15 report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the
 
16 regular session of 2001 on the number of extensions requested and
 
17 granted.
 
18      SECTION 4.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
19 Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
20      SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon approval;
 
21 provided that on June 30, 2002, this Act shall be repealed and
 
22 sections 302A-803 and 302A-805, Hawaii Revised Statutes, are
 
23 reenacted in the form in which they read on the day before the
 
24 approval of this Act.