REPORT TITLE:
Teacher Evaluation; Education


DESCRIPTION:
Provides for the evaluation of teachers by their students at
least once in each semester of each school year.  Requires the
DOE to consult with the Hawaii State Teachers Association and the
Hawaii state student council on matters concerning the evaluation
of teachers.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           2395
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO TEACHER EVALUATION BY STUDENTS.



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

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that there is a need to
 
 2 create a positive public educational system and that student
 
 3 feedback and participation are necessary to reach that goal. 
 
 4      The legislature also finds that the Hawaii state student
 
 5 council serves as a student organization that focuses its energy
 
 6 on enhancing the school environment.  The council acts as a
 
 7 bridge between students and the department of education, the
 
 8 board of education, and the legislature.  The guidelines for
 
 9 student representation and participation, adopted by the board of
 
10 education on July 20, 1972, state that the functions of the
 
11 council are to:
 
12      (1)  Schedule regular meetings for the discussion of student
 
13           issues and concerns;
 
14      (2)  Recommend and advise courses of action to the
 
15           department of education;
 
16      (3)  Maintain communication with the board of education; and
 
17      (4)  Communicate all deliberations and activities to all
 
18           district and school student councils.
 
19      The legislature also finds that chapter 317, Hawaii Revised
 

 
Page 2                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           2395
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 Statutes, provides for the establishment of an annual conference
 
 2 of secondary school students (grades seven to twelve), to enable
 
 3 students in Hawaii's secondary schools to identify, discuss, and
 
 4 arrive at recommended solutions to major youth problems, with
 
 5 emphasis on school problems that require the attention and joint
 
 6 action by the students, the department of education, and the
 
 7 legislature.
 
 8      Despite these avenues of student participation, students had
 
 9 no direct input and therefore were not involved in creating
 
10 teacher standards, an area that directly impacts them.  The
 
11 recommendations of the Hawaii state student council and the 1999
 
12 Hawaii state student conference form the basis for the initiative
 
13 contained in this Act, which is to allow student input on
 
14 evaluating their teachers.
 
15      SECTION 2.  Section 302A-638, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
16 amended to read as follows:
 
17      "[[]�302A-638[]]  Evaluation of teachers and educational
 
18 officers.  (a)  The department shall establish an evaluation
 
19 program for all teachers and educational officers.
 
20      (b)  The evaluation shall be performed at least once in each
 
21 school year[.] for educational officers, and at least once in
 
22 each semester of each school year for teachers; provided that
 
23 nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require
 

 
Page 3                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           2395
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 principals or vice-principals to evaluate their teachers more
 
 2 than once in each school year.
 
 3      (c)  The program shall define the criteria for evaluation
 
 4 and assign responsibilities for the application of the
 
 5 criteria[.], as deemed appropriate by the department, after
 
 6 consulting with the exclusive representative of bargaining unit
 
 7 05 and the Hawaii state student council.
 
 8      (d)  The evaluation of a teacher or educational officer
 
 9 shall be on the basis of efficiency, ability, and such other
 
10 criteria as the department, after consulting with the exclusive
 
11 representative of bargaining unit 05 and the Hawaii state student
 
12 council, shall determine.
 
13      (e)  The program shall provide for the evaluation of
 
14 teachers by their students at least once in each semester of each
 
15 school year; provided that:
 
16      (1)  This subsection shall apply to students only in grades
 
17           seven to twelve;
 
18      (2)  The identities of students who evaluate their teachers
 
19           shall remain anonymous; and
 
20      (3)  The results of student evaluations shall be shared with
 
21           the teacher and the principal or vice-principal of the
 
22           school."
 
23      SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 

 
Page 4                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           2395
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 New statutory material is underscored.
 
 2      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
 3 
 
 4                           INTRODUCED BY: ________________________