STAND. COM. REP. NO. 451

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1392
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B.
No. 1392 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to require the Superintendent of
Education to establish and operate a science laboratory assistant
demonstration project to determine the effectiveness of
laboratory assistants in improving student learning in the
science classroom.

     This bill also requires the superintendent to submit a
report on the status of the science laboratory assistant
demonstration project to the Legislature no later than twenty
days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2000 and
2001.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this bill
from the Hawaii State Teachers Association, the Hawaii State
Parent, Teacher, Student Association, twenty science teachers, a
former teacher-educator, and a special education teacher.  The
Department of Education concurred with the intent of this bill.

     Your Committee finds that the teaching of science at the
secondary level is increasingly more demanding, with increased

 
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requirements in non-instructional areas, such as the maintenance
of accurate inventories of chemicals and equipment, the filing of
material safety data sheets for chemicals, the maintenance of
safe laboratory conditions that meet the State's occupational
safety and health standards, and the preparation of materials for
laboratory experiences aligned with the state student performance
standards.  Science teachers now spend substantial amounts of
non-instructional time to fulfill these increased demands.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B.
No. 1392 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be
referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   KEN ITO, Chair

 
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