Report Title:

Education; Reading

 

Description:

Requires the department of education to provide weekly sessions of reading tutoring to low-performing students.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2674

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

 

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that mastery of basic reading skills is one of the most fundamental important building blocks for a child's success in school. Furthermore, proven, structured mentoring programs in reading are effective strategies for accelerating learning, measuring growth against state standards, serving students to scale, reducing special education referrals, improving student attendance, and reducing the costs of instruction while increasing student performance. The legislature further finds that proven, structured mentoring programs are also effective strategies for promoting safer schools by reducing student violence, drug use, and gang involvement. The purpose of this Act is to require the department of education to provide proven, structured mentoring programs to low-performing students.

SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§302A- Mentoring program. (a) A minimum of sixty students or twenty-seven per cent of the low-performing students in each elementary school shall be tutored a minimum of two hours of one-to-one instruction per week. Priority shall be given to learning systems in reading that have been recognized by the Education Commission of the States and the United States Department of Justice as promising education practices for accelerating student reading achievement and promoting safe schools. Special consideration shall be provided to learning systems that are easily replicated, serve large numbers of students cost-effectively, and have a proven track record (in a minimum of five hundred schools nationally), and provide strong staff development and evaluation components. The programs shall utilize technology to electronically align the schools’ learning resources to state standards, generate individualized prescriptions, and monitor students’ performance on a continuous basis.

(b) Schools may implement these proven learning systems during the regular school days, before and after school, as well as on Saturdays, summers, intersession, and other vacation days. Funds shall not be used for personnel.

(c) Beginning, interim, and end of program testing data and cost per unit of student gain shall be required for the department of education to determine the effectiveness of funded programs. The results of the evaluation shall be furnished by the department to the governor, and the legislature prior to the convening of the 2005 regular session."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2002-2003, for the development of structured mentoring programs in reading.

SECTION 4. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2002.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________