STAND. COM. REP. NO.560

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 338

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 338 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the University of Hawaii to certificate public schools from which the graduates may be admitted to the University of Hawaii without required entrance or placement examinations.

Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of the Attorney General and the University of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the concept of providing an "early" admission for public high school students to the University of Hawaii, based upon certain qualifications, may provide an additional incentive for these students to seek higher education. Your Committee further finds that the rigor of this certification process will also require our public schools to set higher standards for their students, and thereby benefit all students.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Placing a cap on admissions under this program at no more than one thousand students per academic year;

(2) Requiring the University to work in consultation with the Department of Education in the adoption of certification standards;

(3) Requiring the Department of Education to base the student certification upon class rank within a graduating class or successful completion of a specified course of study approved by the department;

(4) Removing the standards related to educational officer and para-professional personnel serving at a school; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and style.

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 S.B. No. 338, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 338, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair