STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1304

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 172

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 172 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII BOARD OF EDUCATION TO REDUCE RELIANCE ON STANDARDIZED TESTING AND STRIVE TOWARDS A DIFFERENT METHOD OF MEASURING ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Request the Board of Education to reduce reliance on standardized testing and strive toward a different method of measuring accountability in the education system;

 

     (2)  Urge the United States Congress and Executive Branch to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, reduce testing mandates, promote multiple forms of evidence of student learning and school quality in accountability, and not mandate any fixed role for the use of student test scores in evaluating educators; and

 

     (3)  Request the Board of Education to reexamine public school accountability systems and develop a system based on multiple forms of assessment that does not require extensive standardized testing, more accurately reflects the broad range of student learning, supports students, and improves schools.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

 

     Your Committee finds that, in recent years, the role of standardized testing has expanded, and now consumes large amounts of student instructional time and Department of Education funds.  A focus on standardized testing data as an appraisal of student achievement and school quality is out of line with educational research that stresses multiple modes of demonstrating understanding.  The use of standardized testing should be limited to its positive impact on student learning and other factors should be used to evaluate school performance.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Adding language requesting the Department of Education to inform parents about the purpose, potential impact, and protocol of any standardized test that a student is expected to take; including all rights related to test administration, participation, and non-participation, as well as available supports based on accompanying reports that identify areas of strength and improvement; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 172, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 172, S.D. 1.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair