Bill Text: HI HB2875 | 2012 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Hawaiian Language Immersion Program; Student Assessment

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)

Status: (Enrolled - Dead) 2012-04-27 - (H) Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday, 04-27-12 at 5:10PM in Conference Room 016. [HB2875 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-HB2875-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3292

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2875

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2875, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Education to develop annual assessments in the Hawaiian language for students in the Department's Hawaiian language immersion program.

 

More specifically, the Department of Education is required to develop, and implement in the 2014-2015 school year, assessments in the Hawaiian language in:

 

     (1)  Language arts and mathematics, to be administered to students in grades three through six; and

 

     (2)  Science, to be administered to students in grade four.

 

     Written comments in support of the measure were submitted by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs; Na Leo Kako'o Executive Board; Ka'Umeke Immersion Public Schools; and nineteen individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that the assessment system of the No Child Left Behind Act is in English, which presents an unnecessary challenge to students in the Hawaiian language immersion program, because English is not formally introduced until the fifth grade.  Your Committee further finds that the Department of Education should provide the students of the Hawaiian language immersion program with an assessment system in Hawaiian to accurately measure students' academic achievement.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Adding an appropriation from general funds to the Department of Education for fiscal year 2012-2013 to effectuate the purposes of this measure;

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion; and

 

     (3)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of style and clarity.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2875, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2875, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

		____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair