Bill Text: HI SB778 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Hawaiian Language Immersion; Student Assessments; Appropriation ($)
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-04-21 - Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 624). [SB778 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2015-SB778-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
778 |
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TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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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 the language of the native Hawaiian people was once a thriving language used by native Hawaiians and foreigners alike. However, by the late twentieth century, the Hawaiian language was pushed to the brink of extinction due to a number of factors, including an 1896 law that functioned to ban the speaking of the Hawaiian language in Hawai‘i schools. Fortunately, the Hawaiian language was saved by several historic initiatives, including the department of education's Hawaiian language immersion program, which was launched in the 1980s. The Hawaiian language immersion program is known as the kaiapuni program and is offered at twenty state public schools. More than two thousand students in kindergarten through the twelfth grade participate in the kaiapuni program.
Federal accountability assessment requirements present a challenge for the kaiapuni program. English is not formally introduced in the kaiapuni program classrooms until the fifth grade. As a result, third and fourth grade kaiapuni students have been offered assessments in the Hawaiian language to comply with federal accountability assessment requirements. Beginning in the 2005-2006 and through the 2010-2011 school years, these students were offered the Hawaiian aligned portfolio assessment, which was developed in the Hawaiian language specifically for the kaiapuni program. From school years 2011-2012 through 2013-2014, English-to-Hawaiian translations of the Hawai‘i state assessment were instead offered to third and fourth grade kaiapuni program students. These Hawaiian translated assessments contained numerous flaws, including inconsistent or inaccurate translations, and as a result failed to accurately measure kaiapuni program students' academic achievement.
According to Hawaii state board of education policy 2105, "the program's effectiveness requires the development and proper administration of appropriate formative and summative assessment tools. These program evaluation tools should be in alignment with the State's kaiapuni curriculum and measure student growth and proficiency with the goal to prepare students for success in college, career and community."
The purpose of this Act is to require the department of education to develop annual assessments in the Hawaiian language for the subject matters of language arts, mathematics, and science that are to be administered to students in certain grades of the kaiapuni program in accordance with federal accountability assessment requirements.
SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, part II, subpart A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§302A- Hawaiian language immersion assessments. (a) The department of education shall develop and implement the means to assess the established statewide performance standards for students in the Hawaiian language immersion program, or the kaiapuni program. The assessments for the kaiapuni program students shall be in the Hawaiian language and include the subject matters of language arts, mathematics, and science. The assessments for kaiapuni program students shall be:
(1) Aligned with the vision, mission, and programmatic goals of the kaiapuni program;
(2) Aligned with the established statewide performance standards;
(3) Valid, reliable, and consistent with relevant, nationally recognized professional and technical standards;
(4) Compliant with applicable federal accountability assessment requirements; and
(5) Not a verbatim translation into the Hawaiian language of the English language assessments used for students not participating in the kaiapuni program.
(b) Procedures for the development of assessments for kaiapuni program students shall be established by the department of education, in consultation with members of the Hawaiian language community, including:
(1) ‘Aha Kauleo Kaiapuni Hawai‘i;
(2) Ka Papahana Kaiapuni schools;
(3) The Hawaiian language programs at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and the University of Hawaii at Manoa;
(4) The office of Hawaiian affairs; and
(5) Other Hawaiian language community organizations."
SECTION 3. The department of education shall submit a preliminary report to the legislature on the status of establishing procedures for developing the assessment for students in the kaiapuni program no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2016. The department of education shall submit a final report to the legislature on the establishment of procedures for developing the assessment for students in the kaiapuni program no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2017.
SECTION 4. 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 2015-2016 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 for the establishment of procedures for developing the assessment for kaiapuni program students pursuant to this Act.
The sums 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, 2015.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Hawaiian Language Immersion Program; Student Assessments; Appropriation
Description:
Requires and appropriates funds for the department of education to establish procedures to develop an assessment of established statewide performance standards for students in the kaiapuni program. Requires reports to the legislature.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
