THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	73
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO IDENTIFY BEST PRACTICES FOR PROJECT-BASED LEARNING.

 

 

     WHEREAS, somewhere between kindergarten and high school, many students lose their love of learning and struggle to connect with what they are being taught; and

 

     WHEREAS, project-based learning can nurture and rekindle students' love of learning and help connect abstract concepts to the real world while achieving desired educational outcomes; and

 

     WHEREAS, project-based instruction has a long and successful legacy in the sciences and math, and now shows promise for teaching social studies, history, English, and other subject areas; and

 

     WHEREAS, project-based instruction fosters critical thinking, communication and language skills, collaboration, and creativity while motivating students to explore new things; and

 

     WHEREAS, project-based learning is shown to provide the most potential for students who are economically or academically disadvantaged; and

 

     WHEREAS, project-based learning activates multiple areas of children's brains, helps them be more engaged and focused, and increases retention of information; and

 

     WHEREAS, educational trips and field trips are becoming less common in schools across the country, with over half of American schools eliminating planned field trips in the 2010-2011 school year; and

 

     WHEREAS, cultural field trips have been proven to foster the development of students into individuals who possess more knowledge about art, have stronger critical-thinking skills, exhibit increased historical empathy, display higher levels of tolerance, and have a greater taste for consuming art and culture; and

 

     WHEREAS, project-based learning such as educational trips provide students with real-world experience, stimulate classroom learning, reach students with various learning styles, and promote community connectivity; and

 

     WHEREAS, for older students, project-based learning helps prepare students for post-secondary schooling and training, expands employment opportunities, and helps students gain interview skills and enhanced knowledge in fields they are interested in pursuing; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2016, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Education is requested to identify best practices for project-based learning; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to submit a report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2017 identifying best practices for project-based learning and the financial costs necessary to implement the best practices; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to provide resources to schools and educators for project-based learning opportunities; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to train and support educators who implement project-based learning; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Education.

Report Title: 

Department of Education; Project-based Learning; Advisory Committee