2018 Legislative session pau
We've reached the finish line for the 2018 legislative session — my first in Hawai'i! A big mahalo to all of the HIDOE staff and supporters who helped draft responses, produced over 100 data and financial reports, and spent time at the Capitol providing testimony, meeting with legislators, and engaging in this important democratic process. Also, a mahalo to our legislators, including education chairs Senator Kidani and Representative Woodson, who worked hard to listen to our planning and policy needs. While the HIDOE team monitored 605 bills and we provided testimony on 168 of them, at the end of the session, 19 bills passed. I discussed the dynamics of this in the April Supt's Corner.
Next: Getting ready for SY 2018-19
As we prepare to celebrate the graduation of more than 10,000 students across our 42 high school programs, we are simultaneously planning for next school year. Here are some key areas of focus that we will escalate next school year based on developments this year:
School Design
Complex Area superintendents, assistant superintendents and several principals have developed definitions of school design within four sub-categories: core beliefs and values, instructional design, school infrastructure, and student voice. A continuum based on these will be finalized this summer and shared with HIDOE.
Tri-Level Empowerment Structure
The HIDOE leadership team started discussions this semester to identify key areas of responsibility and accountability that should be transitioned from the state to the complex and school levels to provide greater decision-making empowerment in areas that impact student success; the first iteration of this will be completed this summer. We will continue to build upon this empowerment framework annually. We will also be looking at where there may be centralized state funds that can be pushed to the complex level, such as in the areas of curriculum development and professional development.
Computer Science Implementation
Computer Science standards were formally approved and adopted by our Board of Education on Thursday, May 3. This is fantastic news and keeps us on the cutting edge! We will begin an implementation process based on tri-level empowerment — high standards and expectations from the state, and curricular and instructional choice at the complex and school level. The non-negotiable is access for all students to high-quality, rigorous and engaging computer science education.
Teacher Collaboration Model
This school year, we focused on a number of key areas — student voice, school design, computer science, special education, English learners — in alignment with our Strategic Plan. As we move into the next school year, we will focus heavily on teacher collaboration models including ways to capture curriculum and lesson development and other instructional innovations by teachers, particularly in the area of computer science. We will also be exploring ways to increase teacher voice in state policy.
Biliteracy
I will be charging a new task force to examine ways to expand upon second language acquisition opportunities to increase the number of students who are biliterate. This will require taking a look at our language acquisition approach, number of world language teachers, use of technology, alignment with school design models, and articulations with higher education.
Student Civil Rights
We are committed to making every school a safe place for every student in Hawai'i. We will be updating HIDOE's civil rights policy and complaints procedure over the next few months, and when we return in August we will be hosting several public hearings throughout the state to gather feedback. More information here.
Dual Credit and Advanced Placement
National research tells us that high school students who earn college credit, with qualifying scores on AP exams and/or dual credit course completion, are more likely to graduate from high school and go to college. The Legislature has agreed to fund half of the Executive Request for Early College courses — $500,000 in FY19. The budget is awaiting the governor's signature. I have also asked the Board of Education to consider this a priority area for carryover funds as they become available. I am asking Complex Area Superintendents in partnership with their high school principals to review their AP and dual credit data for equity access and expansion opportunities.
Keeping an eye on...
In addition to these seven areas of focus for 2018-19, there are three areas that I want you to be aware of that came out of this legislative session:
'Aina Pono: Hawai'i State Farm to School
The HIDOE has been asked to support an expansion of our 'Aina Pono program. This excellent program requires a lot of coordination and ground work involving appropriate kitchen designs, quality controls, effective procurement procedures, and staff readiness. We are excited about this model food program that supports healthy eating and our local economy. In FY19 the Legislature is funding a key program position. I requested an additional $75,000 to put together a plan that would show what systemic, year-over-year growth of the program would require in terms of funding, which the Legislature has approved. I look forward to working with the Department of Agriculture to put this plan in place and share it with the broader community.
English Learner (EL) Pilots
The HIDOE Committee on Weights identified English Learner services as an area that requires additional legislative funding support. While we were not successful in attaining additional Weighted Student Funding allocations this session, we were able to attain $500,000 in categorical funds for the 2018-19 school year. The Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Support will be seeking schools with large EL populations who are interested in piloting a bilingual program using these funds, while committing to teacher training around bilingual education. Learn more about the approach here.
Funding for Education: Senate Bill 2922
Perhaps one of the greatest surprises out of this session was the conversation on the Senate floor where all but one Senator approved letting voters consider a surcharge on investment real property to support public education, which will require an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Hawai'i. This will be on the ballot this November. When adjusted for inflation, Hawai'i is last among all U.S. states in teacher pay. I would like to see us begin to articulate what the delta is between where we are today and a goal of being in the top half of the nation.
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