Bill Text: HI SR115 | 2016 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Department of Education; Pilot Project; Contracts for Services; Students with Disabilities; Block Basis

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-0)

Status: (Passed) 2016-04-07 - Report and Resolution Adopted. [SR115 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2016-SR115-Amended.html

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THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	115
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO CONDUCT A TWO-YEAR PILOT PROJECT TO IMPLEMENT CONTRACTS FOR SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ON A BLOCK BASIS IN ADDITION TO ON A ONE-TO-ONE BASIS.

 

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Education provides contract services on a one-to-one basis for students with disabilities who have complex needs; and

 

     WHEREAS, these contract services are under the supervision of the classroom teacher; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Education has a rationale for providing contracts in this manner; and

 

     WHEREAS, one-to-one services exclude children with disabilities from group instruction on academic, social, communication, and behavioral skills; and

 

     WHEREAS, evidence demonstrates that students with one-to-one services throughout the school day may become overly dependent on the adult support person; and

 

     WHEREAS, a disproportionate student to adult ratio obstructs student learning, inhibits peer-to-peer interaction, and is not cost effective; and

 

     WHEREAS, the current practice of contracting for one-to-one services appears to be a deterrent to more inclusive practices; and

 

     WHEREAS, contracted services could be provided on a different basis; and

 

     WHEREAS, purchasing services in a block allows for more flexibility in meeting the needs of students with disabilities; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2016, that the Department of Education is requested to conduct a two-year pilot project to implement contracts for services for students with disabilities on a block basis in addition to the current one-to-one basis; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to convene a working group to include parents and community stakeholders including:

 

     (1)  One parent from a school in a rural complex area;

 

     (2)  One parent from a school in an urban complex area;

 

     (3)  One parent from a Title I school;

 

     (4)  One member from the Special Education Advisory Council;

 

     (5)  One member from the Coalition of Children with Special Needs;

 

     (6)  One member from the Community Children's Council;

 

     (7)  One member from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities;

 

     (8)  One principal of an elementary school;

 

     (9)  One principal of a secondary school; and

 

    (10)  One adult with a disability who passed through the Hawaii public school system as a student; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to assist the Department of Education to:

 

     (1)  Determine the nature of services that could be contracted by a block of time to serve more than one student with disabilities;

 

     (2)  Select, in coordination with the Department of Education, three school sites; one school from a rural complex area, one school from an urban complex area, and one Title I school, to pilot the adaptation of existing contracts utilizing blocks of time and greater scheduling flexibility in the delivery of services; and

 

     (3)  Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the delivery of services to students with complex needs utilizing a block contract model and an employee-based model; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to submit a progress report of the impact of the revised contract methodology on the academic, social, communication, and behavioral progress of the students served to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2017; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to submit a final report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2018; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, Chairperson of the Special Education Advisory Council, Chairperson of the Coalition of Children with Special Needs, Administrator of the Community Children's Council Office, and Executive Administrator of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Report Title: 

Department of Education; Pilot Project; Contracts for Services; Students with Disabilities; Block Basis