S.R. No. 54 Summary

• Request the Legislative Reference Bureau to prepare a study on improving teacher retention in Hawaii's Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Education and University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Education.

• Study must examine cases and reports from the past ten years documenting factors that encouraged or discouraged teacher retention based on years of service.

• Study must analyze average length of service data for teachers from University of Hawaii programs, other in-state accredited teacher preparation programs, and out-of-state transfers, including analysis of factors affecting persistence rates.

• Study must provide recommendations for administrative and legislative incentives to encourage continued teacher employment and strategies to address the systemic shortage of qualified teachers.

• Legislative Reference Bureau must submit findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the 2016 Regular Session convenes.