HI HR49

Urges the Department of Education, in consultation with the Board of Education, to develop and implement a plan to reduce the use of external contracts for curricula, instruction, and testing in public schools.

Requires the Department to convene an advisory committee including members from bargaining units 5 and 6 (teachers) and other appropriate stakeholders to make recommendations for the plan.

Cites the Acellus Learning Accelerator contract during COVID-19 as exposing thousands of students to biased content and material not aligned with Hawaii content performance standards, leading to the Board's October 2020 vote to phase out the program.

Identifies cultural dissonance in schools as a predictive indicator of achievement gaps for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students, and notes that culturally appropriate curricula developed by educators can address this issue.

Requires the Department to submit an interim report by twenty days before the 2022 Regular Session and a final report with the plan and any proposed legislation by twenty days before the 2023 Regular Session.