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Feb. 3 | Bills referred to Education Committees

S.B. 3193 and H.B. 2376 were introduced on Jan. 28 and 27, respectively. They were both referred to their chamber's respective Education Committees on February 2.

Please contact members of each committee and inform them that you oppose S.B. 3193 and H.B. 2376.  

Summary of S.B. 3193 / H.B. 2376

S.B. 3193 and H.B. 2376 would impose six years of additional testing requirements on homeschooled students (Kindergarten and grades 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7, plus swapping an assessment in 11 instead of grade 10), and it would make Hawaii the first state that would give homeschooling students no other option but to submit to state tests in-person.

  • Hawaii law already requires an annual assessment for homeschoolers, with testing specifically required in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. These bills would require seven years of testing, in grades 3-8 and grade 11.
  • Current Department of Education rules also allow parents to choose between the state’s testing program and third-party tests (like the California Achievement Test, Iowa Test of Basic Skills, or the Stanford Achievement Test), which can be administered to students either online or by administrators approved by the test publishers. These bills would eliminate that option and require testing only through the state’s assessment program—a first in the nation.
  • The bills require that this testing take place in person at the local school. This would be another first in the nation, and given the issues that families have had with accessing other optional forms of testing in public schools (like the PSAT, SAT, and ACT), we expect it to pose severe logistical challenges for both homeschool families and local public schools.
  • In addition to requiring seven grades of in-person state testing, these bills would also require homeschooled students to undergo the Kindergarten Entry Assessment as well as Universal Screening at the start of grades 1 and 2. That’s an additional three years of tests not required by current Board regulations.

Homeschool families often choose homeschooling for the flexibility it offers to their students, including those with special learning needs. Current Hawaii law recognizes that homeschool curriculum should “take into account the interests, needs and abilities of the child” (Haw. Code R. § 8-12-15). This bill would slap the uniform expectations of statewide standards on all homeschool students, limiting parents’ ability to meet the individual needs of each student.

We are working closely with Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii (CHOH) and local homeschoolers to monitor this legislation, and will update you if further action is taken.