HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	10
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

urging the board of education and department of education to support and implement afterschool programs to combat covid   19 learning loss.

 

 

 

        WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in school closures and disruptions to learning, causing significant learning loss, particularly impacting disadvantaged students from low   income families who are on track to sustain the greatest learning loss; and

 

        WHEREAS, McKinsey & Company, a worldwide consulting firm, projects students could lose an average of five to nine months of learning by the end of the school year, and disadvantaged students could lose six to twelve months of learning; and

 

        WHEREAS, the wealthiest twenty percent of families spend almost seven times more on enrichment activities outside of school for their children than do the poorest twenty percent; and

 

        WHEREAS, students spend only a fraction of their waking hours in school; afterschool programs will create opportunities during those out-of-school hours for all kids, especially for the most vulnerable and those coming from low   income families, to engage in learning and provide new ways to explore material and ideas; and

 

        WHEREAS, Hawaii's Nita M. Lowery 21st Century Community Learning Centers, a program that supports students during out   of   school hours, made significant progress in the 2018-2019 school year in all areas measured, including reducing chronic absenteeism and increasing English and math proficiency levels of participating students; and

        WHEREAS, afterschool programs provide integral developmental supports that help kids develop strong social   emotional skills needed to recover from the isolation and trauma of the pandemic, succeed in the classroom, and develop the problem solving and teamwork skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow; and

 

        WHEREAS, according to Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, afterschool programs keep kids safe during peak times for juvenile crime, and according to Afterschool Alliance, reduces risky behaviors such as the use of tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol; and

 

        WHEREAS, according to the 2020 America After 3PM report, unmet demand for Hawaii afterschool programs reached an all-time high, with seventy-four thousand children who would be enrolled in a program if one were available to them; and

 

        WHEREAS, parent satisfaction and support for afterschool programs are high, with ninety-nine percent of parents satisfied with their afterschool program and ninety percent of parents supporting public funding for afterschool programs; now, therefore,

 

        BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, the Senate concurring, that the Board of Education and Department of Education are urged to support and implement afterschool programs as an equity strategy to combat COVID-19 learning loss; and

 

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to coordinate between offices and collaborate with community partners to ensure equitable access to afterschool programs, targeting the most vulnerable students, and minimizing the duplication of services; and

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chair of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Education.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:  

Board of Education; Department of Education; Afterschool Programs