Executive office on early learning; director; general functions, duties, and powers
HRS §302L-1.5
in effect302L-1.5. Executive office on early learning; director; general functions, duties, and powers
(a) There is established an executive office on early learning that shall be temporarily placed within the office of the governor; provided that on July 1, 2015, the executive office on early learning shall be permanently established within the department of education for administrative purposes only.
(b) The head of the executive office on early
learning shall be known as the director of the executive office on early
learning, hereinafter referred to as director. The director shall:
(1) Be appointed and evaluated annually by the board;
(2) Have professional training in the field of social
work, education, or other related fields, including major coursework in early
childhood education and child development, and preferably holding an academic
degree in the field of early childhood education and child development;
(3) Have direct experience in programs or services
related to early learning;
(4) Have recent experience in a supervisory,
consultative, or administrative position;
(5) Be paid a salary set by the board that shall not
exceed ninety per cent of the salary of the director of human resources
development; and
(6) Be included in any benefit program generally
applicable to the officers and employees of the State.
(c) The director shall be responsible for:
(1) Serving as the principal officer in state
government responsible for the performance, development, and control of
programs, policies, and activities under the jurisdiction of the office from
prenatal care to entrance into kindergarten, including all state-funded
prekindergarten programs and private partnership-funded prekindergarten
programs in the public schools, except for special education and Title I-funded
prekindergarten programs;
(2) Supervising and directing the performance of the
director's subordinates in various activities, including planning, evaluation,
and coordination of early learning programs;
(3) Administering funds allocated for the office and
applying for, receiving, and disbursing grants and donations from all sources
for early learning programs and services;
(4) Assessing the policies and practices of other
agencies impacting early learning and conducting advocacy efforts for early
learning;
(5) Advising agencies on new legislation, programs,
and policy initiatives relating to early learning;
(6) Employing and retaining staff as may be necessary
for the purposes of this section; and
(7) Contracting for services that may be necessary
for the purposes of this section, including through master contracts, memoranda
of understanding, and memoranda of agreement with other state agencies
receiving federal and state funds for programs and services for early learning,
and purchase of service agreements with appropriate agencies.
(d) In developing the early learning system
established pursuant to section 302L-2, the office, among other things, shall:
(1) Establish policies and procedures governing its
operations;
(2) Develop a plan, with goals and objectives, for
the early learning system, including the development, execution, and monitoring
of a phased implementation plan;
(3) Coordinate, improve, and expand upon existing
early learning programs and services for children from prenatal care until the
time they enter kindergarten;
(4) Establish policies and procedures to include
existing early learning programs and services;
(5) Establish additional early learning programs and
services, including public and private partnerships, where applicable;
(6) Establish policies and procedures governing the
inclusion of children with special needs;
(7) Develop incentives to enhance the quality of
programs, services, and educational professionals within the early learning
system;
(8) Coordinate efforts to develop a highly-qualified,
stable, and diverse workforce;
(9) Develop and implement methods of maximizing the
engagement of families, caregivers, and teachers in the early learning system;
(10) Develop an effective, comprehensive, and
integrated system to provide training and technical support for programs and
services within the early learning system;
(11) Develop standards of accountability to ensure
that high-quality early learning experiences are provided by programs and
services of the early learning system;
(12) Collect, interpret, and release data relating to
early learning in the State;
(13) Recommend the appropriate proportion of state
funds that should be distributed to programs and services across the early
learning system, to ensure the most effective and efficient allocation of
fiscal resources within the early learning system;
(14) Promote awareness of early learning opportunities
to families and the general public; and
(15) Consult with community groups, including
statewide organizations that are involved in early learning professional
development, policy and advocacy, and early childhood programs.
(e) The Hawaii head start state collaboration
office shall be transferred from the department of human services to the
executive office on early learning.
[L 2012, c 178, pt of §2; am L 2015, c 108,
§7; am L 2017, c 202, §3; am L 2019, c 276, §7]
Source: Hawaii State Legislature (capitol.hawaii.gov), via Internet Archive capturesURL: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol05_Ch0261-0319/HRS0302L/HRS_0302L-0001_0005.htmFetched: 11/10/2026