Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 115 Part 2.djvu/951

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PUBLIC LAW 107-110—JAN. 8, 2002 115 STAT. 1935 documented that Native Hawaiians scored below parity with regard to national norms on standardized achievement tests, were disproportionately represented in many negative social and physical statistics indicative of special educational needs, and had educational needs that were related to their unique cultural situation, such as different learning styles and low self-image. "(15) In recognition of the educational needs of Native Hawaiians, in 1988, Congress enacted title IV of the Augustus F. Hawkins-Robert T. Stafford Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Amendments of 1988 (102 Stat. 130) to authorize and develop supplemental educational programs to address the unique conditions of Native Hawaiians. "(16) In 1993, the Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate released a 10-year update of findings of the Native Hawaiian Educational Assessment Project, which found that despite the successes of the programs established under title IV of the Augustus F. Hawkins-Robert T. Stafford Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Amendments of 1988, many of the same educational needs still existed for Native Hawaiians. Subsequent reports by the Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate and other organizations have generally confirmed those findings. For example— "(A) educational risk factors continue to start even before birth for many Native Hawaiian children, including— "(i) late or no prenatal care; "(ii) high rates of births by Native Hawaiian women who are unmarried; and "(iii) high rates of births to teenage parents; "(B) Native Hawaiian students continue to begin their school experience lagging behind other students in terms of readiness factors such as vocabulary test scores; "(C) Native Hawaiian students continue to score below national norms on standardized education achievement tests at all grade levels; "(D) both public and private schools continue to show a pattern of lower percentages of Native Hawaiian students in the uppermost achievement levels and in gifted and talented programs; "(E) Native Hawaiian students continue to be overrepresented among students qualifying for special education programs provided to students with learning disabilities, mild mental retardation, emotional impairment, and other such disabilities; "(F) Native Hawaiians continue to be underrepresented in institutions of higher education and among adults who have completed four or more years of college; "(G) Native Hawaiians continue to be disproportionately represented in many negative social and physical statistics indicative of special educational needs, as demonstrated by the fact that— "(i) Native Hawaiian students are more likely to be retained in grade level and to be excessively absent in secondary school;