The state hopes to launch a pilot program aimed at incorporating student growth data into teacher evaluations as early as October in 20 schools, according to procurement documents.

The Department of Education is seeking help from a contractor experienced in launching similar systems in other states, and has up to $3 million in federal Race to the Top funds over four years to fund the project.

Bids are due Aug. 22.

The procurement documents provide new detail on the planned evaluation, which officials hope to launch in "zones of school innovation" on the Waianae Coast and Hawaii island.

Education officials envision the new evaluation system expanding to 60 public schools in 2012 and all schools in 2013.

Under the pilot program, the documents say, 35 percent of a teacher’s rating would be based on student academic growth data.

But by 2013 at least half of a teacher’s evaluation would be tied to academic growth. The other half would be based on information from observations and "stakeholder surveys."

The Department of Education is pushing forward on revamping teacher evaluations — one of the key elements in Hawaii education reform — without a union agreement, which is threatening to further strain the relationship between the teachers union and state.

DOE officials will discuss their progress in launching a revamped teacher evaluation pilot Tuesday at a Board of Education committee meeting.

Schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi told the Hawaii State Teachers Association recently that the pilot did not need union approval because the revamped evaluations would not be part of a teacher’s personnel record — or used against them.

The pilot program, she said, would provide teachers with new data aimed at helping them "in reviewing and improving upon their teaching skills." In an Aug. 2 letter to HSTA, Matayoshi also said that the department is not "implementing a new teacher evaluation system that bypasses" collective bargaining.

But HSTA President Wil Okabe said he believes the pilot requires union agreement, like previous evaluation systems.

"Whether it’s a pilot program or what, it’s going to basically affect all the teachers in the state," he said. "The teachers need to be at the table. HSTA needs to be involved in the conversation."

Matayoshi did say that the DOE will hold a meeting with representatives from schools affected by the pilot this month and that HSTA would be invited. Okabe said he has not been told when the meeting will happen or where.

The state’s push to revamp evaluations comes as it also grapples with a heated labor dispute with HSTA. The union alleges the state’s decision to unilaterally implement a "last, best and final" contract offer July 1 violated members’ rights.

The state, meanwhile, contends it needed to implement furloughs, pay cuts and higher health care premiums included in the "last, best" offer to avoid layoffs or cuts to instructional time.

Before imposing the contract offer, the state was in talks on the evaluation system, along with other education reform issues.

Even without labor unrest, new teacher evaluations based partly on student growth data —such as test scores —have been a controversial issue locally, with some expressing concern over how growth would be tracked and pinned to one teacher.

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On vacation: June Watanabe is on vacation. “Kokua Line” returns Wednesday.