Hawaii's school performance system granted full approval for three years

23-Jun-2015

The U.S. Department of Education announces the state's Strive HI system for school accountability and improvement is approved without conditions for three years. It allows flexibility from certain provisions of federal education law.

​​​​HONOLULU - The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) today announced Hawaii’s school accountability and improvement system, Strive HI, has received a full three years of unconditional flexibility from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

"This announcement truly honors the progress and hard work of Hawaii's school leaders and educators," stated Kathryn Matayoshi, superintendent of the Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE). "This continuation of our ESEA Flexibility Waiver allows us to stay the course with the Strive HI system.”

Previous federal approval of the state’s plan to track and measure school effectiveness were conditionally approved for terms of one year. This marks the first time Strive HI has been approved for a full term without conditions attached.

The Strive HI Performance System was first approved in May 2013. It is a culmination of work by Hawaii educators, parents, community groups, and higher education professionals. It replaces NCLB’s most ineffective and outdated components with meaningful benchmarks aligned with goals of the Department/Board of Education State Strategic Plan. It was approved for a one-year provisional term, and again in 2014. Over the past year, HIDOE held discussions with stakeholders on necessary changes based on feedback from teachers and principals.

“The adjustments to Strive HI reflect multiple factors that improve our alignment to our Strategic Plan and goals for student and school achievement," stated Superintendent Matayoshi.

Based directly on input from principals, the Department worked to improve the Strive HI Performance System in the following ways:

  • Adding measures to the Strive HI Index, to reflect school success more accurately;
  • Improving the classification process so schools are classified by level (elementary, middle, high); and
  • Clarifying the Strive HI Index by replacing complicated measures with more simplified, but equally rigorous, options.

For an overview of changes for School Years 2014-15 and 2015-16, click here.

Under the Strive HI Performance System, the Strive HI Index serves as a diagnostic tool to understand a school’s performance and progress and differentiate schools based on their individuals needs for reward, support and intervention. The Strive HI Index includes several indicators to measure achievement, growth, readiness and achievement gaps.

HIDOE received federal praise for its focus on alignment in its reform efforts and internal system processes. Read more about USDE’s reasons for granting flexibility here. The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) also ​released a statement in support​.

Hawaii’s three-year flexibility renewal is effective through the 2017-18 school year.

​Overview of changes, School Years 2014-15 and 2015-16

Changes to Strive HI Performance System based upon U.S. Department of Education  approval of the ESEA Flexibility Waiver on June 23, 2015. Results from the 2014-15 School Year will be released in fall 2015.​


Contact Information

Donalyn Dela Cruz

Phone: 808-586-3232

Email: doe_info@hawaiidoe.org

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