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Schools’ low grade
blamed on transition

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By Crystal Kua
Star-Bulletin

Hawaii's effort to reform public schools through a system of standards, testing and accountability is still under construction. That may be why the state received a near failing grade in a national education report card released today, an official said.

"We're a work in progress," Department of Education spokesman Greg Knudsen said. "It just takes time."

Hawaii received a D- for its standards-based education system, ranked eighth from the bottom in the "Quality Counts 2001" report compiled by Education Week newspaper. Last year, Hawaii got a D+. The annual report grades states' efforts to improve education.

HAWAII REPORT CARD Standards & Accountability -- D- Improving Teacher Quality -- D School Climate -- F Resources: Adequacy -- C Resources: Equity -- A Source: Quality Counts 2001 survey by Education Week newspaper

Improvement also came in the area of adequacy in funding. This year, Hawaii received a C, while getting a D last year. The better grade is due to a 10.9 percent increase in per-pupil funding in 1999 to $6,020, but it is still below the national average of $6,408, the newspaper said.

Despite the improvement, the grade shows public schools are still underfunded, Knudsen said. "I think it does reinforce that."

The theme of this year's "Quality Counts" report deals with the standards movement across America and how well states are balancing standards and accountability.

After unveiling revised content academic standards in 1999, the state Department of Education is moving toward completing performance standards and implementing standards in the classroom. It is still developing a new testing system -- which kicks in this spring -- to find out if standards are being met, and constructing an accountability system of rewards, sanctions and assistance.

Knudsen said authors of "Quality Counts" recognized Hawaii's efforts to complete the process.

"I think it's encouraging that all those elements are proceeding," Knudsen said. "We're heading in the direction they (at "Quality Counts") say we should be heading."

Another reason for the lower grade could be because of a different grading system used by the authors this year, the newspaper and Knudsen said.

Grades remain unchanged from last year for three areas: School climate received an F; efforts to improve teacher quality got a D; and equity in funding resources received an A mostly because Hawaii consists of a single statewide school district.

Knudsen said he believes Hawaii has been shortchanged in the past in the school climate grade, which looks at class size, absenteeism, tardiness, student misbehavior, parental involvement and school choice and autonomy issues such as charter schools.

As for school choice, Hawaii does have an open enrollment policy to a certain extent with geographic exception, the procedure in which a student can choose to apply to attend a school outside of the home district if space is available, Knudsen said.

Hawaii's struggling economy may also have contributed to a lack of parental involvement in the schools because parents are working multiple jobs or raising children alone, he said.