ROXANNE DACUYCUY / WAIALUA HIGH SCHOOL Waialua High and Intermediate School eighth-grader Kaena Adric, left, helps fellow classmate Jarreth Arengo on a printout from the Accelerated Math computer program. AM is one of the many programs implemented at WHIS to individualize instruction in reading and math and is perhaps one of the reasons WHIS did well on last year's Hawaii State Assessment.

Preparation for
test pays off

Students in grades eight and
10 meet mandated standards
for math and reading

It was just like Christmas," said Principal Aloha Coleman when she and other faculty members tore open the envelope containing the results of last year's Hawaii State Assessment Test.

"We were screaming and saying, 'Oh, the students did so good!'" added Coleman.

About 'Hawaii's Schools' Each week, Hawaii's teenage reporters and photographers tell us about their school. This week's school is Waialua High and Intermediate School. Newspaper: The Waialuan Adviser: Gail Kuroda Editor-in-chief: Victoria Nishikawa Next week: Sacred Hearts Academy Bulldog facts Address: 67-160 Farrington Highway, Waialua, HI 96791 Phone: 637-8200 Principal: Aloha Coleman Vice principals: Clayton Chun and Corinne Kalilikane Mascot: Bulldog School colors: Scarlet and gray Enrollment: About 700 Year established: 1914, as a one-room school known as Mokuleia School Year established as Waialua High and Intermediate: 1936

The No Child Left Behind Act, passed by Congress in 2001, mandated that states develop an assessment of reading and math in public education. Since then the state developed the Hawaii State Assessment Test for eighth- and 10th-graders. Schools are required to achieve a percentage of students meeting proficiency in reading and math.

If a school does not meet required percentage levels of proficiency, a reconstructing team from the state will come and make changes. These changes can affect the school greatly. For example, electives can be taken away, leaving only core classes to take.

Last year, students and their teachers worked hard to prepare for the test in the spring. Teachers took time off from their curriculum to teach essential skills for students to pass the test. Certain students also had to take reading and math workshops for seventh-period classes and after school. Computer programs, such as Learning 100, Accelerated Math and Plato were also implemented schoolwide.

The work paid off in the end. The 2004 required percentage of students meeting or exceeding proficiency was 30 for reading and 10 for math. More than 37 percent of eighth- and 10th-graders met or exceeded proficiency in reading. As for math, 17 percent of eighth- and 10th-graders met or exceeded proficiency.

In grade level results, 29 percent of eighth-graders met or exceeded the reading proficiency level, and 14 percent in math.

Freshman Joey Green, who took the Hawaii State Assessment in April as an eighth-grader, said: "I just did the best as I could. The test was hard."

As for the 10th-graders, 46 percent of the students met or exceeded proficiency in reading, and 20 percent in math.

"It's a reflection what a wonderful job English teachers and other teachers did. It's also a credit to the students that they took it seriously," said former English department head Gregory Kamisato.

Math department head Sterling Carvalho said the hardest part of preparing students is "pushing the kids to step up to the plate."

"Anybody can teach, but teaching for understanding is a challenge."

Curriculum Coordinator Beverly Robinson said: "I think people should know that WHIS has a good program with a sound curriculum that is standards-based, that the school cares about the development of the entire child and that the school is making an effort to personalize education for all students. The results indicate students are achieving significantly."

The 2004 results improved from the 2003 results by 10.5 percent in reading and by 7 percent in math for meeting or exceeding proficiency.

"We knew we were going to improve, but not that drastically," Carvalho said. "The successes are attributed to the dedication of the math teachers, staff and faculty ... also, the implementation of math programs."

To maintain this improvement, the school is keeping the same programs it used last year, including reading and math workshops, Plato, Accelerated Reading, Accelerated Math and Learning 100. The school is also adding "remedial math classes for those striving to meet proficiency ... and more lab hours are available for all math classes," Carvalho said.

With a new school year ahead, this year's eighth- and 10th-graders and their teachers are working hard to meet the new 2005 required proficiency percentage: 44 percent for overall reading and 28 percent for overall math.

The required proficiency percentage will be raised every year until the 2013-14 school year. At that point, all students taking the test in Hawaii must meet proficiency in reading and math.

Many educators believe that goal is unrealistic. Carvalho said: "We have our work cut out for us. All we can do is continue doing our best."

Coleman is optimistic about Waialua's future test results. She said: "We know that they (students) are just as smart as anywhere else. I know there will be even better results this year and upcoming years. They can do anything in their lives if they set their mind to it."

Students hooked on
aquaculture class

With community aid, Waialua revives
its fish farm curriculum

Ever wondered what it would be like to raise a Chinese catfish, tilapia or koi? Ever wanted to raise ornamental fish, like swordtails or guppies? Now, 37 students can do just that in new aquaculture classes run by special-education teacher Victoria Pescaia.

The class was discontinued at Waialua High about 10 years ago. Pescaia decided to start this class again because "students were really bummed about not having a marine science class," he said. "So I figured, why not?"

This class is being offered to both special-education and regular-education students.

Pescaia's goals are to introduce the students to the aquaculture industry and to hopefully get them excited about the field.

Aquaculture not only covers raising fish, but also marketing them. Pescaia hopes to teach students to "not only raise the fish, but to care for the fish and teach others about the fish that we are raising."

The class will be raising Chinese catfish, tilapia, koi and, eventually, shrimp. There is also an aquarium room where the students will have a chance to raise ornamental fish.

It all started in November when Pescaia called the Aquaculture Development Program. ADP specializes in offering assistance to new and ongoing aquaculture ventures.

ADP is a part of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and diversified agriculture's solution for moving Hawaii toward greater food sufficiency, as well as creating viable export industries. They helped find many of the resources for the class.

"To help to become a self-sustaining program, we spent a lot of money getting it going, much of which was donated," says Pescaia.

JAYME SELESKA / WAIALUA HIGH SCHOOL Aquascience students and teacher Victoria Pescaia care for their ornamental fish. The class is raising goldfish, swordtails and guppies, which will be sold when they are old enough.

Clyde Tamaru of the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College said he would help to get this program up and running. UH Sea Grant donated an air blower, worth at least $600. The program has also donated close to $1,000 to the aquascience class.

Since then there have been other donations by other businesses. During the summer, Earl's Painting in Honolulu and Applied Resin Technology in Woodinville, Wash., worked to rebuild the WHIS aquaculture pond facilities. The ponds were lined and waterproofed, and the PVC plumbing repaired. The donation alone retails for more than $20,000.

These efforts to get the aquaculture class going again caught the attention of the North Shore News and KHON-2 News this past summer.

Other donations include a $500 grant received from Mililani Wal-Mart; Aquatic Eco-Systems, a Florida-based vendor, donated a water quality testing kit, worth $300; Pet's Discount Warehouse in Salt Lake donated 15 10-gallon aquariums worth $150; City Mill donated a $100 gift certificate for any supplies that might be needed; and Lowe's Hardware offered 50 percent off retail purchases.

This past summer, Pescaia applied for a grant from the Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation and was awarded its Good Ideas Grant of $3,000 for the aquascience class to buy lab equipment such as probes, scales and dissecting kits.

More equipment is on the way. Pescaia contacted Aquatic Eco-Systems when Hurricane Charley swept through Florida. This Florida-based company was willing to donate many of the supplies that got damaged from the hurricane that can no longer be sold but are still usable.

Also recently, 125 concrete tiles were donated by Tile Co. to line the new pond that is currently under construction.

Local resident David Anana donated his time and equipment to reshape the earthen ponds and dig new drainage trenches. Two other aquaculture farmers, Jeff Koch and Ron Weidenbach, will also be helping with this new program.

You asked...

Mariah Weidenbach
Senior
"I like how everyone is laid back and just wants to have fun. Everybody says hi because you know everyone."

Javerly Lumoya
Senior
"I like that it's small and we're all friends."

Raymond Adams
Junior
"I like how it's small. It's not like a city. ... You know everyone."

Erica Tuyay
Junior
"I love Sagara's (a community okazu-ya)."

Rance Balidoy
Sophomore
"Matsumoto Shave Ice."

Jesse Bradley
Freshman
"Pizza Bob's."

Ashley Kimball
Freshman
"You can walk down the street and people are really nice to you."

Leilah Cooper
Seventh grade
"The thing that I like about the North Shore is that there are a lot of movies filmed here."

Skye Abregano
Seventh grade
"The sunset."