State plan empowers pupil learning

With a good plan, every student can succeed in school.

The state Department of Education received approval from the U.S. Department of Education of its state plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act. Federal officials shared the authorization of the plan during a call with state DOE leadership Friday morning.

“The goals and measures of success outlined in our approved state plan shows Hawaii’s continued commitment to providing equitable access to quality education, and empowers our educators to innovate and design schools that meet the needs of their communities,” said state DOE Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto.

The plan measures student success, with 14 indicators including chronic absenteeism, inclusion rate, teacher retention, facility repair and maintenance backlog and family engagement.

“This plan is a reflection of the voices of our students, teachers, parents, administrators and community partners who worked together to offer their recommendations on the direction of public education in Hawaii,” Kishimoto said.

The state ESSA plan is designed to support the state DOE’s Strategic Plan objectives, which provide common direction for public schools to empower students in their learning.

The plan uses the state’s Board of Education and state DOE Strategic Plan and Blueprint for Public Education as the foundation, which allows Hawaii to lead with its own vision of what public education should look like in a multicultural island state.

“(The) approval is good news for Hawaii,” said Gov. David Ige. “We’re moving ahead to better prepare our students to be competitive in today’s global innovation economy.”

The plan continues the efforts and commitment to strengthen school design, student voice and teacher collaboration.

ESSA is a re-authorization of the federal education law known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It replaces the prior re-authorization, most commonly known as the No Child Left Behind Act.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos also signed off on plans last week for Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Montana and New Hampshire.

“I am pleased to approve these plans, which comply with the requirements of the law,” said DeVos. “I encourage states to use their plans as a starting point rather than a finish line, to improve outcomes for all students.”