LIHU‘E — With the U.S. Department of Education placing Hawai‘i’s four-year, $75 million Race to the Top grant on “high-risk status,” Kaua‘i’s public schools could miss out on much of the ambitious, four-year reform plan. Hawai‘i was among 12 winners
LIHU‘E — With the U.S. Department of Education placing Hawai‘i’s four-year, $75 million Race to the Top grant on “high-risk status,” Kaua‘i’s public schools could miss out on much of the ambitious, four-year reform plan.
Hawai‘i was among 12 winners of the Race to the Top contest, President Obama’s signature education initiative. The state outlined an aggressive plan in 2010 that would affect almost 300 public schools and more than 180,000 students across the islands. The proposal focused on low-performing schools while revamping teacher evaluations and implementing databases that would help educators monitor student achievement.
But because of the state’s “unsatisfactory” performance in fulfilling its promises, Hawai‘i schools could get its funding cut.
“The Race to the Top is another thing that I feel is like No Child Left Behind,” said Christine Farina, a teacher at Kapa‘a High School. “It has great intentions, but it is not thought through clearly, and it’s putting unrealistic goals and expectations on everyone. Students, teachers, everybody.”
Part of the the Race to the Top plan relies on an infrastructure of data that tracks student growth. A teacher’s pay is then linked to student performance.
“We are all striving to do the best we can and to make sure students are successful as possible,” Farina said. “Now, they are trying to link our pay to that data. And tell me what profession that’s happening in? It’s like saying to a doctor, if you don’t have 100 percent of your patients cured, then your pay is going to be reduced or you may lose your job. … You have to take into account the differences in people, their levels. Are we talking about special education and special needs kids at the same time? It’s very frustrating.”
Data for School Improvement
So far, Race to the Top funds have entered Kaua‘i public schools through the Data for School Improvement (DSI) system, a database of formal assessments in English language arts and mathematics. This program is designed to help classroom teachers tailor their instruction based on student performance and gives them access to curricula, according to the Department of Education (DOE).
“As for Kaua‘i, we benefit from the state’s system to improve the infrastructure as far as technology and capability access to information,” said Kaua‘i Complex Area Superintendent Bill Arakaki. “For our schools, we have data systems we can look at for improvement. Our schools are able to look at current data as far as performance with students, their attendance and so on, to help teachers with instruction and support students in their learning.”
This system was installed in Kaua‘i public schools for the 2010–2011 school year, but the software didn’t come without some technical problems.
“Right now, we are in more of a learning process of using it, where teachers are currently trying to navigate the system,” said Corey Nakamura, principal of Hanalei Elementary School. “It did have its glitches in the beginning where we wouldn’t be able to log on, and even the system was a little slow-paced. It was discouraging for teachers at first, but improvements have been made.”
At the high school level, teachers had “difficulties with the system” because assessment questions were limited, especially for high school math subjects, said Nely Caberto, principal at Waimea High School.
“This year the system has improved with more items added to the assessment questions data bank,” Caberto said. “Enhancement have been made to the system, making it user friendly for teachers. We are hopeful that the enhancements will allow us to utilize the data gleaned from DSI assessments to focus on our student needs.”
Nakamura said he could see great potential for the system. Even if the state loses its federal funding, he would like to see the database stay.
“It’s a great way for teachers to know where their students are at in relationship to the standards they are teaching,” he said.
Race to the Top grant status
The Race to the Top grant faced another setback in January when the Hawai‘i State Teachers Association rejected a contract that called for a performance-based evaluation and compensation system, two requirements to be eligible for the Race to the Top grant.
Teachers argue that many factors contribute to a student’s academic success, and deciphering a teacher’s degree of responsibility is difficult.
Currently, standardized test scores are used as the measuring stick to determine a student’s academic performance.
“It is difficult to measure a teacher’s effectiveness and a student’s success using standardized test scores,” Caberto said. “Our current standardized test that determines our No Child Left Behind status, Hawai‘i State Assessment, is a test that measures a student’s cumulative knowledge up to the appropriate grade level. Student success in the classroom encompasses a variety of assessments, not limited to a standardized test. It is unfair to measure teacher effectiveness based solely on standardized test scores.”
Farina, who has been a teacher for 18 years, pointed out that the teachers weren’t aware of the details of the proposed contract.
“They were saying, ‘Sign this contract. We don’t know how you will be evaluated. We don’t know what your evaluation is going to based on, who’s doing it, how often or any of the details, but just trust us it will all be good,’” Farina said. “Basically, that was the problem — and the fact we were asked to continue with a pay cut for another two years. Then, we would only be restored to a 2009 pay (level) with a 1 percent increase. That doesn’t cover the cost of living adjustment from 2009 to 2013.”
The average starting salary of a teacher in Hawai‘i is $35,816, and the average salary for a teacher is $49,292, according to the website Teacher Portal.
“I have kids who have dropped out of school, gone into the construction industry, and they are high school dropouts making more money than I make. There is something really wrong from the top down,” she said.
In Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s recent State of the State Address, he announced Hawai‘i will complete Race to the Top with or without the cooperation of the teachers union.
“We are hoping they reach some type of agreement,” said Ruthie Omoto, president of the Parent Teacher Student Association at Wilcox Elementary School.
“As far as the feel we get from the teachers, they didn’t know exactly how they would be evaluated,” Omoto said. “We hope they can iron that problem out, because we don’t want our kids to miss out on such a good opportunity. As a parent, we really work hard to get extra funds for the students that the state doesn’t have. When teachers request something, it always comes to us because there is no funding.”
If Hawai‘i loses its Race to the Top grant, Arakaki said the DOE will continue to implement its blueprint as a tool to reform public schools.
“There is a need to do things differently,” Arakaki said. “How do you look at the right data to indicate what to take away or not take away? My principals are having those discussions and having teachers look at the data from our school to show parents and the public that what we are doing is effective as far as student achievement.
“Even without Race to the Top money, it is what we believe in to transform our system so that all students will be college- and career-ready,” he said.
Early Learning Challenge
More bad news came to the state last December when the Obama Administration rejected Hawai‘i’s application for the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge grant competition.
Abercrombie announced in December that despite losing out on the grant, the state will refine the plan and continue its efforts to implement the plan’s initiatives. During his State Address, he pledged to invest $1 million toward early childhood education and health initiatives.
“Unfortunately, Hawai‘i was not one of the states selected in this first round of funding that was announced at the end of December 2011,” said Terry Lock, the governor’s Early Childhood Coordinator. “Nevertheless, Hawai‘i’s application will be part of our long-term state plan that will be developed and finalized later this year.”
The plan includes goals to educate children between birth and age 5, establish a State Department of Early Childhood, develop a kindergarten entry assessment and implement a quality rating and improvement system, which is being piloted this spring through Department of Human Services funding.
“This is a statewide plan that will impact all programs that serve young children, prenatal to 5 years old, who are being served by early care and education programs,” Lock said. “This plan does not specifically address Kaua‘i. However, Kaua‘i early childhood practitioners would be encouraged to participate in many of the strategies, including training on standards and improving the quality of their programs.”
Parent involvement
Arakaki pointed out that Kaua‘i is a unique community where parents and students can become involved with different programs and organizations to support student learning.
“I think the focus has been, ‘Can you help us with fundraising? Can you help us with these activities?’ which is great, but we need to forward and have both the parents really work with their child on how to get into college, and what are some of the strategies we can provide, such as a proper setting for homework, so it becomes a tool for parents. We are moving towards that direction in terms of what kind of support we can give to parents. Even after elementary, middle and high school, parent involvement is crucial.”
Nakamura believes that parents should become familiar with state standards that informs students about what they are expected to learn.
“It would be helpful for parents to visit the Common Core Standards website and get some information on what it’s about and what is expected,” Nakamura said. The standard is being implemented in kindergarten through grade two and at the high school level in grades 11 and 12.
Parents are also advised to communicate with their child and monitor their academic, emotional and social progress, Caberto said.
“Our principals are open to having those real connections with parents in their community regarding their child,” Arakaki said.
• Andrea Frainier can be reached at 245-3681, ext. 257 or afrainier@ thegardenisland.com.
