Although many of Hawaii's public high schools struggle to meet the benchmarks for adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind act, Kaiser High in Hawaii Kai was one of 3 to demonstrate progress this year.

John Sosa, Principal of Kaiser, said one of the reasons is the more homogenous population of the students at Kaiser.  There isn't a significant portion of students coming from economically disadvantaged homes or requiring special education, said Sosa.  "We don't have a lot of subgroups because our population is pretty straightforward. When you have higher numbers of different subgroups, like most high schools do, you have a harder time making your AYP." 

Aside from some high schools' larger, more diverse populations, Sosa said high schools also have to overcome student apathy about the Hawai'i State Assessment test.  "The problem is, there is nothing in this for the kid. It doesn't count toward graduation requirements, it won't help them get into college. It's a standalone assessment that has no connection to the student," Sosa said.

Meanwhile, education officials say that the U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and President Obama have placed less emphasis on NCLB's AYP, or "status model." Instead, they say the focus has been on showing steady growth.  Glenn Hirata, head of the DOE's system evaluation and reporting section, explained, "What we're seeing is a move toward a more realistic and achievable goal with the new administration."

Many residents of Hawaii Kai do send their children to private schools, but it is encouraging to know Kaiser High ranks in the top 3 of the state in meeting these goals.

If you are considering relocation to Hawaii Kai, contact me for school information and my free relocation package (or request one online).

Barbara Abe, Realtor
barbara@barbarashawaii.com
808-226-2537
www.movetohawaiikai.com
www.barbarashawaii.com