Thanks to the hard work of educators, Hawaii is a rising star among states committed to transforming schools and improving education for every child.

According to the latest progress report on the state’s $75 million Race to the Top (RTTT) grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Hawaii continues to demonstrate its leadership in education reform.

Hawaii’s Department of Education is the ninth-largest U.S. school district and the only statewide educational system in the country. When Hawaii was first awarded the federal grant, there was a huge amount of skepticism in the outside world. Despite initial challenges and setbacks, the state has emerged as a national model for how to improve public schools across the nation.

Results from the 2013 National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP), the "Nation’s Report Card," highlighted that Hawaii was one of the top five fastest improving states in the country, with an eight-point increase in math for fourth- and eighth-grade, a four-point increase in reading in fourth-grade, and a five-point increase in reading in eighth-grade (when compared to 2009 results.) This success in Hawaii is the result of challenging the status quo and making changes to the way teachers and administrators do their work and hold themselves accountable.

Waipahu High School is a great example of success in our public schools. We recently had the opportunity to visit the school, and learn from the students and teachers about the various educational programs contributing to student success, such as creative media, culinary arts, engineering, finance, law and justice administration and teacher education. The school also offers tuition-free early college courses. The focus on hands-on, relevant learning experiences is paying off, resulting in increased proficiency scores and college-going rates.

Positive changes are taking place at Waipahu High School and in schools all across Hawaii and the nation. Teachers and administrators are making one of the biggest impacts they can make on our future — empowering our students to take control and drive their learning, inspiring them to inquire, research, question and build their confidence and capacity for resiliency and problem-solving.

In 2009, education leaders and state governors recognized the value of consistent, real-world learning goals and launched the Common Core State Standards in an effort to ensure all students, across the nation, are graduating high school prepared for college, career and life. In Hawaii, building on the early education efforts from RTTT, leaders are taking steps to provide access and opportunity to those who live in rural areas, so our youngest students have a chance at a strong start.

Additionally, educators, and we as leaders, need to hold ourselves accountable for improving student outcomes. Evaluating teachers and principals in a different way — with multiple measures — has been key to our success. Here in Hawaii, our educators have taken the initiative at the grassroots level to achieve this goal. They have found a path by having honest and open discussions, backed with data, a problem-solving attitude and the will to succeed for the sake of our students.

When RTTT launched in 2010, it was an unprecedented investment in states that were hungry to transform schools and support the hard work of educators through innovative efforts.

As President Barack Obama’s signature education improvement program enters its final phase, Hawaii emerges as a leader, and it’s imperative that the rest of us come together and continue to support public education on its journey to greatness.