Public school students head back to the classroom tomorrow and, other than noting their friends’ new clothes or the names of their new teachers, things are probably going to look just about the same as they remember it from the other end of their brief summer break.

Appearances can be deceiving. Beneath the surface — at least the layer most students see — the state Department of Education has reached a crossroads in how it delivers lessons, transports students to the classroom and evaluates its teachers — much of the basics to public schools’ operational success.

Last week, good news from federal authorities gave the department some long-awaited relief: The U.S. Department of Education took the state DOE off the "high-risk" status that effectively restricted its $75 million grant under the Race to the Top reform program. The feds had expressed concern that reform efforts, aimed at improving Hawaii’s low-performing schools, were being bogged down in teacher contract disputes and other delays.

It was a vote of confidence. Nonetheless, the road ahead is still going to be a bumpy ride, a steep learning curve for teachers in particular but for the entire school community as well.

For parents and other non-educators, the swirl of new program names and terminology can be confusing. Here is a brief primer on the buzz words, and a status report on the DOE’s drive to reform.