The state Department of Education’s website’s first makeover in more than a decade was unveiled Monday with the launching of hawaiipublicschools.org.
The website — built using $1.7 million in federal Race to the Top funds — is part of the department’s strategic plan that calls for improved communications and community engagement to keep parents, students, teachers, staff and the public informed. It is intended to ensure easy access to information and increase transparency as well as engage the community.
"In today’s technological world, we strive to better communicate the excellence and transformation occurring in our public school system. Our new website also allows for a stronger connection with our communities," schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said in a statement.
The previous site, which hadn’t received a design upgrade since 1999, was getting about 375,000 page views monthly, the department said. The new site drew more than 33,000 views as of Monday afternoon.
The revamped site incorporates videos, photo galleries and social media along with resources on educational initiatives and reforms, school-level data and college- and career-readiness efforts.
"We now have the ability to do much more in today’s Web world," spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz said. "This website sets a higher standard for the department for the benefit of parents, students and the public. … We want to make this more about community engagement rather than just a resource page."
In addition to the website’s public interface, funds are being used to develop an internal employee intranet — set to begin in the fall — that Dela Cruz said is badly needed.
The move is expected to boost operational efficiency, information sharing and collaboration among department offices.
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On the net:
» hawaiipublicschools.org
