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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION This photo shows the playground at Helemano Elementary School.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Noelani Elementary School faculty and staff show off their Strive HI award.
Two of the state’s highest-performing public elementary schools were recognized today as National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education.
Helemano Elementary in Wahiawa and Noelani Elementary in Manoa were among 329 winners nationwide announced by U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. The program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students achieve very high learning standards or are making improvements in closing the achievement gap between high-needs students and their peers.
“Every year, our National Blue Ribbon Schools demonstrate that all students can achieve at the highest levels with the support of educators, families and communities,” schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said in a news release. “The award is another validation all of the hard work put into striving for academic success and we congratulate everyone involved on this tremendous honor.”
At Noelani, standardized test results for the 2014-15 school year show 82 percent of students tested proficient or higher in English language arts, while 80 percent met or exceeded standards for math. The school has limited chronic absenteeism to 2 percent (the percentage of students absent 15 days or more).
Over the past four years, Helemano has increased its achievement in science proficiency by 13 percent to 80 percent of students and has reduced its levels of chronic absenteeism by half to 8 percent. Seventy percent of students met or exceeded standards in English language arts while 67 percent tested proficient or higher in math in 2014-15.
Both schools are categorized as “recognition” schools, the highest category on the Department of Education’s school accountability system known as Strive HI. The system recognizes schools for various achievements including on standardized test scores, reducing chronic absenteeism, graduation and college-going rates, and closing the achievement gap.
The U.S. DOE will formally recognize the 279 public schools and 50 private schools at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 7 and 8. Now in its 34th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this award on fewer than 8,500 schools.
Congrats to both schools for a job well done!
Same here!
Great job, both schools. I’m more familiar with Ernest Muh, the Principal of Helemano. He was my son’s teacher and worked for my wife when he was a teacher. He and his staff have done a great job and he has stayed with that school even when more attractive positions were offered. Hats off.
Great news. Lets home some of the other schools try to learn from this wonderful example.
First of all, yes congrats to these two schools for the recognition. However, “aohomoa”, a lot of schools are not able to take advantage of whatever can be learned from these “examples”. Noelani is located in Manoa, upper middle to higher income demographics. This Manoa stronghold has virtually no free lunch qualified students, very limited “ELL (English Languge Learner) students and no students from the Marshall Islands. These types of students make it a lot more challenging to get the results noted.
Same for Halemano; a good portion of the students are military dependents. Again much lower free lunch qualified student body, low percentage of ELL and very little Marshall Island families. Compare these two schools to those in Kalihi, Waipahu, Waianae Coast, and other schools located where there are public housing or a lot of lower rent apartment buildings. Unfortunately, some of these schools do not have the option of having a positively stacked deck that really enhances a more pristine learning environment tied to the type of student body composition. There are excellent administrators and teachers all over our State.
Have you ever taught at or been and administrator at a military school? I have and I know what it takes to make those schools successful. Walk in our shoes before shooting your mouth off.
But I must admit, you are correct in saying that there are schools all over the stat that are working really hard and accomplishing great stuff. There are also administrators who are awake late tonight trying to make learning better for their school’s children.
Hey read the content! It’s not taking away from these schools! Just clarifying that many other schools in economically and more diverse student populations have a heck of a time to get more positive results. I have not taught or been an administrator. Take a look at all of the test stats Statewide and look, at the results! It is Ll confirmed about the location bias. And before you send off another negative rant, my wife has been in the DOE for over 25 years at several different schools. She agrees with this point of view as it is just a reality. You’re telling me that a school like Noelani, Momilani or Kahala elementary has the same learning environment as Kalihi Kai, Waipahu or say Kaala elementary? Check your facts before being so defensive and negative. I would have expected more from a som allied “educator” that is charged with forming our youths education and future.
That should have read “so called” educator.
Who gets the money?