Hawai’i’s public education system should embody Hawaiian values, language, culture and history as a foundation to prepare students in grades K-12 for success in college, career and communities, locally and globally. Hawaiian language, culture, and history should be an integral part of Hawai‘i’s education standards for all students in grades K-12.

The Board of Education recognizes that appropriate support for and implementation of Hawaiian education will positively impact the educational outcomes of all students in preparation for college, career and community success.

Therefore, the Department of Education (Department) shall establish in the Office of the Superintendent an Office of Hawaiian Education of which the head shall be part of the Superintendent’s leadership team.  The Department will allocate resources including personnel and fiscal to create and implement appropriate, curricula, standards, performance assessment tools, professional development, and strategies for community engagement throughout the Department.

The goals of Hawaiian education shall be to:

• Provide guidance in developing, securing, and utilizing materials that support the incorporation of Hawaiian knowledge, practices and perspectives in all content areas.
• Provide educators, staff and administrators with a fundamental knowledge of and appreciation for the indigenous culture, history, places and language of Hawai‘i.
• Develop and implement an evaluation system that measures student outcomes, teacher effectiveness and administration support of Hawaiian Education. To ensure accountability an annual assessment report to the Board of Education will be required.
• Use community expertise as an essential means in the furtherance of Hawaiian education.
• Ensure that all students in Hawai‘i’s public schools will graduate with proficiency in and appreciation for the indigenous culture, history, and language of Hawai‘i.

This policy is applicable to charter schools.  A charter school may request a waiver of this policy from the Board of Education.

Approved: 4/19/01; Amended: 1/22/09; Amended: 2/18/14