Policy 2105
KA PAPAHANA KAIAPUNI
Ka Papahana Kaiapuni (Kaiapuni Educational Program) provides students with Hawaiian bicultural and bilingual education. Additionally, the program contributes to the continuation of our Hawaiian language and culture. The Kaiapuni Educational Program offers students an education in the medium of the Hawaiian language. The comprehensive program combines the use of Hawaiian teaching methodologies, language, history, culture and values to prepare students for college, career and to be community contributors within a multicultural society. The Department of Education (Department) shall develop the necessary rules, regulations, guidelines and procedures as well as an updated strategic plan for the program. Every student within the State of Hawai‘i's public school system should have reasonable access to the Kaiapuni Educational Program.
The goals of the Kaiapuni Educational Program shall be:
1. To provide parents and student a Hawaiian bicultural and bilingual education based upon a rigorous Hawaiian content and context curriculum. The Kaiapuni Educational Program is offered to students K-12.
2. The curriculum and standards are to be developed by the Department to prepare students for college, career and contributors to community with the assistance of the appropriate stakeholders including the ‘Aha Kauleo, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, University of Hawai‘i system of colleges, ‘Aha Pūnana Leo, the Charter School Commission and any other stakeholders selected by the Department. The development of the Kaiapuni curriculum, content, instruction and assessment should be informed and researched-based utilizing qualitative and quantitative data.
3. The 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 which will have oversight of the program's implementation and accountability to ensure effective curricula, performance standards for professional qualifications, organizational structure (e.g. Complex Area, Office), and community engagement. Additionally, this office will provide an annual program performance report to the Board of Education (BOE) and community via the Superintendent.
4. The program's success is largely dependent on the capacity, capability and expertise of the program's professional staff. The Department will establish professional qualifications and develop training programs internally and/or in cooperation with stakeholder groups/universities. The goal is for program professionals to be qualified in both English as a medium of instruction and Hawaiian as a medium of instruction and appropriately compensated for these additional qualifications.
5. The program's effectiveness requires the development and proper administration of appropriate formative and summative assessment tools. These program evaluation tools should be in alignment with the State's Kaiapuni curriculum and measure student growth and proficiency with the goal to prepare students for success in college, career and community.
6. The delivery of the program to students within the Department may include one of three organizational structures depending on the number of program students: (a) All students are enrolled in the program; principal and teachers are dual qualified. (b) Majority of students are enrolled in the program; principal and teachers are dual qualified; those students not in the program would be taught in English under supervision of the school's principal; and, (c) Students are offered a Kaiapuni Educational Program in an English medium school. Only the teachers teaching the Kaiapuni classes are required to be dual qualified. This policy shall not apply to teachers currently employed by the Department and/or Charter Schools prior to February 18, 2014, and may be waived on an individual basis by the Superintendent of Education as circumstances warrant.
7. Each Kaiapuni School shall comply with all applicable BOE policies, rules and regulations.
This policy is applicable to Kaiapuni charter schools. A charter school may request a waiver of this policy from the BOE.
Approved 1/19/06; Amended: 2/18/14
