Room to improve; New Strive scores rank schools based on performance

The vast majority of Hawaii Island schools appear to be making improvements, according to the latest results of the fledgling Strive HI Performance System.

However, the island as a whole continues to lag behind the rest of the state on most performance measures.

All but seven of the island’s 55 public schools displayed enough progress to be placed on the state’s second-highest performance tier, known as “Continuous Improvement.”

Two schools — Konawaena Elementary and Ernest B. de Silva Elementary — were placed into the top “Recognition” tier, with three — Hookena Elementary, Mountain View Elementary and Kealakehe Elementary — being singled out as schools that need more focus on the middle tier.

Meanwhile, two Big Island charter schools were placed on the second tier from the bottom, “Priority,” which is reserved for the bottom 5 percent of schools with persistently low achievement and graduation rates, or for schools in the School Improvement Grants Program.

The bottom tier, known as the “Superintendent’s Zone,” is reserved for schools that have shown an inability to meet performance targets through time. Because the performance system still is new, no schools in the state have yet found their way onto that tier.

Launched in school year 2012-13, Strive HI is Hawaii’s locally designed performance measurement system instituted via a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law, which looked only at reading and math test scores and imposed consequences on the lowest-performing schools.

Strive HI measures school performance and progress, and includes science test scores in addition to math and reading. Other factors included in the ratings are graduation rates, college enrollment, student achievement growth, chronic absenteeism and others.

Taking all those factors into account and assigning them point scores, de Silva, Kapiolani, Pahoa, Honokaa and Paauilo, in descending order, earned the highest index scores among elementary schools on the Big Island. Mountain View, Kohala, Kealakehe, Hookena and Waimea had the lowest.

In addition to earning top honors on the island, de Silva Elementary was among the top performers in the state, earning an index score of 349 out of a total possible of 400 points, putting it in sixth place. Momilani Elementary in Pearl City had the highest score in the state with 361 points.

De Silva’s success is all the more impressive when one considers the other top five schools are all on Oahu, said Principal Dennis O’Brien.

“They have an advantage because they’re closer to funding sources and business partners,” he said.

The elementary school has a long history of success, O’Brien said, and the new performance evaluations show the school’s tradition is set to stand strong well into the future. While most schools put up lower numbers on the new evaluations, de Silva students actually performed better on the tests, which were designed to be more rigorous compared to tests used in the past.

“We were the only school in the state whose sixth-graders broke 80 percent on their math scores,” he said. “… It tells us that we have an excellent staff. A lot of the success just goes to the quality of the teacher corps we have here. Another advantage we have here is a tremendously supportive parent group, both here at school and at home.”

Na Wai Ola in Mountain View was the lowest performing elementary school.

Innovations Public Charter School in Kailua-Kona took the top spot among Hawaii Island middle schools, achieving an index score of 279. The lowest performer was Kohala Middle, which earned just 98 points.

Small charter schools put up the biggest index scores among the island’s high schools, with Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science in Pahoa taking the top spot, with 270 points out of 400. They also, however, accounted for the two poorest performing high schools, with Kua o ka La Public Charter in Pahoa taking the bottom spot with 92 points.

Big Isle schools that moved out of the “Focus” tier included Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science, Hilo High, Konawaena Middle, Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School, Waiakea Elementary and West Hawaii Explorations Academy Public Charter School.

Other Big Island standouts included:

• Haaheo Elementary: Among the state’s top most-improved in science proficiency.

• Honaunau Elementary: Among the state’s top most-improved in science proficiency.

• Naalehu Elementary: Among the state’s top most-improved in science proficiency

• West Hawaii Explorations Public Charter School: Among the state’s top most-improved in science proficiency; among the state’s top most-improved graduation rates; and among the state’s most-improved on college-going rate.

• Kohala High: Among the state’s top growth schools in English Language Arts/Literacy; and among the state’s most-improved graduation rates.

• Paauilo Elementary and Intermediate: Among the state’s top most-improved in English Language Arts/Literacy; among the state’s most-improved in Mathematics Growth.

• Innovations Public Charter School: Among the state’s top performers on the eighth-grade ACT Explore; and among the state’s most-improved on the eighth-grade ACT Explore.

• Kona Pacific Public Charter School: Among the state’s top performers on the eighth-grade ACT Explore; and among the state’s most-improved on the eighth-grade ACT Explore.

• Waikoloa Elementary and Middle: Among the state’s top performers on the eighth-grade ACT Explore.

• Volcano School of Arts &Sciences – Among the state’s top performers on the eighth-grade ACT Explore; and among the state’s most improved on the eighth-grade ACT Explore.

• Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences: Among the state’s top performing schools on the 11th-grade ACT; and among the state’s most-improved on college-going rate.

• Pahoa High and Intermediate: Among the state’s most-improved schools on the 11th-grade ACT.

• Keaau High: Among the state’s most-improved schools on the 11th-grade ACT.

• Waimea High: Among the state’s most-improved schools on the 11th-grade ACT; among the state’s top graduation rates.

• Kohala High: Among the state’s most-improved schools on the 11th-grade ACT.

• Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino: Among the state’s most-improved graduation rates; among the state’s most-improved on college-going rate.

• Connections Public Charter School: Among the state’s most-improved graduation rates.

• Waiakea High: Among the state’s top performers in college-going rate.

• Kealakehe High: Among the state’s most-improved on college-going rate.

Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.