Adult Education

The Adult Education Program provides a wide range of courses designed for adult learners. These include basic education, English literacy and civics. Adults can also earn important diplomas, such as the Hawai‘i Adult Community School Diploma, either through General Educational Development (GED) and the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) exams, and the Workforce Development Diploma (WDD). Additionally, the adult schools manage the Department’s substitute teacher training course. These courses are run out of the Department’s 10 Community Schools for Adults (CSAs) sites. Please contact the school nearest you (see below) for information. 

Transcript and Verification Re​​quests

All transcript and verification requests should be sent to the school attended. See below for individual CSAs contact information. For Saint Louis School inquiries, please call their registrar directly at 808-739-4729​. 

Enrolling

The two primary CSA campuses are at McKinley Community School and Waipahu Community School High schools, with eight satellite sites. 

• ​Contact the school nearest you for class schedules and courses. 
• For transcripts and education verification requests, contact the school attended from the list below.​​

McKinley Community School for Adults (MCSA)
634 Pensacola St.,
Honolulu, HI 96814
Ph: 808-594-0540
Fax: 808-594-0544

Waipahu Community School for Adults (WCSA)
94-521 Farrington Highway,
Waipahu, HI 96797
Ph: 808-307-9677
Fax: 808-675-0259

Diploma Programs

HIDOE’s Community Schools for Adults are fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The goal of the GED and HiSET programs is to ensure that graduates who earn a High School Equivalency Credential and/or Hawai‘i Adult Community School Diploma are career ready and prepared for post-secondary education. Both are aligned to national Common Core State Standards and College and Career Readiness Standards.

General Educational Development 

The GED test provides a valid means of measuring the educational achievement of adults who have not graduated high school, and of comparing their academic competence with that of high school graduates. The GED test battery consists of five tests: writing skills, social studies, science, interpreting literature and the arts, and mathematics. Individuals who successfully complete the test battery will receive an official GED transcript and may qualify for the Hawai‘i Adult Community School Diploma. The diploma may provide graduates the opportunity to enter the military service, gain college admission, increase income, increase job qualifications or assist in obtaining work advancement.​

High School Equivalency Test 

The purpose of the HiSET is to certify a candidate’s attainment of academic knowledge and skills equivalent to those of a high school graduate. HiSET scores will identify those candidates who have performed at a level consistent with high school equivalency. Individuals who successfully complete the test battery will receive an official HiSET transcript and may qualify for the Hawai‘i Adult Community School Diploma. The diploma may provide graduates the opportunity to enter the military service, gain college admission, increase income, increase job qualifications or assist in obtaining work advancement.

Workforce Development Certificate (WDC) Program

In collaboration with the Workforce Development Council, state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, employers, and the community colleges, the Workforce Development Certificate Program was initiated.

The Workforce Development Certificate (WDC) Program was designed to meet the needs of those students entering the workforce with job entry that do not require a high school certificate. The WDC Program will prepare students with the necessary basic education and access to job training programs. To be eligible, a student must be 18 years and older, or 16- to 17-year-old students who are released from school through the 4140 process. All enrolled students who complete the requirements of the program will earn a Workforce Development Certificate from their respective community school. Contact McKinley Community School for Adults or Waipahu Community School for Adults for enrollment processing information.

Substitute Teacher Course

The Department’s CSAs coordinate the in-person substitute teacher course. (Online courses may also be offered through MCSA-Maui Campus and select WCSA campuses. Contact individual WCSA campuses to inquire. Please review the information on our Substitute Teaching page for more information on how to become a substitute teacher. 

Community School for Adults academic and financial plan summary

Honolulu-Kaua‘i-Maui-Moanalua

• 2024-24 Academic Plan (PDF)
• 2024-25 Financial Plan (PDF)

Prior financial plans: 2022-23 (PDF) | 2019-20 (PDF) | 2020-21 (PDF)

Hawai‘i-Leeward-Wahiawā-Windward

• 2024-25 Academic Plan (PDF)
• 2024-25 Financial Plan (PDF)

Prior financial plans: 2022-23 (PDF) | 2019-20 (PDF)

Adult and Community Education Advisory Council (ACEAC)

The Hawai‘i State Legislature established the Hawai‘i Adult Education Act of 1945, legally mandating responsibility to the HIDOE for providing increased educational opportunities for the people of Hawai‘i. In 1988, the legislature broadened the scope of adult education to include community education.

Part1 Chapter 302A of the Hawai‘i Revised Statutes states:

[§302A-432] Adult and community education authorized. To provide increased opportunity for the people of Hawai‘i, the department shall establish and regulate a program of adult and community education of less than college grade. The department shall provide public school buildings and other facilities, and use public school equipment under conditions determined by the department, when the equipment is needed, for adult and community education programs. 

State law provides that the Board of Education will be advised on its adult and community education programs by a volunteer advisory council appointed by the board. Members accepting appointment to this Council are expected to attend a minimum of four quarterly meetings per year and work with the two Community Schools or on a committee as assigned by the chair of the advisory council. These four meetings will be held during normal working hours, and members are expected to secure whatever approval necessary from their employers to be able to attend these day-long meetings.

The Adult and Community Education Advisory Council was established by Section 302A of the Hawai‘i Revised Statutes.

[§302A-434] Advisory council for adult and community education. The board shall appoint an advisory council for adult and community education composed of 15 or more representatives of industry, labor, civic organizations, and education. Appointments shall be for a term of two years with reappointments optional but not to exceed a total of six years on the advisory council. 

Content Standards for Adult Education

The Department utilizes the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education, which are a manageable set of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) most indispensable for college and career readiness and essential to adult students. In accordance with section 102 of WIOA, the eligible agency aligns content standards for adult education with state-adopted challenging academic content standards, as adopted under section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(1)).

In 2010, the Hawaii Board of Education adopted the CCSS for English Language Arts and Mathematics for the Hawaii public school system. The English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards for Adult Education (AE) are intended to address the urgent need for educational equity, access and rigor for adult English language learners. The standards are essential to ensuring that adult English learners receive the focused and effective instruction they need to access states’ academic content standards.