Kaiapuni Education Policy Framework
The governing policies and constitutional foundations of Ka Papahana Kaiapuni represent the Office of Hawaiian Education’s (OHE) core priorities to honor a legacy of learning that belongs to all of Hawaiʻi’s keiki. This framework is not merely a set of administrative rules; it is an intentional commitment to providing a culturally rich and dynamic environment where students can thrive through ‘ōlelo Hawaiʻi. Guided by the Hawaiʻi State Constitution and Board of Education policies, these policies ensure the Department makes every reasonable effort to provide families with access to an immersion education that prepares graduates to be both globally competitive and locally committed. This framework serves as a promise to protect the integrity of the program while supporting the recruitment of proficient kumu and the development of curriculum that celebrates Hawaiian ways of knowing.
Hawaiʻi State Constitution
Article X on Education
HAWAIIAN EDUCATION PROGRAM
Section 4. The State shall promote the study of Hawaiian culture, history and language
The State shall provide for a Hawaiian education program consisting of language, culture and history in the public schools. The use of community expertise shall be encouraged as a suitable and essential means in furtherance of the Hawaiian education program. [Add Const Con 1978 and election Nov 7, 1978]
Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes
Section 302-A: Education
§302A-1128 Department powers and duties. The department shall have entire charge and control and be responsible for the conduct of all affairs pertaining to public instruction in the public schools the department establishes and operates, including operating and maintaining the capital improvement and repair and maintenance programs for department and school facilities; provided that all state-funded prekindergarten programs, and private partnership-funded prekindergarten programs in the public schools, except for special education and Title I-funded prekindergarten programs, shall be under the administrative authority of the executive office on early learning; provided further that the department shall continue to provide, and have administrative authority over, services generally provided to the schools excluding those services related to curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional learning support, but including operating and maintaining capital improvement and repair and maintenance programs for any facility on a department school campus at which the executive office on early learning administers programs, and evaluation of teaching staff. The department may establish and maintain schools for secular instruction at such places and for such terms as in its discretion it may deem advisable and the funds at its disposal may permit. The schools may include high schools, kindergarten schools, schools or classes for special education or Title I-funded
prekindergarten, boarding schools, Hawaiian language medium education schools, and evening and day schools. The department may also maintain classes for technical and other instruction in any school where there may not be pupils sufficient in number to justify the establishment of separate schools for these purposes. [L 1996, c 89, pt of §2; am L 1998, c 309, §2; am L 1999, c 190, §1; am L 2000, c 20, §1; am L 2003, c 220, §2; am L 2004, c 133, §4; am L 2005, c 189, §4; am L 2006, c 298, §19; am L 2012, c 133, §16; am L 2015, c 108, §5; am L 2019, c 276, §5]
§302A-1143 Attending school in what service area. A person of school age shall be required to attend the school of the service area, as determined by the department, in which the person resides, unless:
(1) The person is enrolled in a Hawaiian language medium education program or charter school;
(2) A geographic exception to attend a school in another service area is requested and granted at the discretion of the department;
(3) Out-of-service-area attendance is mandated by the department or by federal law; or
(4) The person is enrolled in a career and technical education program under section 302A-1143.5.
[L 1996, c 89, pt of §2; am L 2004, c 133, §5; am L 2012, c 133, §20; am L 2021, c 157, §4]
Section 302-H: Hawaiian Language Medium Education
[§302H-1] Hawaiian language medium education program; established. The Hawaiian language medium education program may be established as a complete educational program or schooling experience provided to students in the medium of the Hawaiian language. The educational objectives of this program shall take into consideration how its content integrates with Hawaiian language and culture curricula and Hawaiian language medium curricula offered at the preschool and college levels, may be the same as the English language medium program, and may fulfill unique Hawaiian language medium education program goals. [L 2004, c 133, pt of §2]
[§302H-2] Attendance and eligibility. All children of compulsory school age choosing to enroll in the Hawaiian language medium program in families of fluent Hawaiian-speaking persons may be given preference for admittance. Other persons may enroll at the discretion of individual school sites under the conditions described above and in compliance with applicable state and federal laws. All students and their families shall abide by the special rules of the program with respect to family participation. [L 2004, c 133, pt of §2]
[§302H-3] Office of Hawaiian language medium education; personnel. The department of education may create a separate office of Hawaiian language medium education for the direction and control of the program. The department may employ necessary personnel qualified by training and experience to direct and supervise the types of instruction and special services specified in this chapter. Publicly funded institutions of higher education may create teacher preparation programs to ensure that pre-service training is provided to students interested in teaching elementary and secondary students in the Hawaiian language. [L 2004, c 133, pt of §2]
[§302H-4] Facilities or transportation. When fifteen or more qualified children in any one departmental school district wish to enroll in the Hawaiian language medium education program, the superintendent of education may provide facilities for a Hawaiian language medium education program or provide transportation to the nearest schooling site providing the program, including a charter school site or laboratory school site. [L 2004, c 133, pt of §2]
[§302H-5] Student performance. The department of education may develop and use multiple assessment strategies and instruments to assess student achievement and performance and to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching strategies and methods being used in the Hawaiian language medium education program. [L 2004, c 133, pt of §2]
[§302H-6] Hawaiian language medium state education agency; districts and complex areas. The department of education may establish a Hawaiian language medium state education agency with the capability of operating districts and complex areas on an equal basis with any other districts and complex areas of the department. The Hawaiian language medium state education agency shall encompass the entire State, may administer schools consisting of geographically noncontiguous classes, boarding schools, charter schools, or cyber schools and may share facilities, administration, programs, resources, and funding with other public, charter, and private schools and colleges as appropriate. All schools and programs taught through the medium of the Hawaiian language shall be included in the Hawaiian language medium state education agency. [L 2004, c 133, pt of §2]
[§302H-7] Collaboration. The department of education shall work collaboratively with the Hawaiian language college of the University of Hawaii at Hilo and any other entities recognized by the legislature for the purpose of addressing Hawaiian language medium education, extending to those entities support for inclusion in the special provisions for children and families enrolled in the Hawaiian language medium education program of the department and maximizing the joint use of existing and new resources to meet the goal of revitalizing, maintaining, and strengthening the Hawaiian language. [L 2004, c 133, pt of §2]
Board of Education Policies
POLICY 105-7 HAWAIIAN EDUCATION
Hawaii’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 Hawaii’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 Hawaii.
- 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 Hawaii’s public schools will graduate with proficiency in and appreciations for the indigenous culture, history, and language of Hawaii.
This policy is applicable to charter schools. A charter school may request a waiver of this policy from the Board of Education.
[Approved: 05/05/2015 (as Board Policy 105.7); amended: 06/21/2016 (renumbered as Board Policy 105-7)] Former policy 2104 history: approved: 04/19/2001; amended: 01/22/2009, 02/18/2014
POLICY 105-8 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 Hawaii’s public school system should have reasonable access to the Kaiapuni Educational Program.
The goals of the Kaiapuni Educational Program shall be:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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: 05/05/2015 (as Board Policy 105.8); amended: 06/21/2016 (renumbered as Board Policy 105-8)] Former policy 2105 history: approved: 01/19/2006; amended: 02/18/2014