Education in Hawaii

The responsibility for the **education system in Hawaii** is delegated to the federal government. The system is divided into four major groupings: preschool, elementary, secondary, and post-secondary.

Schooling is compulsory in Hawaii between ages five and 16, which accounts for the entirety of elementary school and all but the final two years of secondary school. Despite the final two years of secondary being optional, the vast majority of students do not opt to drop out after turning 16, and only preschool and post-secondary education are *de facto* considered optional. Elementary school begins at age five and concludes at age 14, while secondary school begins at age 14 and concludes at age 18. Public education may be conducted in English or Hawaiian.

Education facilities can be publicly funded, while private and parochial schools are also common. According to a 2012 survey, 57.5% of Hawaiian students attended a public school, while 34.9% attended a private school, 6.3% attended a parochial school, and 1.3% were homeschooled. Private schooling in Hawaii has been common since the archipelago was first settled by Americans, when these private schools were founded. Due to the separation of church and state, public schooling cannot have any religious affiliations, although private institutions can.

## Levels

The Hawaiian education system is divided into four levels: preschool, elementary, secondary, and post-secondary. Occasionally, intermediate is added as a fifth level that correlates with the final three years of elementary education.

Most publicly-funded schools of all levels are conducted in English, although there is at least one Hawaiian-medium school on each island to instruct students in the Hawaiian language instead. These Hawaiian language schools typically instruct Native Hawaiian students, but are open to all students regardless of race or ethnicity. It is typically expected that students have some knowledge of the Hawaiian language before attending, meaning that most students end up being Native Hawaiians, although this is not a requirement for enrollment. Private and parochial schools may be taught in any language, and there are three Hawaiian-medium private schools in Oahu and Maui.

### Preschool

Preschool is the first level of education in Hawaii. Preschool is non-compulsory, but it is often a child's first experience in a classroom setting away from their parents, so most parents opt to enroll their children in a preschool. Preschool serves several purposes in Hawaiian society: preparing children for elementary school, allowing parents to return to their careers from parental leave, and instructing children in reading and writing the English language (or Hawaiian language in Hawaiian-medium preschools). Preschool is free for all tax-paying residents of Hawaii, as tuition is covered through taxation. Most neighborhoods have at least one local preschool, while more highly populated neighborhoods often have several. Children typically attend the preschool that is located closest to their home, and it is the school's responsibility to assure that they have space for each student in their district that wishes to attend. Private preschools also exist, which charge tuition fees and can determine enrollment at their own discretion.

Children are first eligible to enroll in preschool at age three, and must graduate by age five. In most preschools, children are grouped together by age: ages 3–4 and 4–5, but some preschools in less populated areas group all children together. All preschools are coeducational. In preschool, emphasis is placed on learning through playing, and preschools are staffed with early childhood education teachers and early childhood education assistant teachers. Subjects taught at preschools are typically solely related to learning how to read and write, with some basic mathematics as well; other activities at preschools are most often related to art and music, with additional time for recreational activities. Children will typically graduate from preschool in the spring of the year they turn five, regardless of how many years they have attended preschool. There are no graduation requirements when it comes to preschool, as long as children are of the right age and have developed some skills in reading and writing.

### Elementary school

Elementary school is the second level of education in Hawaii, and the first that is compulsory. Elementary school is free for all residents of Hawaii, regardless of legal status or whether they pay taxes, and tuition is paid for through taxation. Like in preschool, students automatically receive the right to attend elementary school in the area in which they live, and schools must make accommodations for all students. Parents must register their children from elementary school on their own, and families with children approaching five years old are sent mailers from the government with instructions on how to register. Private elementary schools also exist and are common; most private elementary schools, however, are combined with secondary schools to create K–12 schools.

Elementary school begins with kindergarten at age five, which is largely a continuation of preschool that allows students to adapt to their elementary school building. Kindergartens are also taught by early childhood education teachers, where more academic subjects such as science, mathematics, and history become introduced to students for the first time. Students remain with their teacher for the whole school day, but have speciality teachers in subjects such as art, music, technology, and physical education. Oftentimes, kindergartens are housed in a separate wing of the elementary school away from other grade levels. After completing kindergarten, students advance to the first grade. After reaching first grade, students have one teacher who instructs them in all the major subjects: English, mathematics, science, and social studies. In addition to their core teacher, students also have speciality teachers for a number of classes such as art, music, technology, physical education, Hawaiian language, health, and home economics. Hawaiian language is introduced in second grade, while health and home economics are introduced in fifth grade. In Hawaiian-medium schools, students begin learning English in kindergarten; as most students are already fluent in English, their classes resemble English studies classes similar to those in English-medium schools, while students who do not speak the language are separated into their own classes to learn English as a foreign language, and begin studying English studies once they are fluent.

Occasionally the final three years of elementary school are split into intermediate school. This typically occurs in more urban areas where schools are large and risk overpopulation. Intermediate schools function more similarly to high schools, being that each student has one teacher for each subject, and switches classrooms for each subject. Much like in elementary school, English, mathematics, science, and social studies are required classes all three years of intermediate school, while students also must take Hawaiian language and physical education for all three years, and art, music, technology, home economics, and health for at least two years. If a school does not differentiate between elementary and intermediate school, then the requirements for the final three years of elementary school are no different.

In elementary school, students receive assessments for the first time in their school careers. Until the fifth grade, students are at liberty to determine how they wish to grade their students. Up until this point, students receive report cards four times in the school year with a grade from 1–4 in each of their subjects and additional teacher comments; a grade of 4 denotes exceptional performance, 3 denotes average performance, 2 denotes below average performance, and 1 denotes failing performance. In elementary school, a student's core teacher may recommend that a student not advance to the next grade level if they receive an egregious amount of 1 grades. If the teacher recommends this, the student will be assessed by an independent commission of teachers at the school, who will determine whether the student can advance or not. After reaching the sixth grade, students will automatically not advance to the next grade level if they receive more than three grades of 1, with no need for a hearing with an independent commission. There is no standardized testing in elementary or intermediate school, and Hawaiian schools do not make use of honors or remedial classes.

### Secondary school

Secondary school, commonly called *high school*, is the third level of education in Hawaii. Secondary school lasts for four years, between ages 14 and 18. The first two years of secondary school is compulsory, while the final two are optional, although very few students opt to drop out before graduating. Like elementary school, secondary school is free for all residents of Hawaii, regardless of legal status or whether they pay taxes, and tuition is paid for through taxation, while students also typically attend the secondary school that is located the closest to them. Private secondary schools also exist and are common; some secondary elementary schools are combined with elementary schools to create K–12 schools.

Secondary school begins with ninth grade at age 14. For students who did not attend an intermediate school, ninth grade is a stark difference from elementary school. Students no longer have a core teacher or the same classmates for every subject; instead, students each have their own individual schedule, and move classrooms for each subject, thus having a different teacher and different classmates. Students are required to study English, mathematics, science, and social studies for all four years of secondary school in order to receive their diploma, while students also must study two years of Hawaiian language, art or music, and physical education, and one year of technology, health, and home economics. In addition to these required classes, students are additionally given the opportunity to take a number of elective courses during their secondary education, allowing them to tailor their education more to what they are interested in.

Students are typically assessed through a combination of exams, papers, and homework in secondary school. Teachers are at liberty to determine the intricacies of their assessments, although all core classes must give one final exam and one midterm exam, while specialized courses and electives may opt to as well but are not required. These exams are not standardized, and may be created by individual teachers themselves or a school's entire department of teachers. Students receive two report cards in the school year, and each receive a grade of 0–5 in each class, which can be altered with a plus or minus to specifically denote a student's level. A grade of 5 denotes exceptional performance, 4 denotes above average performance, 3 denotes average performance, 2 denotes below average performance, 1 denotes significantly below average performance, and 0 denotes incomplete performance. A student is considered to have failed a course if they receive a grade of 1 or 0, while grades 2, 3, 4, and 5 are all passing. If a student fails more than three classes in a year, they do not advance to the next grade level entirely, but any required class that a student fails must be taken again either during the summer or the following school year. If a student fails an elective course, they do not have to repeat it, although failed elective courses count towards the three failure maximum, and will affect a student's overall grades.

## Post-secondary

Post-secondary school is the fourth and final level of education in Hawaii. It is non-compulsory, and is the most sparsely attended of the four levels. Post-secondary education may be attended by any person who has a secondary school diploma or equivalency certificate. Post-secondary education can be public or private, but cannot be parochial unless it is a school that solely teaches religious education such as a seminary; private post-secondary institutes can have religious affiliations, but cannot be church-run.

Post-secondary education consists of both undergraduate and graduate studies, and can be attended by anyone with an upper secondary school diploma, regardless of their age. Public post-secondary education is free apart from a small application fee, but private post-secondary education charges tuition fees. Additionally, all students must apply to school in order to attend, with rejections being quite common. Post-secondary education can be completed at universities, liberal arts colleges, and community colleges. Educators at post-secondary schools are professors, who are the most senior educators in Hawaii.

### University and college

The two most-attended forms of post-secondary education in Hawaii are universities and colleges. There are four universities in Hawaii and one college, all of which award bachelor's degrees to undergraduate students.

#### University

Universities are the largest and most common post-secondary education institutes. They can be both private and public, but cannot be parochial. Educational institutes can receive the title of university only through a special decree by the House of Representatives. As in other countries, universities are large institutions that are the centers of academic research. They typically offer a number of areas of study, and are subdivided into a number of colleges or schools. In universities, class sizes are often large and lecture-based, consisting of hundreds of students, several professor assistants (PAs), and a professor. Universities award bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees, and are the only educational institutions that offer graduate programs.

Admissions to universities are often the most competitive, with the most exclusive post-secondary educational institutions in Hawaii being universities. Students send in applications during the beginning of twelfth grade. Applications always include their grade point average, secondary school transcript, and two letters of recommendation, while certain programs may require a writing sample, interview, audition, or portfolio as well. While applying to a university, students indicate which faculty they wish to study within at the university and their desired program of study. Students can apply to multiple faculties within a single school, and will receive individual acceptances or rejections from each. After being accepted to a faculty and confirming their attendance, students must submit another application if they wish to switch between faculties. However, they can only indicate one program of study in their application, which can be easily switched after enrolling if within the same faculty. Some students also apply with an unknown program of study, and select their desired program after enrolling. Students can apply to any faculty or program of study regardless of the electives they took in secondary school, and there are no prerequisites for undergraduate degrees.

#### College

Colleges function similarly to universities, but exist on a much smaller scale. There is only one college in Hawaii – Maui College – although there are proposals to open additional colleges on other islands. Colleges can be both public and private, but cannot be parochial. Educational institutes can receive the title of college only through a special decree by the House of Representatives. Unlike universities, colleges do not conduct academic research. These institutions are often smaller, sometimes being no larger than a secondary school. They additionally are not subdivided into faculties like universities are, and only offer bachelor's degrees.

Admissions to colleges function almost identically to universities, although are often less competitive. Additionally, as colleges are not subdivided into faculties, students apply directly to the school with a desired program of study, and may be outright accepted or rejected. Like in universities, an accepted student may switch between programs of study easily, and as there are no faculties, there is no need for an additional application if they desired program would have been in a different faculty. Students can also apply with an unknown program of study, and make their decision at a later date.

#### Academics

At both universities and colleges, students study an outlined program of study that has been prepared by either a faculty within the university or the entire college itself. A program of study offers a clear list of required courses that a student must complete in order to receive their degree. In addition to these required courses, students also much reach a minimum level of credits, meaning that they must also take a number of courses from outside of their programs of study. These elective courses can be anything the student decides, and some students opt to turn their electives into a secondary program of study; secondary programs are also outlined by the respective faculty or college, but requires less courses to complete. Typically, a course is worth 4 credits and students take four courses a semester. If kept on a normal schedule, they will have enough credits to graduate with a bachelor's degree after eight semesters of study, typically four years.

Unlike in secondary school, courses are graded on a lettered scale. An A denotes exceptional performance, B denotes average performance, C denotes below average performance, D denotes significantly below average performance, and F denotes failing performance. All grades besides F may be altered with a minus while all grades besides A or F may be altered with a plus, to denote a student's specific performance. If a student fails a course, they must retake it a following semester and their failing grade will be removed from their transcript. If they fail a required course for their program of study, they must retake it or they will not graduate. There is additionally a minimum grade point average for students, and if a student's GPA dips below this level, they will be put on academic probation for the following semester; if their grades do not improve, they will be expelled.

#### Housing

All universities and colleges must offer housing for its students, although housing is not guaranteed. Larger institutions offer more housing opportunities than smaller, although no school in Hawaii guarantees housing for all students. Many students in Hawaii live within commuting distance to their school, and thus do not require housing. Thus, students who do not live within commuting distance or are first-year students are given preference for housing.

In Oahu, student housing typically consists of large apartment blocks owned by the university and rented by students on a semester-by-semester basis. These apartments may be studios, one-bedrooms, or two-bedrooms, and each bedroom may be occupied by one, two, or three students. These student apartments are coeducational, and students are encouraged to find roommates prior to applying, or else the university will randomly match students together. While tuition is free, housing is not, and students are expected to pay monthly rent. Prices are intended to be affordable, and students who demonstrate financial need may receive subsidized housing. On other islands, student housing typically consists of student dormitories owned by the school. Students typically share a bedroom with one or two other students, and a communal bathroom with either their floor or hall. Students apply to receive student housing, and are either accepted or rejected on a year-long basis. Housing in student dormitories is covered by tuition-fees. This housing is typically gender-segregated, either by floor or by hall.

#### Finance

All public universities and colleges are tuition-free apart from a mandatory registration fee of about $100, which can be waived for low-income students. Students must purchase their own textbooks, which may be subsidized by the school for low-income students. The only private university in Hawaii is Hawaii Pacific University, which charges yearly tuition fees of approximately $15,000. The school additionally offers scholarships based on both merit and financial need.

### Community college

Community colleges are another kind of post-secondary education institute. All community colleges are public, with private community colleges being banned by law. Community colleges receive no designations from parliament, but are entirely government-run, much like secondary or elementary schools are. Community colleges serve several purposes: allowing students to attend post-secondary schooling if they were rejected from all universities and colleges they applied to, giving adults the opportunity to complete continuing education courses, allowing individuals to study courses without being on a degree program, and allowing students to receive non-academic vocational credentials. Because of this, community colleges are all tuition-free and have open-admissions. However, the quality of education at community colleges is often much lower than at universities and colleges.

Admissions to community colleges is entirely open, and applicants cannot be rejected. Students can submit applications for the ensuing academic term at any point in the school year, and later sign up for their desired courses. While applying, students can also opt to begin a degree program, although this is optional and students are able to just take various courses without working towards a degree. Community colleges offer vocational programs for secondary school graduates who do not wish to pursue an academic path, allowing them to receive certifications in vocational trades and begin working in their desired industry. Community colleges award only two-year associate's degrees, and do not have any bachelor's or graduate programs. It is somewhat common for students to receive their associate's degrees at a community college, and then enroll in either a university or college to receive their bachelor's degree two years later.