At the Hawaiʻi Board of Education meeting held Thursday, October 21, 2021, the Hawaiʻi Department of Education (DOE) presented the school year 2020-21 results of the public school accountability system, known as Strive HI, which includes measures of student proficiency, growth, and college and career readiness.

The global COVID-19 pandemic brought about many challenges for schools, staff, families, and the community, from the abrupt closure of campuses to the anxiety brought about by the spreading of the virus to students learning through computer screens at home. Charter school leaders, teachers and staff pushed through with the added concerns of student social emotional well-being. While it has been a very challenging period, they rose to the occasion developing online lessons and hybrid programs, working hard to ensure their campuses were safe while meeting students' basic needs.


Based on publicly available Strive HI data, a majority of charter schools kept their students engaged and learning. In language arts proficiency, three charter schools were in the top 10% statewide and 35% performed better than the state, while six charter schools were in the lowest 10% statewide. In math, two charter schools were in the top 10% and 10 charter schools had higher proficiency rates than the state, while six charter schools were in the lowest 10%. In science proficiency, one charter school was in the top 10% statewide and over 40% performed better than the state, with three charter schools in the lowest 10% statewide. Kaʻōhao School was in the top 10% of schools statewide for both language arts and math proficiency, and Myron B. Thompson Academy was in the top 10% of schools statewide on the language arts, math, and science assessments.


Five charter schools were in the top 10% statewide for third grade literacy: Kaʻōhao Charter School was third, along with one other public school; Hawaiʻi Technology Academy ranked sixth, along with two other public schools; Innovations was ranked seventh, along with three other schools; Kanu o ka ʻĀina was eighth, along with one other public school; and Kihei was among nine public schools statewide ranked ninth.


Two charter schools are in the top 10% for eighth grade literacy: Myron B. Thompson Academy was ranked first in the state for eighth grade literacy, and Hawaiʻi Technology Academy was ranked third statewide for eighth grade literacy with two other public schools. Hawaiʻi Technology Academy made the top 10% for both third grade and eighth grade literacy.


University Laboratory School had the highest graduation rate in the state, with 100% of their students graduating in four years, and seven charter schools — nearly 40% of charter high schools with graduating classes in 2020 — had higher graduation rates than the state. University Laboratory is also ranked third in the state for college enrollment, with 90% of their graduates enrolling in college, and Myron B. Thompson Academy ranks second in the state for college enrollment, with 75% of students enrolled.


University Laboratory also had the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the state, along with two other public schools, and Hawaiʻi Academy of Arts & Science and Kanu o ka ʻĀina were among five public schools tied for second. Kihei Charter School and Kaʻōhao School were among nine public schools ranked third in the state for low rates of chronic absenteeism. However, some charter schools experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism — four charter schools were among the 10% of public schools statewide with the highest percentages of chronically absent students. Twenty-two of the stateʻs 37 charter schools, or nearly 60%, had lower chronic absenteeism rates than the state.


Despite the pandemic, charter school participation in the annual state assessments was high: 95% or more of the students participated in the state language arts testing at nearly half of the charter schools statewide, and 95% or more of the students participated in state math testing at 41% of charter schools across the state, while nearly half of all Hawaiʻi charter schools had higher participation rates than the public school system for the state assessments in all subject areas — language arts, math and science. As our schools emerge from this pandemic, the State Public Charter School Commission is grateful for the hard work, energy, and expertise put forth by school leaders, teachers and staff to support Hawaiʻi’s keiki so they can continue to learn and thrive in school and in life.


Link to the DOE 2020-21 Strive HI System Results