Choice of report card left up to each school
By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer
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Schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto yesterday pulled back on new standards-based report cards and said each elementary school will be given the option of returning to their familiar report card and grading system for the rest of the year.
Hamamoto's decision came in response to hundreds of complaints from teachers and the teachers union over the new cards. The cards were implemented this fall at all 166 elementary schools after five years in development and testing.
She emphasized that all schools will be required to maintain standards-based teaching and that the new cards will be used next year at all elementary schools.
However, because of the problems that have emerged, she decided this should be "a transition year."
Hamamoto announced during yesterday's Board of Education meeting that schools will be offered three options in grading pupils this year:
"The schools will decide," Hamamoto said.
Their individual decisions could result in dozens of different cards statewide.
Since the Hawai'i State Teachers' Association brought teachers' concerns to light on Nov. 3 and asked the DOE to halt implementation of the new cards, Hamamoto has been working with the union to reach a compromise.
She expects these new options to ease issues brought up by the union and many teachers — but also validate the schools that are successfully using the new cards.
DOE officials have said the new cards were needed to better reflect new standards-based teaching.
The HSTA complained that teachers needed to be better trained to understand the new cards and grading system — using ME, MP, N and U — in order to explain it to children and parents.
In a letter to Hamamoto, HSTA executives Roger Takabayashi and Joan Husted reiterated that teachers do favor standards and standards-based report cards.
"It is not their intent to end the standards-based report cards or for that matter standards," wrote the union leaders.
"However, they want the initiative done correctly. As one teacher put it, 'They started the water before they put in the pipes.' "
Hamamoto and union leaders are working together on a draft letter to be sent to the schools early next week.
She said schools will be expected to respond the following week, letting the department know which option they will choose.
"This will be collaboratively done at the schools," Hamamoto said. "They will let us know what they want to do and show us where we need to provide training."
Hamamoto said the department will want to examine alternative templates that schools propose.
"We just want to make sure what they have accurately reflects the standards-based grading," she said. "So we're asking them to send it to us. ... It depends on what each school is able to manage within their electronic capacity."
Schools will still get a small monetary allotment from the department to help implement the cards no matter what system they choose. The allotments range from around $900 to about $2,600, depending on the size of the school, and will amount to $308,000 in additional funding.
Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com.
