Two schools in particular — Pa'ia Elementary, a campus that houses the only grade school Hawaiian language immersion program on Maui, and Kilohana Elementary on Moloka'i _ can celebrate having been lifted from sanctions imposed as a result of test scores in previous years.

The results were reported by the state Department of Education during a Board of Education meeting Thursday in Honolulu. Overall results from the 2007 Hawai'i State Assessment, which used new, grade-level specific tests, were also released.

Under the terms of the No Child Left Behind Act established in 2001, the Department of Education released its list of schools that make Adequate Yearly Progress. AYP is the standard for determining a school's status under No Child Left Behind, the federal education reform act established by President Bush.

No Child Left Behind requires annual reviews of student test scores in assessing whether schools are showing progress toward a goal of 100 percent proficiency in reading and math by the year 2014.

A school is subject to NCLB sanctions if it misses the benchmarks of Adequate Yearly Progress for two consecutive years.

In order to meet AYP this year, 44 percent of a school's students must have tested as proficient in reading and 28 percent in math on the Hawai'i State Assessment, plus other indicators. The goals apply to schools as a whole, as well as to subgroups defined by ethnicity, poverty levels, English proficiency and special education needs.

If any subgroup is deficient, the entire school is judged to have fallen short of Adequate Yearly Progress.

Maui schools that met the benchmarks this year are: Waihe'e Elementary, Ha'iku Elementary, Kula Elementary, Makawao Elementary, Pa'ia Elementary, Pukalani Elementary, Kahului Elementary, Kamali'i Elementary, Kihei Elementary, Hana High and Elementary School, Lahainaluna High School, Kaunakakai Elementary, Kilohana Elementary, Maunaloa Elementary, and the charter school on Molokai — Kualapu'u Elementary.

Schools that did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress for this year are: Baldwin High School, 'Iao Intermediate, Wailuku Elementary, King Kekaulike High School, Kalama Intermediate, Lihikai Elementary, Lokelani Intermediate, Maui High, Maui Waena Intermediate, King Kamehameha III Elementary, Lahaina Intermediate, Princess Nahienaena Elementary, Moloka'i High School, Moloka'i Middle School, and Kihei Public Charter School.

In the case of Pa'ia Elementary and Kilohana, both schools met their benchmarks for all subgroups for the last two years. By doing so, the schools were taken out of "Restructuring" status and placed into "Good Standing, Unconditional."

A school under Restructuring faces possible staff replacements or an operational takeover by either a private organization or by the state DOE. In addition, families are allowed to seek a transfer out of the restructuring school and into a campus with a much better status.

Principals at Pa'ia Elementary and Kilohana could not be reached for comment. On Thursday morning, some of the Maui principals including Pa'ia's Sue Alivado said they had been instructed by their department not to comment on the results until today — after it was released to the Board of Education.

Maui District superintendent Ken Nomura also said he had been told not to comment on any specifics about the Adequate Yearly Progress results, which had been distributed earlier in the week to DOE administrators.

Nomura said his initial glance at the AYP results left him feeling positive.

"We are on the right track. We're moving forward and upward," he said.

In 2006, only two schools — Makawao Elementary and Pukalani Elementary — were listed as achieving "Good Standing, Unconditional." That list now includes Pa'ia, Kilohana, Ha'iku Elementary and Kula Elementary.

Schools showing promise of joining the list of Good Standing, Unconditional in 2008 are Kahului Elementary, Hana High and Elementary School, and Kaunakakai and Maunaloa elementary schools, both on Moloka'i.

Maunaloa Principal Joe Yamamoto declined comment because of the previous embargo, while Kaunakakai Principal Janice Espiritu willingly shared the joy she felt over her school's results.

"Oh, it's such good news," she said. "What a relief; we're just so happy."

Kaunakakai Elementary has been under restructuring status for the last four years. The Department of Education has been managing Restructuring schools by paying private educational consulting firms to help the schools improve their test scores, and in some cases, revamp their curricula.

Espiritu said her school's provider, Education Testing Service, trained teachers in classroom strategies and how to best assess their students and help them improve. The teachers also visited each other's classes to observe the most effective means of reaching their students. In addition, some of the teachers held monthly evening workshops with parents to keep them informed about lessons in the classroom and how they could help their children progress.

"For me the major contributing factor was my classroom teachers. It was the dedication and hard work put in by the teachers that really made a difference," Espiritu said.

Kahului Elementary Principal Fern Markgraf said she was extremely pleased by her school's results.

"We're very thrilled. It's been a long journey," she said.

Markgraf, the 2007 Maui District Principal of the Year, said staff morale dipped when the campus was put under "Restructuring" status four years ago, with some teachers leaving and others disappointed that their hard work with their students wasn't showing in test results.

Since then, Kahului Elementary has adopted new reading and math curricula, incorporated research-based teaching strategies, and sought the advice of a private provider in Edison Alliance.

"It's been the hard work of all the students and our teachers that we've been able to accomplish all this," she said.

Kahului Elementary's special education students and those who speak English as a second language did not meet the required proficiency levels in reading and math, according to Markgraf. But their overall scores improved by 10 percent or more, giving them "safe harbor" from the standards demanded by No Child Left Behind and allowing the school to qualify as having met Adequate Yearly Progress.

Markgraf said she and her staff are already studying the test scores and looking at individual students and what their academic needs are to help them improve next year.

Espiritu is cautiously optimistic that her school will make the grade next year.

"If we keep on the same track, I think we'll make it."

Espiritu pointed out that the overall required school proficiency levels will increase from 44 percent to 58 percent in reading, and from 28 percent to 46 percent in math.

Among the 282 schools statewide subject to AYP, 119 or 42.2 percent were listed in "Good Standing," 47 are in "School Improvement" levels, 21 (7.4 percent) are initiating "Corrective Action," 46 (16.3 percent) are "Planning for Restructuring," and 48 (17 percent) will undergo "Restructuring." The status of one school is pending, and one was exempt.

For more Maui news, visit The Maui News.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT SCHOOL COMPLIANCE

Under the No Child Left Behind Act, schools are rated for Adequate Yearly Progress under the following categories:

Good Standing — Not subject to NCLB sanctions. Schools that meet AYP are in Good Standing — Unconditional; schools that do not meet AYP for the first time are in Good Standing – Pending.

School Improvement — Includes schools that do not meet AYP for a second year (School Improvement Year 1) or a third year (School Improvement Year 2).

Corrective Action — Schools missing AYP for four consecutive years.

Planning for Restructuring — Schools missing AYP for five years.

Restructuring — Schools missing AYP for six or more years.

Schools that fail to achieve Good Standing are subject to increased requirements to show improvement in student test scores.

RESULTS FOR MAUI DISTRICT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Good Standing, Unconditional — Ha'iku Elementary, Kula Elementary, Makawao Elementary, Pa'ia Elementary, Pukalani Elementary and Kilohana Elementary.

Good Standing, Pending — Kihei Public Charter School.

School Improvement Year 1 — Waihe'e Elementary, Kamali'i Elementary and Kihei Elementary.

School Improvement Year 2 — Kamehameha III Elementary.

Corrective Action — Lahainaluna High School.

Planning for Restructuring — Baldwin High, 'Iao Intermediate, Wailuku Elementary, King Kekaulike High, Kalama Intermediate, Lokelani Elementary, Maui High, Maui Waena Intermediate, Lahaina Intermediate, Princess Nahienaena Elementary and Lana'i High & Elementary.

Restructuring — Kahului Elementary, Lihikai Elementary, Hana High & Elementary, Kaunakakai Elementary, Maunaloa Elementary, Moloka'i High, Moloka'i Middle, and Kualapu'u Elementary charter school.