More plan on jobs during college
By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer
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The economy apparently is affecting Hawai'i's public high school graduates heavily, as the number who intend to work while they go to college has almost doubled in the last three years, according to data released yesterday.
The new 2005 Superintendent's Report, sent to the Board of Education, shows that 77 percent of last year's high school graduates said they plan to work while they attend college.
That's up from 68 percent in 2004 and 39 percent in 2003. The information came from "exit surveys" of Hawai'i public high school graduates.
In addition, the percentage of Hawai'i public school graduates who enroll at a University of Hawai'i campus has dropped from 39 percent in 1993 to 32.7 percent last year.
"We're guessing the economy is forcing a lot of students to wonder if they can afford school," said Department of Education evaluation specialist Glenn Hirata. "Some may be holding off going to school directly, taking a break and developing the funds needed."
During hearings on proposed tuition increases at the University of Hawai'i last year, parents voiced concerns about the increasing cost of higher education in the Islands. The cost of attending UH-Manoa will double over the next six years.
But administrators said the increases finally would bring UH-system tuition levels up to those of public universities on the Mainland.
And they pointed out that tuition increases at community colleges are much smaller, continuing to make the state's two-year colleges very accessible.
Financial aid also will be increased to offset higher tuition costs for disadvantaged students, they said.
In her report, schools superintendent Pat Hamamoto urged careful forward movement by the DOE as it seeks to carry out educational reforms required by Act 51, enacted by the 2004 Legislature.
"When we try to do too much at any one time, there is the danger of not doing anything well," she said. "And there is the danger of overwhelming our staff.
"The challenge is to give them a selective and valuable list of things to accomplish, and leave them alone to achieve them."
The department's four priorities include:
At the same time, Hamamoto said, while Hawai'i has embraced the intent of the federal No Child Left Behind law, she called for more flexibility in carrying out its demands and being accountable.
She already has told the Board of Education her staff is burdened with massive amounts of paperwork, especially regarding NCLB accountability.
"You ask who is watching the store because we're all busy getting out the reports," she told a board committee Tuesday.
"We're so into compliance we've moved away from service to our kids, and we should be about service."
Hawai'i already has asked for an exemption to allow schools to be evaluated in meeting Annual Yearly Progress based on what is called a "growth model," meaning how far individual students and the school have improved from where they began. The DOE expects to hear by June if that petition has been accepted.
As well, the state DOE is hoping for an exception from the Dec. 31, 2006, deadline requiring all teachers to be highly qualified. While major gains have been made in the last three years, 89 percent of the state's teachers will have that status by the end of the year.
"We hope the U.S. Department of Education will listen to the concerns of the states," Hamamoto said.
Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com.
