State education officials this morning kicked off the statewide Step Up Campaign, which promotes career and college readiness for Hawaii's public high school students.

The campaign, created by the Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, encourages students to graduate with the voluntary Board of Education's Step Up diploma, a more rigorous course of study that better prepares students to succeed after high school, whether they choose to attend college or choose a career. The diploma is being offered for the first time to students graduating in 2013, currently freshman in high school.
The announcement of the campaign, which took place at Washington Place, included state Board of Education members, Superintendent of Schools Patricia Hamamoto, University of Hawaii President M.R.C. Greenwood and Hawaii P-20 Executive Director Tammi Chun.
Hamamoto said students who earn the recognition diploma, which requires college prepatory coursework in math, English and science, will be more likely to enter college and more likely to complete their college degree on time.
“The recognition diploma opens up more opportunities for scholarships both in state and out of state, it will provide opportunities to bypass placement in college courses. ... Our goal with this diploma is that when our students graduate and get a job or enter college or a university, there is meaning and weight behind the courses they took.” Hamamoto said.
Hawaii P-20 has a goal to enroll 75 percent of incoming public school freshmen statewide to pledge to earn this diploma, and to sign up 100 local businesses and community organizations as Step Up supporters by this December.
Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education is a partnership led by the Good Beginnings Alliance, the Hawaii State Department of Education, the University of Hawaii System with community partners.
For more information visit www.stepuphawaii.org.