Hawaiian Language Medium Education – Act 133 2004

Patricia Hamamoto, SuperintendentPila Wilson, Ph.D., UH Hilo

Namaka Rawlins, CEO, Aha Punana LeoApril 25, 2007

Outcomes

Understanding of:

• The Hawaiian Language Medium Education requirement

• History of Hawaiian Language Medium Education

• Example: Nawahiokalani’opu’u School

• Next Steps

What is total Hawaiian Medium?

• Everything in Hawaiian…Administration, secretaries, play ground talk, even in English classes

• Like going to a special place… imbued with pride, structure, culture, traditions, symbols, ritual…a learning place

• P-20 Learning environment..all in Hawaiian

Hawaiian Medium Education is not new

David Malo, First DOE Superintendent

(1793-1853)

All Hawaiian Public School System, the second oldest in the nation started in 1841

Iosepa Nawahi (1842-1896)

Legislator, Lawyer, newspaper publisher, Minister of Foreign Affairs,

Artist…product of Hawaiian Public School system

•To age 11 Kaimu, Puna Common school (Hawaiian Medium)

•To age 15 Hilo Boarding (Hawaiian Medium w/ English as second language)

•To age 19 Lahainaluna (Hawaiian Medium w/ English and Greek as second languages)

•To age 20 Royal School (English Immersion)

At the time of annexation in 1898, the average literacy rate* in Hawaii was high!

*Literacy in their Mother tongue

Hawaiian 84% (31% in English also)

Part-Hawaiian 91% (76% in English also)

Portuguese 28%

Other Caucasian 86%

Chinese 49%

Japanese 54%

0

20

40

60

80

100

Hawai

ians

Part-H

aw

Portuges

e

Other

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Chines

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Literate

Historical Perspective

1841 – Hawaii DOE – Hawaiian

Medium

1896 –Hawaiian Medium System Closed –

HawaiianForbidden

1893Monarchy deposed

1930’s –HawaiiCreole English

-Mark of lower socio-Economic class

EducationalAchievements

of Native Hawaiiansplummet

1980’s – HawaiianLiteracy lower than100 years earlier

1984 – Punana Leo

Preschools begin

Beginning to restorea language, a culture and pride

1986 – State removes

Ban on Hawaiian in schools

1987 – EmergenceOf Hawaiian Immerson

Classrooms in Hilo,And Oahu

1989 – StateFunds Hawaiian

Immersion curriculum

in Hilo

1990’s –Creation ofHawaiian Immersion

schools

2004 – Act 133Hawaiian Language

Medium Education Act

An example that it can be done!

Nawahiokalani’opu’u

Laboratory School

First Impressions

For the record…Students

• Open to all regardless of ethnicity – about 200 students• Over 95% Hawaiian• 60% Free and Reduced Lunch• Primary home languages

– Hawaii Creole English (majority)– Hawaiian (fastest growing)– Standard English– French

• 100% graduation rate since first class in 1999• Greater than 80% college attendance – like Stanford,

Oxford, Loyola Marymont, Seattle University, UH, etc• K-12…even a nursery, day-care center for 1-4 year olds

Curriculum

• All classes taught through Hawaiian• Early reading using old DOE method of reading by

syllables beginning in Punana Leo preschool• College preparatory curriculum• Early enrollment at UH- Hilo for seniors• Attention to heritage languages:

– Grades 1-6: • reading Hawaiian with Chinese characters• Japanese

– Grades 5-12: English (Standards based DOE language arts)– Grades 7-9: Latin (focus on comparative grammar of Latin,

Hawaiian, standard English, Hawaii Creole English, Vocabulary building and language history

Curriculum Continued

• Hula, Hawaiian music and chanting

• Hands on practicum:– Raising and preparing foods– Herbal medicine– Raising pigs for year end luau and profit– Swimming and fishing

Seamless infrastructure with family values ingrained – the older students

help the younger ones

Private Punana Leo Nursery & Day-Care

K-6 Charter School7-12 DOE Public School

part of Hilo High/ Inter

Act 133 provides anopportunity for expansion

• Nawahi is the “exemplar” for this kind of educational opportunity in the US

“The impact of the Hawaii Language Medium Education System will be immense for the number of Native language programs throughout the country that are closely following the Hawaiian model”

Akira Y. Yamamoto, Ph.D.

Professor of Anthropology and Linguistics University of Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Co-chair, Unesco Ad Hoc Group on Endangered Lauguages

The model at Nawahi is fundamental in education….

Provide children a grounded frameworkfor learning: rituals, culture, safety, symbols

Gaining stakeholder support from theCommunity at large to instill pride

Maintain data driven striving for Continuous Improvement in

Academic achievement/ Life skills

Systematically implement the goalof a global citizen

Next Steps

• Expand and research Nawahi as a prototype Hawaiian Medium School

• Develop a supportive and inclusive Hawaiian Medium Education structure

• Utilize some of Nawahi innovations in English Medium schools

• Offer Hawaiian language for free in all DOE Adult Community Education schools