Abstract:

The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi was illegally overthrown and annexed by the United States in 1893. The effects of illegal annexation, oppression, and colonization impacted Native Hawaiian culture and Native Hawaiian people, also known as “Kānaka Maoli.” Historically and traditionally, prior to the illegal overthrow, Native Hawaiians practiced sustainable ways of fishing and living – mindful of their resources and responsibility to land. Through colonization and capitalism, many of Native Hawaiian practices, including the language, suffered near extinction. A renaissance began in the 1970s to resurrect Native Hawaiian practices and has gained momentum.

Data show that an overwhelming amount of Kānaka Maoli students are in Special Education Programs. We argue Kanaka Maoli students oftentimes do not have a learning disability but have a different learning style that does not fit the western academic model. We argue that since they are often from disadvantaged economic backgrounds and are first generation potential college students, Kānaka Maoli secondary students can excel if provided the tools for success in the context of their own culture.

How can we support Kānaka Maoli students and at-risk students to matriculate through high school and encourage their pursuit of education and career goals beyond high school? This paper is about the experiences and findings of seven years of research transitioning Kānaka Maoli and at-risk students from high school towards post-secondary education and certification programs. The research is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, (#S362A180010). Project Hoʻokuʻi III – Na Kumu Alakaʻi is currently active on six Hawaiian islands, in 12 private, charter, and Hawaiʻi Department of Education High Schools (HIDOE). The project supports 27 high school faculty, and 171 students.

Utilizing the experiences from the previous six years, we developed an online professional development program for high school faculty to learn the techniques previously used by project staff. The project creatively uses Slack, a productivity software for teams, to deliver our professional development materials. This includes learning videos, links to electronic manuals and activity worksheets, and electronic forms to report progress and learning. Educators access the modules online and implement with their students for two weeks, creating repeating cycles of different learning modules. Educators also meet once a year for an all-day in-person professional development session, where they connect cross-school site.

The Project Hoʻokuʻi model is a 3-tiered program of scaling students up through accelerated computerized learning, mentoring, tutoring, and financial assistance for dual-enrollment college classes and books. High school faculty learn techniques through a cycle of modules delivered via distance learning, and students meet with their faculty team to engage in academic skill building and college preparation through a place-based and culturally-based curriculum. This project takes a holistic approach and has a wellness component for teachers as part of their professional development.

Keywords:

Professional Development, Post Secondary, Educators, Hawaii.