Hawaiian-Focused Charter School Hōʻike: A Demonstration of Student Achievement of the Hawaiian-Focused Charter School Vision of the Graduate

• In Event: Manifesting the Mana (Power) of Culturally Responsive Education: A Collaborative Assessment Validation Project

Abstract

Native Hawaiians have always used hōʻike (cultural performance assessments) to demonstrate understanding and readiness for the next level of training and education (Chun, 2011; Emerson, 1906; Kamakau, 1961; Kamakau, 1964; Kuykendall, 2017) and historians describe an array of hōʻike used to communicate proficiency in leadership, hula (dance), medicine, literacy, and international policy. Yet, it was not until the 1990s that mainstream education recognized the benefits of performance assessments. Hawaiian-focused Charter Schools (HFCS) value ʻike kupuna (ancestral knowledge) and are grounded in Hawaiian history, language, and values. In 2013, leaders from all HFCS collaboratively crafted the HFCS Vision of the Graduate which articulates common goals grounded in cultural commitment, a variety of assessments that communicate student progress, and adequately preparing students for community, college, and careers. HFCS students demonstrate cultural and academic understanding through a variety of hōʻike throughout the school year. This study explored how HFCS Senior Capstone Project Hōʻike and Graduation Ceremony Hōʻike encapsulate components of the HFCS Vision of the Graduate for students, families, and schools. Over 50 interviews were conducted with HFCS principals, teachers, families, students, hōʻike coordinators, and alumni. System Vision and School Mission Data Analyses were conducted and data was organized into four themes, 1) Manifest Cultural Knowledge, 2) Synthesize Academic Knowledge, 3) Demonstrate College, Career, Community Readiness, and 4) HFCS Context: Fostering the attainment of the HFCS Vision of the Graduate. Research findings from this mixed method study focus on Hawaiian-focused Charter School hōʻike as a demonstration of students’ cultural competence and readiness for college, career, and community.

Author

• Chelsea Nicole Kiele Keehne, Kamehameha Schools
  Presenting Author