EL Success Initiative

What is the EL Success Initiative?

Hawaii is considered one of the most linguistically and culturally diverse states across the nation. During school year 2018-19 17,288 Hawaii public school students were identified as an English Learner (ELs) and have a first, home, or most used language other than English. Active, monitored, and former ELs comprise 18% of Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) students population. HIDOE ELs collectively speak 70+ languages and are enrolled in public and charter schools on all islands across the state.

In 2019, HIDOE’s EL Guidance Manual was released to complex areas and schools statewide to ensure all schools are fulfilling federal and state requirements related to EL programming and supporting their EL students. The EL Guidance Manual also provides guidance on research-based, instructional practices that aid in developing quality language instruction educational programs for ELs in order to improve their language development and content knowledge, preparing them to meet academic standards and be college, career, and community-ready.

The EL Success Initiative, a 5-year partnership with West Ed's Comprehensive School Assistance Program, will provide professional development, research-based tools, and a customizable framework for approaching EL education for each of HIDOE’s complex areas for implementing the EL Guidance Manual requirements and recommendations. The framework includes classroom observations, data and program analysis, and designated stakeholder feedback loops to develop a comprehensive complex area EL Success Plan.

By engaging complex areas in a comprehensive examination and understanding of current policies, structures, and practices embedded in their State/Complex Areas/schools and their impact, WestEd will help to foster the Complex Area leaders’ systems-thinking capacity. In addition, these leaders will consider current research, evidence-based practices in data analysis, systems and leadership development, quality teaching for ELs, and related change models that can improve EL outcomes through strategically well-crafted and implemented high-yield actions and policies. The EL Success Plan will allow complex areas to articulate action steps and leverage various funds and resources to ensure every school in HIDOE is prepared to meet the needs of their EL students.

Cohort 1 for School Year 2019-2020 collectively had approximately 44% of ELs in their schools. Each of the three Complex Areas below wrote an EL Success Plan that they will begin implementing in school year 2020-21.

• Kaimuki-McKinley-Roosevelt,

• Farrington-Kaiser-Kalani, and

• Baldwin-Kekaulike-Maui

Cohort 2 for School Year 2020-21 includes the following four Complex Areas:

• Aiea-Moanalua-Radford

• Hilo-Waiakea

• Honokaa-Kealakehe-Kohala-Konawaena

• Pearl City-Waipahu

Please contact your Complex Area EL staff for more information.

Tools & Resources from the EL Success Initiative:

• Culturally & Linguistically Responsive Teaching (CLRT) Readings

For an article about the HIDOE EL Success Initiative, check out the May 2020 HITESOL newsletter, The Word