Kapolei High School School Improvement Status

Summary of Progress

Kapolei High School (KHS) works to ensure that all students have access to quality education and are prepared for enrollment in post-secondary institutions, military service, or employment upon graduation. To provide this experience and to improve all areas of academic achievement, Kapolei High School has engaged in targeted work around three high-impact strategies: School Design, Student Voice, and Teacher Collaboration. 

To address School Design, Kapolei High School continues to develop its career academy and pathway structures. Our career academies continue to reflect and self-assess using the National Standards of Practice (NSOP).  KHS academies are working towards review and certification from the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC) in phases of three. Our Health Careers and Public and Human Services Academies were awarded Model Academy status after their NCAC review in SY23-24 while our Freshman Academy was awarded Model Academy with Distinction. Our Ho’ola Natural Resources, Business, and Engineering, Design, and Energy Academies will be undergoing review in SY24-25. 

To address Student Voice, our school takes into account and continuously reflects on the academic and extracurricular  interests expressed by our students. When including Student Voice in academics, we revisit our course offerings annually and teachers are encouraged to open new courses that they believe are of student interest and value to post-secondary preparedness.  Student Voice is also taken into account when thinking of extracurricular activities, as it is an important part of the high school experience. With the encouragement of students and support of teachers, new afterschool clubs are/were chartered and established. To further amplify Student Voice, students are given the opportunity to be a part of our School Community Council where they can learn about our school governance, express the concerns of their fellow peers and present ideas and solutions that assist school administration in making informed decisions that affect overall teaching and learning opportunities on campus. Students also have the opportunity to serve in various leadership capacities within their academies to help share their perspective on how to continue to improve their experiences. 

To address Teacher Collaboration, KHS provides professional development as well as common planning times for staff to work together. In School Year 2024-2025, teachers will continue to meet in both their content departments and academy teams. School-wide areas of focus include disciplinary literacy, data-driven instructional cycles, inclusive practices, and the academy enhancements as mentioned above. KHS will also continue to build on our professional development cycles centered on student engagement based on feedback from our recent Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation visit. 

Kapolei High School stakeholder groups include more than our teachers. We identify and reach out to students, parents, support staff, business partners and community members as we continue to cultivate a sense of belonging and strengthen our place as the heart of the community. Our academies have also begun implementing academy advisory boards that incorporate this wide-reaching range of stakeholders to help ensure that we are preparing students to be globally competitive and locally committed. 

In addition, Kapolei High School continues to use Project-Based Learning (PBL) as the foundation of an academically rigorous curriculum. Teachers not only collaborate across curriculums but also with local businesses and organizations to integrate rigorous academic content with complex real-world issues that are relevant to students and community members. The curriculum builds community through partnerships that support learning, engagement, and collaboration. Through these efforts, KHS strives to provide equitable access for students to participate in Early College, student internships, and obtain industry-valued certifications that align to their post-secondary aspirations.