Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 1, 1 January 2013 — Molokaʻi Middle meets AYP for first time [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Molokaʻi Middle meets AYP for first time

School with high Hawaiian population named state's most improved By Cheryl Corbiell The shady outdoor courtyard of Moloka'i Middle School sheltered the 300 students, parents, faculty, administration, kūpuna, church leaders, community members and business owners while in unison they cheered and applauded to celebrate an achievement whieh took eight heartbreaking years. Moloka'i Middle School achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the first time since separating from Moloka'i's only high school, in 2004. In addition, the school in rural Hoolehua was designated "The Most Improved School in Hawai'i" during 2011-2012. Board of Education Chairman Don Horner llew to Moloka'i on Nov. 29 and acknowledged the 209 students' phenomenal achievement. "What you have done is send a message to 180,000 children from Kaua'i to the Big Island. Those students are looking at you and saying, 'If they ean do it, we ean do it,' " said Homer. The Hawai'i State Assessment determines whether a school is making adequate progress toward the federal No Child Left Behind mandate of proficiency. Office of Hawaiian Affairs Chairperson Colette Machado addressed the assembly sadly, saying: "Statistics say if you eome from a rural area and have a majority of Native Hawaiians in the school, you will not succeed. In 2010, Moloka'i Middle School was second to the lowest in the state." Smiling proudly, Machado said, "Now the statistics say you have increased in every subject area. This

school is comprised of 81 percent Native Hawaiians. Many of you live on homestead lands. You did excel in school." Principal Gary Davidson said: "We focused on the kids and celebrated when they did well. We didn't discipline kids; we motivated them." Success is in the statistics. Moloka'i Middle School outscored the state in the science category, 65 percent of students tested in math at the proficient or higher level, MMS exceeded the national math standard, and the school achieved a whopping 15 percent increase in reading scores. MMS broke the negative stereotype of rural schools with the help of community support. "The school desperately needed computers for HSTA testing and to meet commitments to Science,

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education," said life sciences teacher Jennifer Inoa. With that in mind, Inoa applied for a grant from Mycogen Seeds, whieh eame through with funding. Then the Office of Hawaiian Affairs matched Mycogen's funds. The school was then able to purchase a state-of-the-art rolling computer lab. "The new technology increased access to STEM information and streamlined the Hawai'i State Assessment online testing. The school's transformation is credited in part to the technological improvement provided by the OHA and Mycogen partnership," said Inoa. MMS students excel outside school too. At a Maui County engineering competition, the MMS

wāhine team won first plaee when their popsicle-stick bridge withstood 250 pounds while other student bridges withstood 50 pounds. The robotics team won first plaee and is headed to the nahonal competition on the U.S. continent. At an O'ahu math competition, an MMS eighthgrade student emerged as ehampion of the tournament. "Our students are natural problem solvers, and if we remove barriers from in front of them, these young children of Moloka'i take off like rockets," said Principal Gary Davidson. Eighth-grader Sonja Angst enjoys the school's STEM emphasis. "I'm proud of my school," she said. "We all got better. My only wish is I want more STEM classes." Says Davidson, "We dream big. Our new goal is to be the best school in Hawai'i." ■ Chervl Corhiell is an Instructor at the University ofHawai'i Maui. Col-lege-Molokai. and a readi.ng tutor at Kaunakakai. Elementary School.

EDUCATI0N

Students sang at the Hoolehua school, whieh was also named the state's most improved school. - lmages: Sherman Hapoleon

Moloka'i Middle School Principal Gary Davidson and students celebrated the school's achievements at a Nov. 29 assembly.