Ho’okako’o Corporation (HC) is a private non-profit organization established in 2002 to improve the quality of education offered to Hawaii’s children through conversion charter schools.
Our mission is helping HC conversion chart schools reinvent themselves for the purpose of improving the academic achievement and personal growth of their students. Collaborating with communities, educators, and families, Ho’okako’o provides conversion charter schools with expertise and resources to improve student achievement.
The creation of conversion charter schools was made possible in 2002 when the Hawaii legislature passed Act 2. The Act expanded education choices through charter conversion schools in Hawaii and allows eligible non-profit organizations to manage and operate conversion schools.
II. How we accomplish our mission
HC was established with a partnership between HC’s volunteer board of directors and Kamehameha Schools. As an HC partner, KS has contributed technical support and funding. HC and the partner conversion charter schools leverage resources and support from many additional partners, including philanthropic foundations and trusts, government, unions, business and family/community volunteers in order to benefit the conversion charter school as the school implements its plans. The non-profit HC volunteer board serves as the school board for the conversion charter schools.
Through collaboration with the community, families, and educators, and with access to funds from KS, the federal government, and corporate sponsors, HC works to empower communities, educators, and families, so that they are part of the change process to achieve increased academic success for Hawaii’s children.
As an education change agent, HC seeks partnerships with public school communities committed to:
III. Three Current HC Conversion Charter Schools
The three HC conversion charter schools are all in communities with significant socio-economic need. Altogether, the schools serve some 1,550 students:
Overall each school has shown a trend of steady growth. Initial measures of success include:
A growth in reading and math scores (at Kualapu’u); increased student attendance at Kualapu’u and Waimea; a decrease in the special education population due to improved identification, remediation, and curriculum (at Kualapu’u); new programs offered (at Kualapu’u and Waimea); greatly increased family involvement (Waimea);Waimea and Kualapu`u achieved AYP.
Kualapu’u met federal NCLB AYP targets for two consecutive years and was awarded school in good standing status.
IV. Looking ahead
HC will focus on its existing three conversion school communities as they continue to transform themselves to improve the quality of education for their students. We will also focus on systematic planning for expanding our base by demonstrating the necessary conditions for transformational change in schools and their communities. We will help our schools become focused learning communities where mission, instruction, resources, and organizational systems are aligned.
