History
From DOE School...
Lanikai Elementary School opened its doors in 1964 as a Department of Education (DOE) school to serve this small seaside neighborhood. By the ‘80s, many Lanikai families were sending their children to private schools, and for a time there was discussion at the Board of Education of closing the school because of declining enrollment. The tide turned, however, when a handful of activist families expressed their willingness to try a public school—as long as they could be part of the governance structure and demand excellence in teaching, in curriculum choices, and in educational philosophy. Their vehicle for change was the DOE’s recent School-Community-Based Management (SCBM) format, but the Lanikai families found it was still too much a part of the one-size-fits-all DOE system.
...To Conversion Charter School
In 1994, the Lanikai SCBM Council, looking for “transformational leadership,” brought on a visionary principal who understood the potential of charters. Two years later the school applied for and was granted “Student-Centered School Status,” the name the Hawaii Legislature was using for charter schools. In 2000, the school was recognized by the Legislature as one of the state’s first two conversion charters. During this time of change, the Board of Education loosened regulations on geographic exceptions, allowing more students from other communities to apply to Lanikai. Our enrollment began to grow and today exceeds 330 students.
Lanikai—and all other charter schools—are public schools directly and individually accountable for compliance with many state and federal laws and programs, and they are governed by their own independent boards.
Curriculum and Assessment Today
Lanikai, like all public schools across the country, is accountable for meeting the No-Child-Left-Behind regulations in regard to teacher qualifications and adequate yearly progress. Although charter schools may design curricula that support their particular thematic or philosophical approach, all students must take the annual Hawaii State Assessment (HSA) that tests student mastery of the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards. Lanikai also uses the nationally-normed Terra Nova assessment for grades three through six. Our curriculum is based on the Hawaii standards and our students have performed exceptionally well on the state assessment.
All of our students enjoy a class in art, another in music, and two in PE each week. Grades kindergarten through three are also learning Japanese. Our Art Gallery link on the website displays award winning examples of student art, and the Student Projects link leads to examples of student work that supports the classroom curriculum.
For the past several years, Lanikai has received recognition as a Hawaii Distinguished School and has consistently met the national No Child Left Behind requirements for Adequate Yearly Progress. In 2008 we were also selected for the pool from which Hawaii’s nominees for the national NCLB/Blue Ribbon School award were chosen. These kudos are a testament to the quality of our staff and our high expectations for our students.
Accreditation
In the summer of 2006, Lanikai School was accepted as a candidate for accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), Accrediting Commission for Schools. The entire school staff is currently engaged in the WASC Self-Study process, looking carefully at what we do and how it can be improved. Once formal accreditation has been conferred, we will begin a cycle of annual review and improvement with visits from a WASC team of peers every few years to provide an external set of eyes to help us evaluate our progress.
We truly believe that Lanikai School lives up to our vision for it: A Path to Excellence in Learning and in Life.
