WHEREAS, the No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a national recognition program sponsored by the United States Department of Education and honors public and private K-12 schools that demonstrate excellence with challenging academic standards and a rigorous curriculum for all students; a disciplined, supportive, safe, and drug-free environment; participatory leadership and a strong partnership among the family, school, and community; excellent teaching in a school environment that strengthens teacher skills; and low dropout rates and documented student achievement; and

WHEREAS, three outstanding Hawaii schools, KAULUWELA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, KING WILLIAM LUNALILO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, and NUUANU ELEMENTARY SCHOOL have been honored as Hawaii's 2006 Blue Ribbon Schools for their superior efforts in the educational development of their students, and have met the high standards and accountability measures under the No Child Left Behind Act, enabling them to represent Hawaii in the national No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon Schools Program; and

WHEREAS, located in downtown Honolulu, a school where 80 percent of the school's students come from immigrant families, KAULUWELA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is dedicated to providing the best research-based curriculum to help students learn and achieve, and the schools focus on the development of basic reading, mathematics, and oral and written communication skills have resulted in well-deserved recognition of its ranking in the top 40 percent on state assessments; and

WHEREAS, located in McCully where more than half of the students come from disadvantaged backgrounds, KING WILLIAM LUNALILO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has established a comprehensive student support system to create a rich learning environment where teachers strive to support every child by modifying instruction and employing a variety of teaching strategies to meet the individual needs of each child, and the school's dedication resulted in making the state's "Honor Roll," with scores exceeding national norms in reading and math tests, and continuous ranking in the top ten percent on standardized tests; and

WHEREAS, located in Nuuanu Valley where more than half the student population enrolls through geographic exception, NUUANU ELEMENTARY SCHOOL maintains its reputation for providing a strong and established academic core program in a nurturing and caring environment by aligning curriculum with national and state standards, keeping on top of new and effective teaching strategies, and working together with its parent organization to sponsor before, after, and summer school programs, all of which have contributed to a continuous top ten percent ranking on state tests; and

WHEREAS, KAULUWELA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, KING WILLIAM LUNALILO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, and NUUANU ELEMENTARY SCHOOL rely on partnerships with parents, teachers, businesses, social agencies, and communities to raise the learning standards of their students, a key ingredient of academic excellence; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that this body hereby recognizes and congratulates KAULUWELA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, KING WILLIAM LUNALILO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, and NUUANU ELEMENTARY SCHOOL for their exemplary initiatives and successes and for being named a 2006 Hawaii Blue Ribbon School, enabling them to represent Hawaii in the national No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools Program, and extends to all of their students, parents, faculty, and administrators, its warmest aloha and best wishes for continued success.

Report Title:

2006 Nominees for No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools