Nav Center SY2012-2013 Planning Document

SY 2012-2013 Planning

85-180 Ala Akau Street Wai‘anae, HI 96792

808.697.7110 www.navigatorscenter.org

The Navigators’ Center at Kamaile Academy: SY 2012-2013 Planning

www.navigatorscenter.org

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Table of Contents

OVERVIEW 3

VISION 4 MISSION 4 VALUES 4 GOALS 6 PROGRAMS 9

PROGRAMS: STUDENT ACTIVITIES 10

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS (SO) 10 PROGRAM FOR AFTERSCHOOL LITERACY SUPPORT (PALS) 12 KA ULU PONO AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM (KUP) 12 INTERCESSIONS 14 NAVIGATORS’ SPACE 16 THE KAMAILE CORE VALUES STORE 17

PROGRAMS: ‘OHANA PROGRAMS 19

‘OHANA-CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS 19 ‘OHANA LEARNING SERIES 20 VOLUNTEER PROGRAM 22 MCKINNEY-VENTO HOMELESS ASSISTANCE 24

PROGRAMS: OLAKINO MAIKA‘I CENTER 25

KAMAILE HEALTH ROOM 25 WAIANAE COAST COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CENTER (WCCHC) PARTNERSHIP 26 HEALTHY SNACK PROGRAM 27

PROGRAMS: CENTER-WIDE INITIATIVES 29

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECE) OUTREACH 29 COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS 31 COMMUNICATION 31 COMMUNITY SCHOOLS RESEARCH & COORDINATION 32

THE STAFF 33

APPENDIX A: LISTING OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS 34

APPENDIX B: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NAVIGATORS’ CENTER FROM JANUARY 2012 COMMUNITY SCHOOL SITE VISITS REPORT 41



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Overview

SY2011‐2012, the first year of operation for the Navigators’ Center, was intended to be a pilot year for the direction, structure, programs, and partnerships of the Center. Over the course of the year, as was hoped, a number of invaluable lessons were learned through interactions with the school community (i.e., students, family members, faculty, and outside community), visits to community school sites, reviews of available literature, collaboration with community partners, and, perhaps most importantly, trail and error. The year was filled with encouraging successes, but even more so with hints of promise for the future.

As the Navigators’ Center moves into its second year, we see ourselves moving out of the planning and piloting phase and entering a true implementation period. While we know that there is still much to learn—and probably still many more mistakes to be made—we have already begun to build upon ideas, strategies, and relationships that we hope will last for years to come to engage, support, and challenge the students of Kamaile Academy.

The pages that follow provide a glimpse into the reflection and planning that took place over the summer of 2012.

• The vision, mission, and values were revisited and strengthened through focus groups representing each major population of the school community: students (approximately 3 students from grades 1‐10 selected to represent the diversity within each grade); family members (represented by the Parent Council); community partners (represented by the Partners Alliance); and school faculty.

• The overarching goals of the Center were adjusted slightly based on lessons learned from last year along with research on best practices from community school models across the nation.

• Each program’s strategic plan was developed using baseline data from last year, the experience of last year’s program coordinators, and feedback from each of the focus groups mentioned above.



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Vision Empowering students to navigate their infinite worth

The overall vision of Kamaile Academy is “where learning leads to endless opportunity and infinite worth.” The Navigators’ Center supports this vision directly by providing a broad set of support structures and programs that are aimed at supporting learning in ways that reach beyond the walls of the classroom. Through this support, we look to empower students to chart their own courses in school and in life, courses that will enable each and every student to realize her and his own full potential.

Mission The Kamaile Navigators’ Center will engage, support, and challenge students to connect with their community, develop their whole selves, and contribute meaningfully to their world.

The broad mission of the Navigators’ Center is to support the education of Kamaile Academy students. To promote learning, we believe students must be engaged by the content and instruction, supported by a variety of individuals, and challenged always to push themselves further. For this to happen, we feel that students must be connected to the broader community; must nurture their social, emotional, and physical needs along with their academic selves; and must constantly be driven by a deeper sense of justice to give back to their world.

Values The guiding values of the Navigators’ Center were developed to align directly with the broader values of Kamaile Academy. During the summer of 2012, the Navigators’ Center led an initiative to revisit the core values of the school and explore how these values could play a primary role in driving the education students receive at Kamaile. The Center organized and facilitated focus groups with students, family members, school leadership, faculty, and community partners to draft and adopt a Graduate Profile that defines the expectations of all students who seek to earn a high school diploma from Kamaile Academy. Throughout this process, it was clear that the core values would be a foundation to drive all of our efforts at Kamaile, from day‐to‐day instruction in the classroom to annual program planning in the Navigators’ Center.

The graphic that follows illustrates this progression from the school’s core values, to the vision of a Kamaile graduate, to the academic objectives in the classroom, and finally to the role of the Navigators’ Center. All efforts of the Center will find their purpose in supporting these student outcomes, and all programs will be designed, evaluated, and modified to fit these criteria.



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Goals To navigate successfully, a voyage must have a clear destination in mind. The Navigators’ Center finds its destination in the success and wellbeing of our students. In the spirit of Kamaile Academy’s values and in line with the Results Framework produced by the National Coalition for Community Schools1, the following overarching goals serve as benchmark indicators for the Navigators’ Center:

1. Academics: Kamaile Academy students will successfully advance through all levels of school (PreK‐12), demonstrate mastery at benchmark and graduation points, and enter into a post‐secondary education program.

2. Health: Kamaile Academy students will achieve and maintain comprehensive health and wellness—physical, social, and emotional.

3. Community: Kamaile Academy students will enjoy the support, safety, and stability of involved families and community.

In order to ensure that these goals remain the ultimate destination toward which all of our work is directed, the Navigators’ Center utilizes the following long‐term strategies as a foundation for our work.

1 Lubell, E. (2011). Building Community Schools: A Guide for Action. New York: The Children’s Aid Society, National Center for Community Schools. See the “Community Schools Framework for Student Success” on Page 19.

Goal #1

Academics: Kamaile Academy students will successfully advance through all levels of school (PreK‐12), demonstrate mastery at benchmark and graduation points, and enter into a post‐secondary education program.

Strategic ("SMART") Goal Setting: 1. What is the specific goal to be

reached in this area of growth? What will be done to grow in this area?

• Student academic success • Academic emphasis on all programming and partnerships

2. What criteria will measure the progress and growth in this area? What will indicate the goal has been attained?

• 95% grade level passing rates; 75% proficient test scores; 80% proficient benchmark performances; 100% graduation rate

3. What support, learning and dispositions will be needed in order to reach the goal?

• Students are challenged and engaged • Opportunities for remediation/enrichment are provided • Community partners and families provide support for student

success • Teachers are provided support in creating meaningful learning

opportunities

4. How long will it take to reach the goal? What/when are the key benchmarks that will show progress?

• 3 years from Nav Center’s founding in summer of 2011 • First high school graduating class in SY 2013‐2014



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Goal #2

Health: Kamaile Academy students will achieve and maintain comprehensive health and wellness—physical, social, and emotional.



• Student physical, social, and emotional wellness and health • Physical, social, and/or emotional components embedded

within all programming and partnerships

2. What criteria will measure the progress and growth in this area? What will indicate the goal has been attained?

• 90% of students show satisfactory progress on Kamaile Wellness Plan

• 80% positive feedback on Student Wellness Survey • Sustainable establishment of the Olakino Maika‘i Kamaile

Health Center 3. What support, learning and

dispositions will be needed in order to reach the goal?

• Student Activities must be piloted, scaled up, and maintained with a focus on physical/social/emotional criteria in addition to academic purposes

• ‘Ohana Programs and community partnerships must be piloted, scaled up, and maintained to support the physical/social/emotional development of students

• A close relationship with the Kamaile Counseling Center must be maintained to monitor and address social/emotional needs and concerns of students

• Close relationships with the Kamaile Health Room and WCCHC must be maintained to monitor and address physical health needs and concerns of students

• Collaboration must be achieved with Elementary Character Education programs and Middle/High School Advisory program

• School staff, families, and community must collaborate to meet physical/social/emotional needs of students

• Appropriate surveys and date tools must be created, administered, and maintained

4. How long will it take to reach

the goal? What/when are the key benchmarks that will show progress?

• 3 years from Nav Center’s founding in summer of 2011 • First high school graduating class in SY 2013‐2014 • Biannual survey administration (beginning and end of year)

will track progress



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Goal #3

Community: Kamaile Academy students will enjoy the support, safety, and stability of involved families and community.



• Family and community involvement with, engagement in, and ownership of students’ education

• Family and community components embedded within all programs and partnerships

2. What criteria will measure the

progress and growth in this area? What will indicate the goal has been attained?

• 50% of students have family participate meaningfully in ‘Ohana Programs

• 10 meaningful community partnerships • 80% Positive Feedback on Family/Community Surveys

3. What support, learning and dispositions will be needed in order to reach the goal?

• Student Activities, ‘Ohana Programs, Olakino Maika‘i Health Center activities, and community partnerships must be piloted, scaled up, and maintained to allow for family and community involvement

• Regular and meaningful communication mechanisms with families and communities must be piloted, scaled up, and maintained

• School staff, families, and community must collaborate to meet academic and health needs of students

• Appropriate surveys and date tools must be created, administered, and maintained

4. How long will it take to reach

the goal? What/when are the key benchmarks that will show progress?

• 3 years from Nav Center’s founding in summer of 2011 • First high school graduating class in SY 2013‐2014 • Biannual survey administration (beginning and end of year)

will track progress



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Programs To promote our core values and work toward our goals, the Center designs, manages, and monitors programs across three primary areas: Student Activities, ‘Ohana (or Family) Programs, and the Olakino Maika'i Center (Kamaile Health Center).

Underlying our three primary pillars of programming are center‐wide focus areas. In the spirit of the community schools model, community partnerships are sought to support Navigators’ Center programming wherever appropriate. A strict commitment to transparency means that everything that happens in the Navigators Center is communicated to the entire school community through our website, monthly newsletters, quarterly reports, and various meeting structures. Furthermore, while the Center supports students at all grade levels, the importance of providing all learners strong foundations has led us to adopt a special focus on early childhood education (ECE). Finally, all programs are data‐driven, ensuring that our efforts align with the assets and needs of our school community while maintaining a firm standard of quality.



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Programs: Student Activities

One of the three main pillars of the Navigators' Center’s (NC) programs is Student Activities. These co‐curricular and extracurricular activities are meant to assist, enhance, and augment the instruction Kamaile Academy teachers provided within the classroom. Maintaining our focus on the whole child and aligning with the school's core values, each program is meant to support the academic success, social and emotional wellness, and physical health of every Kamaile student.

Student Organizations (SO)

Strategic Plan

Coordinator: Kenny & Love

Community Partner(s): PVS, LCC‐W, Grow Hawai‘i, Ka‘ala CLC, Ma‘o Farms

Details:

As the official after‐school program for grades 7‐11, Kamaile faculty members will serve as Faculty Advisors for each SO. Each SO will be provided with an operation budget from the NC. Based on last year’s activities and hopes for the coming year, the following are a potential list of SO:

• Future Navigators of Kamaile (traditional Polynesian voyaging) • Tech Club (robotics and broadcasting) • Gardening Club • Graffiti and Mural Club • Life in Still Photography Club • Navigator Records (music composing and recording) • Student Activities Club (dances, trips, etc.) • Student Wayfinders (mentoring) • Eco‐Tech Science Mentors • Varsity Athletes Club • Culinary Club

What is the specific goal to be reached in this area of growth? What will be done to grow in this area? This is what we want to see happen for our students.

Academics: involvement in a Student Organization (SO) will serve as an incentive toward academic achievement (AA); SO activities will promote AA Health: SO will provide a ‘safe space’ and network of support for students’ social and emotional well-being; SO will promote physical health and fitness on the campus Community: SO will connect with community members and community organizations



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What criteria will measure the progress and growth in this area? What will indicate the goal has been attained? This hard data will tell us that our vision for our students has been realized.

Academics: • Average 3.0 GPA of SO participants • Average 3.25 GPA for SO officers • 90% of SO abide by Constitutions that reflect a commitment

to academic achievement (e.g. through the values of ‘Imi ‘Ike, Ha‘aheo, etc.)

Health: • 10 SO are in regular operation and open to all MS/HS

students • 40% of MS/HS students are members of a SO • 80% positive feedback on Social/Emotional Survey from

students and Advisors • 30% of SO will have a primary emphasis on some form of

physical health • 90% of SO abide by Constitutions that reflect a commitment

to health/wellness (e.g. through the values of Olakino Maika‘i, Aloha, etc.)

Community: • 60% of SO have regular contact with a community partner • 30% of SO will hold some event to connect with school

community • 80% of SO will create and maintain websites to connect with

the school community • 90% of SO abide by Constitutions that reflect a commitment

to community (e.g. through the values of ‘Ohana, Laulima, etc.)

How will this data be tracked? This is how we will measure and keep track of that hard data.

Database for SO will track all of the indicators above. The Center will need to initiate the following: • SO Constitution template • Social/Emotional Survey for students and Faculty Advisors at

beginning, middle, and end of school year • Faculty Advisor Feedback Form (weekly) • Monthly Faculty Advisor Meetings • Website support • Connections with community partners

How long will it take to reach the goal? What/when are the key benchmarks that will show progress? This is when we want our vision to be realized and when will we be checking to see if we’re on pace to fulfill our vision.

Goals to be achieved by end of 2012-2013 SY. Benchmarks will be tracked in reports to be compiled at the end of every school term.



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Program for Afterschool Literacy Support (PALS)

Strategic Plan

Coordinator: PALS Site Coordinator (hired from Kamaile Faculty, funded by PALS); After‐school Academic Coordinator (hired from Kamaile Faculty, funded by Kamaile)

Community Partner(s): PALS

Details:

The Program for Afterschool Literacy Support (PALS) is a program offered through the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. This partnership serves as the primary afterschool program for grades 4‐6 at Kamaile Academy. Courses are offered at no cost to families for 90 minutes 3 days per week.

As a program of UH, the strategic plan and data tracking have already been established and implemented by the PALS managers. The Navigators’ Center works closely with these individuals, though, to ensure that the program remains aligned with the broader goals of the Navigators’ Center.

Ka Ulu Pono After-school Program (KUP)

Strategic Plan

Coordinator: KUP Site Coordinator (hired from Kamaile Faculty, funded by Kamaile); After‐school Academic Coordinator (hired from Kamaile Faculty, funded by Kamaile)

Community Partner(s): PALS

Details:

Ka Ulu Pono, or "to grow in righteousness," is the official afterschool program for grades K‐3 at Kamaile Academy. The program was modeled largely off of the success of the PALS program that has brought so much richness to our students in grades 4‐6. Because of our close partnership, the PALS trains our Ka Ulu Pono staff to bring the successful model to our younger students. As with PALS, Ka Ulu Pono classes focus on a place‐based cultural approach to learning, involve no cost to families, and run for 90 minutes after school 3 days per week.


Academics: Students will experience rich educational experiences after school that directly support academic achievement in school. Health: Students will enjoy safe, positive activities that increase health and wellness directly and through education. Community: Family and community will be given regular opportunities to engage with the after-school program.



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How long will it take to reach the goal? What/when are the key benchmarks that will show progress? This is when we want our vision to be realized and when will we be checking to see if we’re on pace to fulfill our vision.

Goals to be achieved by end of 2012-2013 SY. Benchmarks will be tracked in reports to be compiled at the end of every school term.


Academics: • 100% of classes will be guided by project-based plans that

incorporate academic content standards, 21st Century Learning Skills, and the Kamaile Core Values

• 70% of students involved in program will earn proficient grades in school

• All students will receive an average of 1 hour per week dedicated to homework support

• 80% positive feedback for academic items on Student Survey

• 80% positive feedback for academic items on Family Survey Health: • 30% of students in grades K-3 will be enrolled in program • 20% of students in grades K-3 will regularly attend program

(80% daily attendance) • All students will receive an average of 1 hour per week

dedicated to physical health through physical activity or health education

• 80% positive feedback for wellness items on Student Survey • 80% positive feedback for wellness items on Family Survey Community: • 50% of students will have family members involved at least

once per quarter • All classes will incorporate a community partner at least

once per semester How will this data be tracked? This is how we will measure and keep track of that hard data.

Database for KUP will track all of the indicators above. The Center will need to initiate the following: • KUP Project Overviews for each class • Student Surveys at middle and end of year • Family Surveys at middle and end of year • Teacher Feedback Form (weekly) • Connections with community partners



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Intercessions

Strategic Plan

Coordinator: Love

Community Partner(s): Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), City and County of Honolulu

Details:

The Navigators’ Center oversees the education programs at Kamaile Academy offered during break periods. Intercessions are designed to be both academic in nature but also highly engaging for students. Teachers are given the freedom to design project‐based units (5 days for Winter and Spring; 4 weeks in summer) that are rooted in standards, focused on some topic interesting to students, and aimed at some culminating product or performance. The Center assists teachers in creating these plans, linking with outside organizations that can augment the project units, and purchasing the supplies necessary for the projects. Meanwhile, Educational Assistants are trained by the DPR’s Summer Fun program to provide engaging enrichment activities for our K‐6 students. The Center also handles all of the logistics of running the school during these breaks.


Academics: Students will be able to learn content and skills rooted in academic standards but in a fashion much more engaging and application-based than in a conventional classroom setting. Health: Students will have a safe and positive experience during their academic break that includes activities focused on physical health and healthy meals. Community: Students will be able to connect with community members and locations that hold some expertise in the field they are studying, and families will have the opportunity to experience the student learning.



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Academics: • 100% of academic classes will be guided by project-based

plans that incorporate academic content standards, 21st Century Learning Skills, and the Kamaile Core Values

• 70% of students involved in program will show some growth in academic skills through a pre/post-test

• 80% positive feedback for academic items on Student Survey

Health: • 40% of Kamaile students will enroll in an intercession program

during the year and regularly attend classes (80% attendance)

• 20% of students in grades K-3 will regularly attend program (80% daily attendance)

• 100% of students will receive a healthy meal daily • 80% of intercession programs will feature 1 hour of some

physical activity per week • 80% positive feedback for wellness items on Student Survey Community: • 50% of academic classes will connect with some community

expert or location • 10% of students in program will be represented by a family

member at culminating events How will this data be tracked? This is how we will measure and keep track of that hard data.

Database for Intercessions will track all of the indicators above. The Center will need to initiate the following: • Intercession Project Overviews for each teacher’s class • Academic pre/post-test system for each intercession • Enrichment plans for each EA’s activities • Student Surveys for each intercession program • Connections with community partners • Logistical support for culminating events

How long will it take to reach the goal? What/ when are the key benchmarks that will show progress? This is when we want our vision to be realized and when will we be checking to see if we’re on pace to fulfill our vision.

Goals are to be achieved by end of 2012-2013 SY. Benchmarks will be tracked in reports to be compiled at end of every school term.



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Navigators’ Space

Strategic Plan

Coordinator: Love

Community Partner(s): ?

Details:

The physical location of the Navigators’ Center is also meant to function as a program in and of itself. This Navigators’ Space features educational and meeting equipment such as a SmartBoard, a large television with a DVD‐player, iPads, laptops, conference tables, comfortable sitting areas, educational games, art supplies, and more. The Space is really meant to serve as a community center for our school community. Hours are posted to allow for different groups (i.e., students, teachers, and community members) to reserve the space to fit their own needs. The Center’s website allows groups to see the calendar for the space and request a reservation during any available times.


Academics: The Space will be a place where students can work on and display their academic work, as well as a place where families can develop their ability to support their students’ academic achievement. Health: The Space will be a consistently positive space where students can take part in positive experiences. Community: The Space will be a consistently positive space where families and community members can take part in positive experiences.


Academics: • An average of 5 teachers per week will utilize the Space with

their students for academic purposes • 60% of Kamaile teachers will use the Space throughout the

course of the year • 83% of grade levels (10 out of 12) will display student work in

the Space at some point during the year Health: • 60% of Kamaile students will utilize the Space at some point

during the year Community: • An average of 3 family or community events will take place

in the Space each week • 20% of students will have family members visit the Space at

some point during the school year



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Database for the Space will track all of the indicators above. The Center will need to initiate the following: • Marketing strategies to advertise facilities to students,

faculty, families, and community • System for displaying student work in the Space • System for tracking visitors to the Space

How long will it take to reach the goal? What/when are the key benchmarks that will show progress? This is when we want our vision to be realized. This is when will we be checking to see if we’re on pace to fulfill our vision.


The Kamaile Core Values Store

Strategic Plan

Coordinator: Love and Shantelle Bayes

Community Partner(s): Various donors from the community

Details:

The Kamaile Core Values Store has been successfully operating for years on our campus and in 2011 was placed within the structure of the Navigators’ Center. As a component of the school‐wide Positive Behavior Support system, students are issued “Core Values.” These paper slips are given whenever a student is observed doing something that models the behaviors promoted by our school’s core values. These slips then serve as currency for our Kamaile Store where students redeem their Core Values for various goodies. The Navigators’ Center has supported this year by buying all new items for the store’s inventory to ensure that all goods promote the Center’s goals, by supporting the Kamaile Store clerks in composing a detailed inventory, and by assisting in creating a data system to track the Store’s operations.


Academics: Students being rewarded with Core Values are upholding the values of the school and thus will be performing well in the classroom. Health: Students are positively recognized for good behavior and also earn items that contribute to their social/emotional wellness and physical health. Community: The Store will offer a venue through which families and community members can directly reward students for their achievements.



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Academics: • 25% of the goods available in the store in some way

promote academic achievement Health: • 70% of students will earn enough Core Values to purchase

an item from the store • 100% of goods available in the store promote social and

emotional wellness • 25% of the goods available in the store promote physical

health, and 0% of goods impact physical health negatively (i.e., nothing is unhealthy!)

Community: • Family and community will volunteer 50 hours of service to

the store • 20 community donors will contribute goods to the store


Database for the store will track all of the indicators above. The Center will need to initiate the following: • Store inventory • System for marketing store as an opportunity for a

community donations How long will it take to reach the goal? What/when are the key benchmarks that will show progress?




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Programs: ‘Ohana Programs

The second of the three main pillars of the Navigators' Center programs is 'Ohana (family) Programs. Parents and families are essential to a student's success and wellness. Kamaile Academy and the Navigators' Center hope to provide meaningful opportunities for families to get involved with the school and strengthen their support for their students. Maintaining our focus on the whole child and aligning with Kamaile's core values, each program is meant to support the academic success, social and emotional wellness, and physical health of every Kamaile student.

‘Ohana-Classroom Connections

Strategic Plan

Coordinator: ‘Ohana Programs Coordinator

Community Partner(s): KAPCS Faculty; ?

Details:

The purpose of 'Ohana‐Classroom Connections (OCC) is to connect families with the experiences of their students in the classroom. Throughout the course of the year, each grade level at Kamaile is expected to host two of these events with the support of the Navigators' Center. For example, families may be invited for an evening of playing math games with their students. On another day, the community may be asked to observe benchmark defense presentations from our high school students. The goal is to have everyone in the school community involved with our students' education as a true learning village.


Academics: Parents/guardians (p/g) will realize the value of quality education in their students’ lives AND be able to support their academic achievement. Health: P/g will realize the value of social, emotional, and physical health in their students’ lives AND be able to support their students in achieving such wellness. Community: P/g and community members will directly involve themselves in the education of their children.



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Academics: • 100% of grade levels will host an OCC event • 80% of grade levels will host at least 2 OCC events • 80% of attendees will report that the event will have a

positive impact on the academic achievement of their students

Health: • 80% of attendees will report that the event will have a

positive impact on the social, emotional, and physical health of their students

Community: • 40% of students will have a family member represent them at

least one OCC event How will this data be tracked? This is how we will measure and keep track of that hard data.

Database for the OCC program will track all of the indicators above. The Center will need to initiate the following: • Logistical support for grade levels in planning events • Simple and basic OCC Event Planning form to store in an

online archive for future reference • Survey for attendees on academic and health impacts



‘Ohana Learning Series

Strategic Plan


Community Partner(s): INPEACE, HCAP, PACT, ?

Details:

The ‘Ohana Learning Series (OLS) features a series of learning opportunities and workshops throughout the year. These events are all focused on helping parents and families contribute to the academic success, social and emotional wellness, and physical health of their students and themselves. ‘Ohana Learning Series events rotate focus between the various age groups represented on our campus, from young children to adolescents. The Center has invited various experts and organizations from our community to lead these opportunities for families.



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Academics: Parents/guardians (p/g) will realize the value of quality education in their students’ lives AND be able to support their academic achievement. Health: P/g will realize the value of social, emotional, and physical health in their students’ lives AND be able to support their students in achieving such wellness. Community: P/g and community members will directly involve themselves in the education of their children.


Academics: • 8 OLS events will be held with a focus on student academic

achievement • 80% of attendees will report that the event will have a


Health: • 8 OLS events will be held with a focus on student social,

emotional, and/or physical health • 80% of attendees will report that the event will have a


Community: • 15% of students will have a family member represent them at

at least one Academic-focused OLS event • 15% of students will have a family member represent them at

at least one Health-focused OLS event How will this data be tracked? This is how we will measure and keep track of that hard data.

Database for the OLS program will track all of the indicators above. The Center will need to initiate the following: • Strategies for involving parents, families, community,

students, and faculty in planning and facilitating OLS events • Simple and basic OLS Event Planning form to store in an

online archive for future reference • Survey for attendees on academic and health impacts





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Volunteer Program

Strategic Plan


Community Partner(s): INPEACE, HCAP, PACT, ?

Details:

While our school has always welcomed the support of community volunteers, the new structure implemented through the Navigators’ Center at the beginning of SY2011‐2012 strives to serve as the central support system for everyone volunteering on our campus. A website allows anyone interested in participating in community service at our school to review the volunteer policies, submit a detailed registration form, and then log their hours once they have been approved by the school’s administration. A parallel online system allows faculty and staff members to request volunteers for various duties around campus. Teachers, office staff, and facilities personnel have all utilized this program to receive assistance with tasks ranging from reading with students in the classroom to helping paint the exteriors of new classroom buildings. Many volunteers have been involved family and community members, but we have also been able to support individuals earning hours for the First‐to‐Work state assistance program, education programs at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, and programs through other local nonprofit organizations.


Academics: Family/community involvement at school will make them feel more connected to the school, thus more engaged with their students’ learning, thus leading to academic achievement. Health: Family/community involvement at school will contribute to their own and to their students’ social and emotional wellness. Community: P/g and community members will directly involve themselves in the education of their children.



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Academics: • 80% of students whose relations volunteer will receive

proficient grades in school • Students who have a relation volunteer on campus will

average a 3.0 GPA • 80% of volunteers will report that their service has had a


Health: • 80% of volunteers will report that their service has had a


Community: • 15% of students will have a family member volunteer on

campus • 10% of students will have a family member volunteer at least

20 hours on campus • Family and community members will volunteer a total of

7000 service hours throughout the course of the year How will this data be tracked? This is how we will measure and keep track of that hard data.

Database for the Volunteer Program will track all of the indicators above. The Center will need to initiate the following: • Strategies for recruiting volunteers from families and

community • Survey for volunteers on academic and health impacts





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McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance

Strategic Plan

Coordinator: Love

Community Partner(s): U.S. Vets, Assistance League of Hawaii, Waianae Neighborhood Place, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Ka'paalana, QLCC ‐ Queen Liliuokalani Children's Center

Details:

Under the McKinney‐Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, students and families identified as homeless are federally entitled to certain rights and protections. In SY 2011‐2012, approximately 6.5% of the student population was identified as qualifying for services. The Navigators’ Center works with the school community and identified families to ensure the proper supports are in place and accessible. The Center is very proud of the close relationships and trust built with these members of our school community and is delighted to offer them a safe place to turn whenever they are in need.


Academics: Students will be relieved of the basic barriers to academic success presented by their homeless situation. Health: Basic physical, social, and emotional needs (e.g., hygiene, clothing, etc.) will be met. Community: Students’ families will be supported on a personal level and will be connected with resources in the community.


Academics: • 60% of MV-identified students will make proficient progress in

school Health: • 30% of MV-identified families will receive some form of

material support to address basic health needs Community: • 100% of MV-identified families will have a personal

consultation with Nav Center staff to discuss rights and available resources

• 25% of MV-identified families will be connected with a community resource


Database for the MV program will track all of the indicators above. The Center will need to initiate the following: • Personal consultations with identified families • Reliable stock of basic material supports for wellness (e.g.,

hygiene products, clothing, etc.) • Maintained database of community resources available





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Programs: Olakino Maika‘i Center The third and final major category of programs within the Navigators’ Center framework is the Olakino Maika‘i (“healthy life and body”) Center, which consists of the efforts and plans to establish a health center at Kamaile Academy. As one of the three primary goals for the Navigators’ Center, we view physical health and a healthy environment as being absolutely essential to the academic success and social and emotional wellness of our students.

Kamaile Health Room

Strategic Plan

Coordinator: Kamaile Health Aides (Ronnie Samoa and Verna Agoan)

Community Partner(s): WCCHC

Details:

In fall 2011, Kamaile Academy was proud to bring on two highly qualified medical assistants with years of professional health care experience in the Wai‘anae community to staff the school health room. Verna Agoan and Ronnie Samoa have become invaluable resources in ensuring the physical health of students on campus.


Academics: Basic health issues will be addressed in a timely and comprehensive manner so that students are able to remain present and active within the classroom as much as possible. Health: Basic health needs of students will be monitored and addressed. Community: Family members will remain informed of any health issues that may be affecting their students in school.


Academics: • Track time spent in health room Health: • 100% of kindergarten students will meet the health

requirements for entry into school (i.e., immunizations, TB clearance, and physical exams)

• 95% of all students at Kamaile will meet the basic health requirements for school enrollment

Community: • Track parent/family contact



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Database for the Health Room will track all of the indicators above.



Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC) Partnership

Strategic Plan

Coordinator: Center Director (Kenny)

Community Partner(s): WCCHC

Details:

For years, Health Center (WCCHC) has been a trusted and respected health care provider in our community. Thus for the Navigators’ Center, reaching out to them for support was natural. Graciously, Dr. Ricardo Custodio, Medical Director and Pediatrician at WCCHC, offered to support our efforts at Kamaile through the medical students they host on their campus from A. T. Still University in Arizona. Dr. Custodio arranged for 4th‐year medical students to spend a month at Kamaile as a community health rotation to help us formulate and implement our plans for the health center. Going into SY2012‐2013, two 4th‐year students are scheduled to complete a 4‐week rotation at Kamaile. Additionally, WCCHC has assigned Kamaile as a community health service site for their 2nd‐year medical students. Five of these students will be volunteering on a weekly basis throughout SY2012‐2013.

In terms of goals and planning, last year a report was formed by the visiting medical students that will be used by each 4th‐year on a rotation to track progress on the development of the Kamaile Health Center. As this work is still in the developing stage, it is not possible to set clear targets as with other programs. The areas that will appear in each of these reports include the following:

Beginning Goals for the month Progress made towards Goals Needs Assessment



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Direct Health Services Health Education Career Guidance to Students Mental/Behavioral Health Component Fitness/Nutritional Health Component Reproductive Health Component Dental Health Component Vision Health Component Use of available Medical Students Trailer/facilities update Update from Health Room (Auntie Ronnie and Verna) WCCHC Satellite Site designation Next steps for next MS‐IV Next steps for Kamaile

Healthy Snack Program

Strategic Plan

Coordinator: Snack Manager (Chantel Sholtis)

Community Partner(s): Sodexo

Details:

Four afternoons per week for the past couple of years, every student on campus has been treated to a healthy fruit or vegetable snack. From juicy green grapes to exotic mangosteen, the young people of Kamaile have had the opportunity to sample treats from around the globe. The Navigators' Center is supporting this program by giving students and teachers a chance to learn about what they are putting into their bodies. At the beginning of every week, Daily Snack Cards are posted online that provide nutritional information and interesting facts for the snacks of that week. Teachers can use this information in their lessons or turn it into a fun activity for their classes during snack time. At the end of every week, the Navigators’ Center coordinates an online survey that teachers use to give feedback on their experience with the snacks for the week.


Academics: Students will have first-hand nutritional learning experiences and learn about healthy eating Health: Students will develop healthier eating habits Community: Students will enjoy the snack as part of a healthy, positive community



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Academics: • Snack cards with nutritional and educational information on

foods will be distributed to teachers every week • 60% positive feedback from teachers on whether something

is learned by students from the snack experience Health: • 80% of students (~800) will be reported by classroom

teachers as eating snack daily Community: • 80% positive feedback from teachers on whether the snack

provided a positive experience for classroom community How will this data be tracked? This is how we will measure and keep track of that hard data.

Database for the Snack Program will track all of the indicators above. The Center will need to initiate the following: • Distribution system so that snacks reliably reach all

classrooms • Volunteer system whereby 7th and 9th grade students assist

Snack Manager with distribution • Weekly Snack Cards • Snack Weekly Teacher Feedback Form





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Programs: Center-Wide Initiatives

In addition to the three main pillars of Navigators’ Center programs, there are a few initiatives that span across our program categories and even the programs themselves. As with each of our individual programs, these efforts are designed to align with our core values and are evaluated on the basis of our three primary goals of academics, health, and community.

Early Childhood Education (ECE) Outreach

Strategic Plan

Coordinator: ECE Outreach Coordinator

Community Partner(s): HCAP, PACT, INPEACE, U.S. Vets

Details:

The Navigators’ Center is largely supported through the Ho‘okahua Project that is essentially a grant program dedicated to strengthening Early Childhood Education (ECE) in the Kamaile Academy community. While all of our programs are designed to benefit our PreK‐11 students and families, a special emphasis is placed on early childhood. The Center firmly believes that if students and families are engaged in the earliest years of schooling, then such engagement will become the norm for them throughout the child’s educational experience. The ECE Outreach program is being designed in that spirit of building relationships in the earliest years to set students on the path of long‐term and lasting success, wellness, and health.

The Center collaborates closely with the overall grant managers, our affiliated Kamaile pre‐schools, and the Kamaile kindergarten team as a member of the School Transition Planning Team. This group seeks to create coherent educational and support experiences for students and families as they transition from one of Kamaile Academy’s feeder pre‐schools to our Kindergarten.

In addition to supporting the work of this team, the primary role of the Navigators’ Center in the Ho‘okahua Project is to offer family development services. Staff and parents collaborate on individualized family plans that focus on the child's developmental needs and the family's social and economic needs. Such support is already a part of our affiliated Head Start and Early Head Start pre‐school programs, so the Navigators’ Center’s role is to provide coherence to students and families by offering them the same type of assistance once they reach kindergarten at Kamaile Academy.

In large part, these child and family development services are already present within the Navigators’ Center’s structure. Parenting education comes through our ‘Ohana Learning Series, and parent‐child interaction is facilitated through our ‘Ohana‐Classroom Connections and various Student Activities Programs. Many health services can be addressed by our Health Room and WCCHC Partnership, while other health and social service needs can be referred to our various community partners. The opportunities are already there for families to engage with the school and access support resources.

ECE Outreach is being designed as a program to bring Kindergarten families into all of these support structures. Rather than relying solely on the programs themselves to draw in families, ECE Outreach will focus on building relationships among students, teachers, and families to explore how our programs can



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best support them. Since the goal of the program is to build relationships, we expect the exact nature of the work to constantly shift to be meet the needs of everyone involved.


Academics: Strong relationships with families along with direct classroom support will bring about student success in the kindergarten (K) classroom. Health: Families will feel that they and their students have access to the health and wellness resources they need and will be successfully linked with those resources. Community: Families will be in communication with the school, engaged in campus activities, and satisfied with their relationship with the school.


Academics: • 80% of students identified as in academic need will receive

support (either direct or family contact) from ECE Outreach Coordinator

• 80% K students whose families are engaged on campus (i.e., attend more than one event) will achieve at benchmark in the classroom

• 60% K students whose families are in communication with the school will achieve at benchmark

Health: • 80% K families who request a health service are matched

with a provider • 80% positive feedback on survey items dealing with health

access Community: • 90% of K families will have been contacted by the ECE

Outreach Coordinator more than once throughout the year • 50% of K families will participate in an ‘Ohana Programs

event/activity • 80% positive feedback on survey items dealing with school’s

interaction with family and community How will this data be tracked? This is how we will measure and keep track of that hard data.

Database for ECE Outreach will track all of the indicators above. The Center will need to initiate the following: • General Feedback survey for K families • Individualized Support Plan for K students identified as in

need of support • Regular communication plan for all K families • Volunteer system whereby 7th and 9th grade students assist

Snack Manager with distribution How long will it take to reach the goal? What/when are the key benchmarks that will show progress?




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Community Partnerships

Strategic Plan

Coordinator: Director (Kenny)

Details:

The Navigators’ Center was founded on the premise that wonderful resources for our students and families already exist in our community, and that the primary role for the Center is to link our school to those resources. While there are a wide array of organizations and individuals we connect with to support our efforts, a number of those actors play a special role in the success of the Center and our entire school. We show our appreciation for the special contribution of these groups by recognizing them as our official community partners.

For SY2012‐2013, each official community partner will work with the Center to create an individualized “Sail Plan for Community Partnerships.” This document will directly align the activities of all community partners on campus with the established goals of Kamaile Academy. While all partners are encouraged to align their work with as many goals as possible, each is required to commit to aligning with at least two goals. The school goals are as follows:

Goals 1 & 2‐ Academic: Kamaile Academy students will successfully advance through all levels of school (PreK‐12), demonstrate mastery at benchmark and graduation points, and enter into a post‐secondary education program. [Goal 1 will be a school‐wide goal while Goal 2 represents each of the individual PLC goals created by each grade level.]

Goal 3‐ Readiness to Learn: Kamaile Academy students will attend school, ready to learn, on a daily basis.

Goal 4‐ Health: Kamaile Academy students will achieve and maintain comprehensive health and wellness—physical, social, and emotional.

Goal 5‐ Community: Kamaile Academy students will enjoy the support, safety, and stability of involved families and community.

Our goal is to create and implement a Sail Plan for at least 10 different Community Partners this year.

Communication

Strategic Plan


Details:

A primary reason why the Navigators’ Center was formed was to link the various actors within our school community: students, teachers, administration, staff, families, and community members. If these groups are to be linked, then effective communication strategies are absolutely essential. Unfortunately, communication has been identified a number of times as a school‐wide area of concern. While positive steps have been taken on campus to address these concerns, the Navigators’ Center sees communication, especially with families and community members, as one of its priority areas.



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The Center’s efforts on communication will be focused on the following outlets:

• Website (www.navigatorscenter.org): In addition to providing information on all of the programs included in this report, the website serves as an interactive tool for all groups within our school community. Students can use the website to apply to become a Student Organization, reserve the Navigators’ Space for a meeting, or display their work. Teachers can view a constantly updated master calendar, access all materials needed to organize field trips and assemblies, and request volunteer support. Community members can apply to the PTO, access an events blog and electronic versions of the school newsletter, watch videos from recent workshops, and find contact numbers to various service providers across our community. The website will be updated on a weekly basis throughout SY2012‐2013.

• Kūkuni Newsletter: The Navigators’ Center will continue to publish monthly newsletters for the school community. Recurring sections of the newsletter include Principal’s Place, the PTO Post, Counselor’s Corner, Kamaile Core Value Students, and the ELL Leader for English Language Learners. Electronic versions of each newsletter will be available online along with an events blog that includes those stories which do not fit in the printed.

• ‘Ohana Board: The Navigators’ Center will maintain the large bulletin board facing the campus entrance with school announcements, community activities, and resources of interest to students and families.

• Social Media: The Center will begin exploring opportunities to connecting with families through avenues such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.

• Other initiatives: While the approaches listed above have brought reasonable success, there remains much room for improvement. The Navigators’ Center is constantly seeking new ways to effectively communicate with family and community members. The school recently purchased an automated communication system that will allow the Center to deliver messages through mass phone calls and cellular text messages. More ideas have been as grand as to purchase electronic display screens, while others have been as simple as greeting parents as they pick up their students or canvasing the neighborhood. Attending conferences and workshops around the community has allowed us to learn from the work of others, and we are constantly exploring new methods of communication.

Community Schools Research & Coordination

Strategic Plan


Details:

The Center’s commitment to staying true to the needs of the community and basing its efforts in data require that a strong relationship with the direct school community must be maintained. In order to best address these needs and support the community, though, the Center must also look to the outside to learn from best practices.

As mentioned earlier, the community schools model captures most of what the Center has set out to do. The Center will constantly monitor the research and news coming out of forums like the Coalition for Community Schools (www.communityschools.org). The Director will also look into connecting with and visiting models similar to the Navigators’ Center in different geographic locations.



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The Staff Staffing for the Navigators’ Center is financed by two sources. The Director position, Center Coordinator position, and 0.5 Program Coordinator position are covered by the school’s general budget as Student Support Services. 1.5 Program Coordinator positions are provided through the Ho‘okahua Project ECE grant. Lovelyn Ampeloquio Center Coordinator Programs: Student Organizations, Navigators’ Space, Intercessions, School Community Events, McKinney Vento, Center Clerical Duties Contact: [email protected]

Marcia Tagavilla ‘Ohana Programs Coordinator Programs: ‘Ohana‐Classroom Connections, Volunteer Program, ‘Ohana Learning Series, PTO Support Contact: [email protected]

JoJo Suan ECE Outreach Coordinator Programs: ECE Outreach Contact: [email protected]

Kenny Ferenchak Director Contact: [email protected]



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Appendix A: Listing of Community Partners Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence Hawai'i Project (CREDE) www.coe.hawaii.edu/departments/projects/CREDE The Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence (CREDE) Hawai‘i Project promotes educators’ use of research‐based strategies of effective practice for culturally and linguistically diverse children and students. The project offers professional development to educators who want to improve the learning and engagement of children and students from diverse backgrounds. A number of Kamaile Academy teachers across all grade levels have enrolled in the CREDE training and use the CREDE standards to guide their instruction. Envision Schools www.envisionschools.org “To close the academic achievement gap and improve outcomes for underserved students, redesign the entire high school experience.” Envision Schools was founded in 2002 on this simple idea. We believe the current achievement gap reflects a systemic failure to understand how kids learn, what motivates them to learn, and what they need in order to learn well. We employ the best practices of high school design —rigorous college‐preparatory curricula, small and personalized learning environments, and a focus on measurable results—and add a truly innovative model that emphasizes project‐based learning, development of Deeper Learning skills, integration of arts and technology into core subjects, real‐world experience in workplaces, and a uniquely rigorous assessment system. Envision Schools is working directly with the faculty and staff of Kamaile to bring the model of their Bay Area schools to Kamaile Academy Middle and High Schools.



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GROW HAWAII www.growhi.org GROW HAWAII is a project of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools (HAIS) in partnership with the Hawaii State Department Agriculture and the Ulupono Initiative. Over the next three years, GROW HAWAII will use a variety of strategies to significantly enrich the educational dialogue in all private and public schools statewide concerning the urgency for growing food in the islands. Beginning with the belief that the betterment of humankind is inherently possible and that schools are a prominent force for good, GROW HAWAII and its partners aspire to create lifelong “buy local, eat local” consumers by engaging students, starting in elementary school, in exploration, experimentation, and action‐oriented problem‐based learning that will foster consideration of the origins of and their relationship with island grown food and the social systems and values we will need to create a more sustainable way of life. Simultaneously, we aspire to document this story and share it with all who are interested, allowing the voices of students to chart a course to the future and be in the vanguard of those leading the way. GROW HAWAII has been a strong source of support to Kamaile students, teachers, and kitchen staff. Invitations to conferences, technical assistance and equipment for garden projects, and trainings for our cafeteria cooks have all been welcome opportunities for our school community. Honolulu Community Action Program, Inc. (HCAP) HCAP Head Start www.hcapweb.org and www.hcapweb.org/headstart.html We are a federally funded program that provides quality services to qualifying preschoolers and their families. From our humble beginning as a summer project in 1965, we have grown to become the largest early childhood program in the State of Hawaii serving over 1,659 children and their families each year. Head Start offers an early childhood program for children 3 to 5 years of age whose families qualify for our Head Start services. Three HCAP Head Start sites in the Wai‘anae community that offer full‐day services are directly affiliated with Kamaile Academy and collaborate closely with multiple actors on campus.



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INPEACE (The Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture) www.inpeace.org Since 1994, INPEACE has been working to educate and empower Native Hawaiian communities. INPEACE has emerged as a local and international leader in early childhood education, workforce development and cultural land stewardship. For years, Kamaile Academy has enjoyed a close relationship with INPEACE, serving as a host to a number of its highly acclaimed early childhood education programs. Leeward Community College – Wai‘anae www.leeward.hawaii.edu/leewardccw Leeward Community College Wai‘anae (LeewardCCW) is a satellite campus in the University of Hawai‘i Community College system located on the beautiful Wai‘anae coast of Oahu. It offers a variety of first and second year college credit classes in liberal arts, education, business, and career and technical areas. Students can complete a majority of the course requirements for an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Arts in Teaching degree at LeewardCCW. Kamaile Academy’s partnership with LeewardCCW is young but has already produced many promising results including college counselor visits to high school classrooms and collaboration among instructors at the two sites. Parents and Children Together (PACT) Family Centers www.hawaiipirc.org PACT is one of Hawaii's leading private non‐profit family service agencies and is a leader in the design and delivery of a broad range of innovative social and educational services. PACT is an active partner with



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numerous community efforts, coalitions, initiatives, schools and other providers, and is a prominent advocate for the needs of Hawaii's most socio‐economically challenged citizens. PACT’s Family Center is working with Kamaile Academy to better engage families in their children’s education through the Sundays Project (http://www.hawaiipirc.org/sundays/index.html ). Families learn from one another successful ways to help their children succeed in school and how to make education a priority in their lives, while having fun. Classes are conducted in English, Chuukese and Marshallese. Polynesian Voyaging Society http://pvs.kcc.hawaii.edu/index.html The Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) was founded in 1973 to carry out an experiment that would help answer some questions: how did the Polynesians settle the far‐flung islands of the mid‐Pacific – by accident or by design? Did their canoes and their knowledge of navigation enable them to sail purposefully over the vast sea distances between Pacific islands? PVS began with the building of a replica of a Hawaiian voyaging canoe, Hōkūle‘a, launched in 1975, to explore the seafaring heritage and the voyaging routes of our ancestors. Since its first voyage to Tahiti in 1976, PVS has explored the ocean of our ancestors in order to rediscover and perpetuate through practice Hawaiian voyaging traditions and values and to bring together communities throughout the Pacific. With a legacy of ocean exploration as its foundation, the Polynesian Voyaging Society is committed to undertake voyages of discovery (Holokai); to respect, learn from, and perpetuate through practice our heritage and culture (‘Ike); and to promote learning which integrates voyaging experiences and values into quality education (Ho‘ona‘auao). We are committed to nurturing communities and the leadership therein that values learning and sharing knowledge in order to foster living well on islands. PVS has provided a number of invaluable experiences and resources for the students of Kamaile Academy over the past few years. From working with PALS afterschool classes and giving inspiration speeches to high school students, to taking students on 3‐day coastal voyages and weekend training camps, PVS has had a major impact on many young people at Kamaile. PONO Choices www.cds.hawaii.edu/ponochoices The overarching goal of Pono Choices will be to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies and incidences of STIs; increase positive bonding in the school and community; increase sense of self‐identity and self‐



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efficacy; and improve expectations for the future. Pono Choices: A Culturally Responsive Teen Pregnancy and STI Prevention Program is a ten module curriculum that provides young adolescents with the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and skills necessary to reduce their risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy by incorporating medically accurate information, character education and Hawaiian cultural values. It is based on social learning, self–regulation and developmental assets theories and the researchers’ extensive experience working with youth. It is intended for students aged 11‐14 in the state of Hawai‘i. Kamaile Academy will take part in the Pono Choices research study and the curriculum will be used in 7th and 8th grade classrooms. Program for Afterschool Literacy Support (PALS) http://palshi.org The Program for After‐School Literacy Support (PALS) provides learning opportunities for a predominantly Native Hawaiian population of children on the Wai’anae coast of Oahu, Hawaii. PALS uses a place‐based cultural project (PBCP) curricular framework that embraces the multiple cultural locations in which the children exist and utilizes community and place as the springboard for learning. PBCPs engage real‐life, ways of knowing and doing and provide integrated opportunities for literacy teaching and learning across the curriculum. Students in PALS engage with teachers and other community members in projects that have relevance to their own lives and that nurture children’s identities as learners, community activists, and as stewards of the environment. PALS partners with multiple cultural and educational organizations and individuals including the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS), the Honolulu Academy of Arts, Ka’ala and Hoa ‘Aina O Makaha farms, and numerous local artists, engaging these community partners as both co‐planners and co‐teachers within the projects. PALS has overseen the after‐school program for grades 4‐6 at Kamaile Academy for years, and more recently provided training and support to bring the PALS model to our K‐3 students through the Ka Ulu Pono after‐school program. Sodexo http://sodexousa.com Sodexo, Inc. is a world leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, serving 10 million consumers in 6,000 locations every day. Our dedication to excellent service, corporate citizenship, and fighting hunger all come from one goal ‐ to make every day a better day. As the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, we set out each morning to treat every person we encounter with the highest level of respect and service. And when you put



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that effort, expertise, and enthusiasm together, it adds up to “a better day” for our clients, their customers, and our people. Sodexo manages the Kamaile Academy school cafeteria and has been a great support to our school community by serving healthy breakfasts and lunches daily to all students, managing the distribution of our Healthy Snacks program, and servicing community events. Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC) www.wcchc.com We are a Community Health Center that serves over 27,000 patients, with more than 139,000 visits annually through our six service sites. We are proud to consider ourselves pioneers in Community‐governed healthcare, Telemedicine and Hawaiian and other Traditional Healing Arts in an Integrated Healthcare setting. WCCHC has worked with Kamaile Academy in various ways through the years. The partnership currently allows for a representative of the Preventive Health Department to visit campus weekly to provide Family Planning instruction and consultations to high school students. Medical students from the WCCHC have also been working with Kamaile to develop its health center. Wai'anae Neighborhood Place www.wccmhc.org/wnp.htm Wai‘anae Neighborhood Place is a community based program that provides family strengthening and support services to families and resources on the Waiànae Coast. It is a place for Òhana to work together and acknowledge the unique cultures, values, contributions and strengths of everyone, building a nurturing, stable and courageous community for all keiki to safely live the best lives possible‐culturally, spiritually, academically and economically. Waiànae Neighborhood Place strives to embrace parents by giving support, assistance, resources, opportunities and encouragement to successfully raise their children. Through Family Outreach and Community Outreach, Ka Wahi Kaiaulu – Waiànae Neighborhood Place – builds the capacity of at‐risk families to provide for the safety of children. Serving as a neutral hub for service coordination and community building, we work for positive changes that reduces environmental and social risk factors and increases protective factors; while providing access to resources, both concrete and informational, and support without judgment. We are open to all on the Waiànae Coast and provide referral information of service providers and other various resources.



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Kamaile Academy has partnered with Wai‘anae Neighborhood Place as a vital link to service providers along the Wai‘anae Coast who can support our students and families. The WNP staff has been an invaluable resource for our school community through case referrals, program support, and regular consultations. United States Veterans Initiative www.usvetsinc.org U.S.VETS provides comprehensive services to the veterans we serve, including case management, employment assistance, job placement, counseling, as well as drug and alcohol free housing. At our facilities veterans progress through a seamless continuum of services designed to help them increase their level of responsibility and prepare them to live independently in the community. Waianae Civic Center is the only U.S.VETS location that provides services to both veteran and non‐veteran men and women, families and children. WCC began serving the Hawaii homeless population in March of 2007. Waianae currently serves 300 men, women, and children each day. Kamaile Academy has worked closely with the staff of the Waianae Civic Center to coordinate the best support possible to our students and families who are in their program. Many of our community partners serve multiple roles on campus, but the graphic above gives a general overview of the areas of

focus for each of our partners.



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Appendix B: Recommendations for the Navigators’ Center from January 2012 Community School Site Visits Report

The site visits were incredibly powerful on two primary levels. Firstly, each visit affirmed to a certain degree the work being done at our own site. Though very young, the Navigators’ Center (referred to as “the Center” below) seems already to be adopting many best practices and following the path set by well‐established and reputable efforts in the community schools movement. Secondly, the visits provided a long list of ideas for how to improve upon the work already being done. The recommendations that follow fall into three categories: (1) ideas for better focusing efforts already underway; (2) ideas for re‐directing or eliminating work being done; and (3) ideas for branching out into areas not yet addressed. Each of those categories of recommendations will be organized into the areas of focus used throughout this report. Recommendations that fall into multiple areas of focus are listed under all that apply, thus some of these points are listed more than once.

Organizational structure Focus efforts already underway

• The Center must continue to hold regular meetings with the school’s leadership team. The Navigators’ Center was launched with a huge advantage as being an actual department of the school itself. Many sites owe their success to the close partnership and positive relationship they have developed with the school’s academic leaders. We must put high priority on maintaining this close partnership with the school

• The Local Advisory Panel must play a key role in the Center’s Work. While all successful community schools exhibited some form of strong family and community engagement and ownership, the exemplary models provided some formal body or program through which these outside groups could involve themselves directly in the work of the school. Kamaile Academy’s charter calls for the establishment of a representative Local Advisory Panel (LAP). This body is in the process of being re‐established, and it is in the Center’s best interest to support the LAP’s work as representative of the broader community.

Redirect work being done

• Staff should be aligned to match areas of specialization. Most community school structures allowed staff to focus on one branch of programming (e.g. Parent Coordinator, Mental Health Manager, etc.). Though it may be too early and too advanced for the Center to adopt a strict specialization model, the roles of Program Coordinator can be shifted to match a more coherent set of programs.

Branch out into new areas

• New structures can be created to allow for more regular and more substantive involvement of families and partners. The formation of the LAP, mentioned above, will provide a primary link for outsiders to the school and the Center. The site visits, however, revealed the special role that can by played by parents and partners in the operation of the community school. While the Center supports the Kamaile Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), more can be done to engage key parents on campus and give them real



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ownership of the Center’s programming. In much the same vein, a new structure focused solely on involving community partners can bring them more directly into the Center’s work.

Programming Focus efforts already underway

• Programs should be clearly supported by evidence (e.g., community input, research, experience, case studies, etc.). The Center can become much more deliberate about the selection of its programs. For every issue faced by students and families, there is a litany of possible programming responses. The Center should make clear why certain program decisions are made, pointing to decisions made within the community itself, research recommendations, prior experience with similar issues, successful case studies, or some other clear evidence.

• The Center can better focus its goals to aim toward specific benchmarks each year. Since Day 1, all programs of the Center have been aligned to the three overarching goals of (1) academic achievement, (2) social and emotional wellness and support, and (3) physical health. While this is a great start, the visits revealed the benefits of selecting more specific benchmarks in each of those categories. This provides an opportunity for the community to take ownership of programs and also allows for a heightened focus on specific needs each year.


• Goals and targets of programs should come from the school community itself. If the Center is to serve the students and families of Kamaile Academy, then those students and families must play a large role in stating how they want to be served. Structures such as the LAP, PTO, student leadership, Grade Level Chairs (GLC), surveys, and others should be utilized more to define what are the aims of the Center’s work.


• As the Center matures, many areas for programming remain such as health, college readiness, adult education, mentoring, culture, and the environment. While the Center must be very careful about trying to do everything, there are some areas of programming which the Center can naturally explore. Deepening the already formed partnerships with the community health center and local community college can drive more formal health and college readiness efforts. In terms of adult education, mentoring, culture, and the environment, the center can easily tap into strong resources for each that already exist within the community.

Link with academic achievement Focus efforts already underway

• The Center should continue to build off of work being done with specific grade levels. Just recently the Center’s staff began working directly with individual grade levels. This coordination has already shown great benefits in terms of shaping programs to meet the specific needs of teachers and students. Continuing in this line should enable the Center’s programs to best service students in the classroom.


• The Center’s aims should align directly with school‐wide targets on an annual basis. Cincinnati especially revealed the power of aligning the community school’s work with the schools general goals. The Center should work with the school’s leadership team to identify clear academic goals that can serve as the foundation for the Center’s programs for the year.



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• The Center can be more specific about program targets and the impact they have on academic achievement of students. Though site visits revealed the struggles being faced with the new trend of becoming data‐driven and focused on academic achievement, the Center can build its programs to ensure that these aims and measures are in place from the start. Especially since the Center is an actual department of the school, clear academic aims and impacts should naturally play a large role in all of the Center’s planning and efforts.

Partnerships with organizations Focus efforts already underway

• Programs within the Center should rely on partners even more than presently. The site visits revealed the true extent to which community partnerships can be utilized within the community school. Oftentimes programs were entirely managed through partnerships, whether that was through one lead agency or a collection of various organizations. For one, this allowed for much greater breadth and reach of programs without too much additional staffing or resources coming from the school itself. Moreover, programs were being planned and managed by staff with true expertise in the effort. The Center should look toward partnerships that allow for this more intense level of involvement.

• On the broad level, the Center can support an effort to form larger networks of service providers. Cincinnati provided the exemplary model for creating a network of providers citywide that covered all of the various services provided within a community school. Cleveland and New York were more geared toward the lead agency model in which one organization leads most of the services being provided at a site. Either way, all of the areas revealed a concerted effort of finding the resources that already exist within the community. The Center would benefit greatly from this type of surveying of the options that are available in the community in the various service realms. The Ka Pua initiative of Kamehameha Schools and Ke Ala Hanau Moku effort lead by INPEACE both hold promise in this area, and the Center should continue to support these efforts for its own good and for the benefit of the wider community.


• Partners’ work should be aligned to the goals of the school and approved by the school community. Rather than inviting in anyone with services to offer, the Center should become much more deliberate about the selection of community partners. On one hand, the programs being proposed should align directly with the school’s specific goals, whether those aims are academic, social, emotion, or physical. Moreover, the school community should have authority over the partners that are invited on campus and in evaluating the effectiveness of partners. The LAP seems like the natural mechanism for this oversight role, but other avenues can also be explored.

• The Center’s aims should align directly with school‐wide targets on an annual basis. Cincinnati especially revealed the power of aligning the community school’s work with the schools general goals. The Center should work with the school’s leadership team to identify clear academic goals that can serve as the foundation for the Center’s programs for the year.


• The Center can be more specific about program targets and the impact they have on academic achievement of students.



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Though site visits revealed the struggles being faced with the new trend of becoming data‐driven and focused on academic achievement, the Center can build its programs to ensure that these aims and measures are in place from the start. Especially since the Center is an actual department of the school, clear academic aims and impacts should naturally play a large role in all of the Center’s planning and efforts.

Data‐tracking/ evaluation Focus efforts already underway

• Programs should be clearly supported by evidence (e.g., community input, research, experience, case studies, etc.). The Center can become much more deliberate about the selection of its programs. For every issue faced by students and families, there is a litany of possible programming responses. The Center should make clear why certain program decisions are made, pointing to decisions made within the community itself, research recommendations, prior experience with similar issues, successful case studies, or some other clear evidence.

• The Center can better focus its goals to aim toward specific benchmarks each year. Since Day 1, all programs of the Center have been aligned to the three overarching goals of (1) academic achievement, (2) social and emotional wellness and support, and (3) physical health. While this is a great start, the visits revealed the benefits of selecting more specific benchmarks in each of those categories. This provides an opportunity for the community to take ownership of programs and also allows for a heightened focus on specific needs each year.




• As the Center matures, many areas for programming remain such as health, college readiness, adult education, mentoring, culture, and the environment. While the Center must be very careful about trying to do everything, there are some areas of programming which the Center can naturally explore. Deepening the already formed partnerships with the community health center and local community college can drive more formal health and college readiness efforts. In terms of adult education, mentoring, culture, and the environment, the center can easily tap into strong resources for each that already exist within the community.

Engaging parents, families, and community Focus efforts already underway

• Popular events already occurring on campus should be utilized as opportunities to deepen family engagement. At each site, staff made clear the ongoing struggle of involving parents and families. One of the most powerful lessons was that sometimes efforts just need to meet families where they are in terms of engagement. If large celebrations and student performances are what draw in parents, then build from there. The Center should continue to focus on school‐wide events like May Day, Winter Fest, and Sunset @ Kamaile, and use these as launching points to create more community ownership and engagement.

• The Local Advisory Panel must play a key role in the Center’s Work.



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While all successful community schools exhibited some form of strong family and community engagement and ownership, the exemplary models provided some formal body or program through which these outside groups could involve themselves directly in the work of the school. Kamaile Academy’s charter calls for the establishment of a representative Local Advisory Panel (LAP). This body is in the process of being re‐established, and it is in the Center’s best interest to support the LAP’s work as representative of the broader community.


• The Center should shift its focus from building family and community engagement to creating family and community ownership of programs. The most successful community schools were those in which families and communities were not merely involved and engaged but really felt true ownership over what was happening. This is of course a long‐term goal, but that shift in focus to truly handing over the Center to the community can have a powerful impact on the efforts being made toward that goal.



• New structures can be created to allow for more regular and more substantive involvement of families and partners. The formation of the LAP, mentioned above, will provide a primary link for outsiders to the school and the Center. The site visits, however, revealed the special role that can by played by parents and partners in the operation of the community school. While the Center supports the Kamaile Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), more can be done to engage key parents on campus and give them real ownership of the Center’s programming. In much the same vein, a new structure focused solely on involving community partners can bring them more directly into the Center’s work.

Sustainability/ funding Focus efforts already underway

• The Center should stay true to its mission of following needs and assets rather than chasing after funding. Mostly because funding has yet to become an issue for the Center, all programming to this point has been based upon needs felt or assets that could be built upon within the school community. As funding options are explored, this must remain the focus of the Center rather than manipulating efforts to match the requirements of funding sources.

• The Center should continue its efforts in identifying clear aims of programs and measuring clear impacts of that work. As evidenced through the successes and struggles of the various sites, one real strength of the Center to this point has been our ability to lay out clear aims and set measurable targets for all of our efforts. By maintaining and improving this practice, the Center should be in a good position when it comes time to seek out funding sources.


• The Center should explore ways of adding transparency and ownership over the use of funds.



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In line with the efforts to create true ownership over programs, the Center can explore ways of opening its finances to the school community. While certain limitations will certainly need to stay in place with regards to the expenditure of funds, especially when they are public school funds, making all usage of funds a transparent and inclusive process can go far in promoting broader community ownership of the Center and its work.


• The Center should explore options available for future funding. If one lesson was learned about the finances of community schools, it is that no single source can ever be taken as completely reliable. Whether publicly financed by a district or privately funded by a long‐standing foundation, all funding streams are subject to volatility. The Center currently enjoys a state of sufficient funding from the school itself, but for the sake of sustainability other options should be explored including funding from the district or charter organizations, resources from community partners, and financing from grants or private foundations.



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Nav Center SY2012-2013 Planning Document

Documents

Transcript of Nav Center SY2012-2013 Planning Document