Department of Education Unveils New, Improved Website

The state Department of Education has unveiled a new website aimed at improving communication between educators and the public.

HawaiiPublicSchools.org cost $1.7 million and was nearly a year in the making, the department said.

The overhaul of the DOE website is designed to better serve parents, students, teachers, staff and the public at large, the department said, and was one of the key elements in the Board of Education’s 2011-21018 Strategic Plan.

“We made a dedicated effort to ensure parents and students could easily access information and increase transparency of our reporting systems,” said Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. “In today’s technological world, we strive to better communicate the excellence and transformation occurring in our public school system. Our new website also allows for a stronger connection with our communities.”

The DOE said the website covers everything from educational initiatives and reform, to school-level data and college- and career-readiness efforts. It also has information on programs supporting student life and health and opportunities for the community to contribute to public education.

Equipped with multimedia elements such as videos and photo galleries, the website includes a Success Stories section showcasing achievements of schools, students, staff, partners and volunteers. A redesigned Employment section is available for those interested in joining the 25,000-strong department.

The latest versions of Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox and Safari, are recommended when accessing the website. Older and out-of-date browsers may face difficulties in displaying multimedia, the DOE said.

The website was developed with funding from the federal Race to the Top program.