Hawaii

The purpose of this document is to capture state-by-state information of policy and guidelines related to the science of reading / evidence-based reading instruction to be presented on The Reading League Compass, a website of reliable and reputable guidance and resources for targeted stakeholder groups.

Updated 2025

Local control?

Yes, Hawaii State Department of Education is a single SEA and LEA. Schools have control over the curriculum that they would like to use based on their unique needs in their school communities.

Has your state passed legislation and/or non-legislated rule changes related to the science of reading?

The Department of Education will be offering all K-5 educators the opportunity to take the 28 hour structured literacy course offered by Cox Campus. This training will be required for any schools awarded CLSD Grant funding, but it is open to all educators in the state. Grant-funded schools will be receiving funding to compensate teachers for their time.  Grant funded secondary schools will be taking Ohioʻs Literacy on Demand course for secondary teachers. This is also open to all educators across the state. 

The HIDOE also has developed Literacy Levers to guide literacy instruction across the state.

CLSD Grant Application for complex areas.

Does your state have an approved curriculum list?

The Department of Education currently requires all schools to implement High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) and the recently adopted revised English Language Arts standards aligned to the science of reading.  HQIM are selected from a list of programs compiled by the Department.  A compiled list of HQIM school selections is available on the Department’s Learning Design Resource site.

Was evidence-aligned reading instruction a consideration for the curriculum review?

Relied on Ed Reports All green.

Please describe any other instructional-materials work related to the science of reading with links, where applicable

Please see we have linked the Reading League Guide as part of our Instructional materials process.

Does your state mandate or provide guidance on early screening?

Currently all schools are required to assess students using a Universal Screener three times per year.  A universal screener workgroup is currently meeting to make a selection of several reviewed and approved Dyslexia Sensitive Universal Screeners. This work will be completed school year 2025-2026.

This is one of Hawaii’s Literacy Levers.

Please describe any other assessment work related to the science of reading with links, where applicable

Currently, all schools are required to assess students using a Universal Screener three times per year.  A universal screener workgroup is currently meeting to make a selection of several reviewed and approved Dyslexia Sensitive Universal Screeners. This work will be completed school year 2025-2026.

The HIDOE also has a Diagnostic Assessment One-Pager and provide training on the assessment cycle.

Does your state have policy or guidance related to MTSS that incorporates information on the science of reading and/or evidence-based literacy practices?

The HIDOE has an HMTSS guidance manual. HMTSS Resource Guide

The state was awarded the 2024-2029 CLSD grant.  All grant schools are required to attend PD on MTSS-R. The HIDOE partnered with NCIL to develop the MTSS-R professional development series, which is 16 hours. Participants learn about the components of MTSS-R and complete the RTF-I for elementary or secondary to identify action items for their school. They will complete the RTF-I annually. The PD is open to all schools across the state.

Does your state have policy or guidance related to instruction and/or professional development?

The state is offering the 28-hour Cox Campus PK-5 Structured Literacy Course to all teachers. It is required for all schools and principals receiving CLSD grant funding. The state is also  offering the Cox Campus Preschool/PreK Language and Literacy Course to all preschool teachers across the state. It is required for all schools receiving B-5 CLSD grant funds.

Does your state have state-developed guidance documents or training courses related to the science of reading?

The state released a request for proposal to review courses aligned to Multi-tiered Systems of Support for Reading and used criteria aligned to the science of reading to provide all schools with a pre-vetted list of courses.

Please describe any grant work that names the science of reading and/or evidence-aligned instruction including links, where applicable

Hawaiʻi was awarded the 2024-2029 Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant.

Has your state reviewed standards for alignment to the science of reading?

The HIDOE revised our standards so that they align with the science of reading.  The Hawaiʻi Common Core Standards for English Language Arts were approved in April 2024 and have been implemented at the start of SY 2025-2026. Training resources and guidance have been provided through a website.

Please describe any other standards work related to the science of reading with links, where applicable

Statewide training was provided on the standards, and recorded sessions are share on the standards website. The state has also created and disseminated infographics that share the major changes to the standards and the relationship to the science of reading.

Does your state have guidance or resources for families related to the science of reading?

Not state guidance – complex areas have provided some guidance.

Do you have policy or guidance regarding how to leverage evidence-based practices to support secondary students?

Hawaii has a state literacy plan.

Does your state have licensure or program approval criteria to ensure Educator Preparation Programs are aligned to the science of reading?

No

Do you have a “contact us” website that we can share publicly on TRL Compass?

Please describe and link to any other work you would like to share that relates to the science of reading

The Hawaiʻi Department of Education partnered with the National Center on Improving Literacy to develop a training series on MTSS-R.  The state offered the professional development series in the winter/spring of 2025 and will be offering it again in the winter/spring of 2026.  During this 8 part series, participants learn about the components of MTSS-R and complete the Reading Tiered Fidelity Inventory to create a school action plan.  

The Office of Curriculum and Instructional Design (OCID) is offering professional development for all literacy coaches, based on the ExcelinEd coaching modules using funds from the 2024-2029 CLSD Grant.  The training is open to all coaches, not just those at schools receiving grant funding. OCID is offering the coaching academy again next year, as well as a year 2 of the current coaching academy. All complex area and state leads also attended a train-the-trainer session led by the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) and funded with support from the Harold L. Castle Foundation.

A professional learning network (PLN) composed of complex area and state leads will start in October. FCRR trainers will facilitate the network meetings.  This PLN will focus on how to effectively coach and support school-level literacy coaches.

Literacy coaching is one of Hawaiʻi’s Literacy Levers.

Use the interactive state map to find descriptions of state-level policy adoption, guidance, and practices related to the science of reading. State policy may include legislation incorporating training or practices related to the science of reading or state education agency guidance regarding policy, professional development, curricula, instruction, or assessment.

Filter by specific topic area(s) to find state-specific work: 

The Reading League expresses gratitude to our collaborators and associates within the state education agencies for sharing their state-specific data. This data will undergo semi-annual updates, contingent upon the availability and resources of the respective state agencies. For any inquiries, clarifications, or updates, please reach out to compass@thereadingleague.org.