"He'eia Elementary, once classified as a ‘school in need of improvement’ under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, has elevated its test scores and its status. After meeting the math, reading and participation standards for the second year in a row, ‘We're finally a school in good standing, unconditional,’ said principal Susan Young.

"This year, 58 percent of students met the proficiency standards for reading and 34 percent met them for math. The scores were an improvement over 2003, when 56.6 percent met the reading standards and 30.2 percent achieved the target in math. The school could not have done it without the commitment of its teachers, Young said.

"What made the difference: The school is now administering an assessment three times a year to test its youngest students' basic literacy skills. The test helps teachers identify kids who need work in specific areas and monitor the progress of each beginning reader. The school also offers after-school tutoring.

"How they did it: The school used the Department of Education's Standards Implementation Design process to develop a plan for meeting the standards."