The High School Educational Specifications are built around an organizational and instructional model centered on Academies, each composed of Learning Communities aligned to elective pathways. The framework assumes a total school population of approximately 1,600 students, which reflects the upper range of the Board of Education’s design enrollment guidelines for high schools.

High schools have evolved from a traditional Departmental structure (where instructional spaces were grouped by standardized subject areas and students progressed through grade‑level cohorts) to an Academy structure. In the Academy model, smaller learning communities are organized around themes or career pathways, integrating academic content with applied learning. These Academies move beyond grade‑level groupings by drawing from the state’s 13 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways, as well as pathways leading to honors distinctions, STEM achievements, and the Seal of Biliteracy.

Because Academies are not required, high schools may adopt different forms of Learning Communities to achieve personalization and focus:

Freshman Academies: Designed to support 9th‑grade students as they transition into high school.

Academies: A three‑ or four‑year structure organized around a career theme or Career Cluster, with coursework and credit requirements aligned to the Hawaiʻi high school diploma. Schools retain autonomy in defining Academy groupings and names.

Pathway‑Based Smaller Learning Communities: Typically organized around a specific curricular pathway from the 13 CTE Pathways or other Programs of Study and electives that contribute to graduation requirements, such as JROTC, PE, Honors, STEM, World Languages, and Fine Arts.

This model supports the Board of Education’s Vision of the Hawaiʻi Public School Graduate (Policy 105‑2), which describes graduates as lifelong learners who are globally competitive and locally committed. The Academy structure reinforces this vision by creating more personalized, relevant, and connected learning experiences.