The Department of Education plans to provide an additional $308,000 to Hawai'i elementary schools to help them implement new standards-based report cards that have been criticized by the teachers union.

Individual schools could receive anywhere from about $900 to around $2,300, with a handful receiving more than $3,000.

The department will present a breakdown based on the size of each school at a Board of Education meeting tomorrow.

The additional money, for extra supplies and secretarial help, could be distributed by Friday. It is expected to last through the rest of the school year to help support schools in photocopying cards to save teachers from making numerous copies.

The money comes on top of the cost of developing the cards, which were five years in design and testing.

But DOE spokesman Greg Knudsen said it's difficult to know how the additional money compares to the cost of developing the new report cards because those costs are not readily available. Knudsen said development of the report cards has been part of the overall development of standards-based education training.

"The workshops and work groups have been meeting since the year 2000, so it's been ongoing," Knudsen said.

The Hawai'i State Teachers Association is meeting with Superintendent Pat Hamamoto to discuss how the report cards can be altered in response to criticism that they're not clear, lack precise definitions, are too bulky and take too long to prepare.

"We shared the concerns and all the problems teachers have shared and she is working on it," said HSTA President Roger Takabayashi of Hamamoto. "Our issue is to get it fixed and working."

Knudsen said the department has acknowledged "the paper was not according to specifications."

"Adjustments have been made to make amends for that ... and the next set will be corrected," he said.

Robert Widhalm, acting educational specialist for standards-based grading and reporting, said it's likely the same cards will be used for the remainder of this year. He said it would be far more work for teachers to change now during this reporting year, rather than using the same forms to add grades and comments for the remaining three quarters.

"We're definitely willing to work with HSTA to minimize the problems and make improvements for next year and years to come," Widhalm said.

However, the Board of Education could take alternative action at its meeting tomorrow, in response to HSTA concerns.

Takabayashi said the teachers are not opposed to a standards-based report card, but many don't like the prototype developed and piloted by 10 schools. The union said it has had about 500 complaints from teachers.

Complaints include vague definitions of the new letter grades, the time to complete each card, inadequate training to help teachers understand the new cards, as well as how difficult it will be for students to transfer to schools not using the cards. Some parents wonder how the new grading system corresponds to the old A's, B's and C's and how it will translate into grade-point averages in secondary school.

The new cards use measures based on gaining understanding of the material, including:

ME — meets with excellence.

MP — meets proficiency.

N — approaching proficiency.

U — well below proficiency.

NA — not applicable at this time.

Already the department plans to invite representatives from the HSTA and Hawai'i Government Employees Union to participate in the development of a standards-based report card for secondary schools.

"The secondary (report card) is not looking like the elementary," Widhalm said.

Plans call for it to be piloted in the 2006-07 school year.

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com.