The Hawai'i Department of Education will honor five high schools this evening at a reception celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Title IX Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act.

Farrington, Ka'u, Moloka'i, Waimea and Waialua high schools will be recognized with a plaque and congratulatory congressional and legislative messages during the event set to begin at 5 p.m. at Farrington High, 1564 N. King St.

Guest speaker Marilyn Moniz-Kahoohanohano, University of Hawai'i's senior woman administrator and associate athletics director, will deliver an address on how Title IX affected her life and transformed athletics in Hawai'i and across the nation.

HAWAI'I CHILDREN RATINGS IMPROVE

A report released yesterday ranks Hawai'i 11th among all states according to its latest state-by-state comparison of the well-being of America's children, an improvement from last year's ranking of 21st.

The 2007 KIDS COUNT Data Book, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, also lists Hawai'i in the top 10 nationally in four of 10 measures of child well-being, including a No. 1 ranking in the nation for the lowest rates of high school dropouts and teen deaths.

Overall, since 2000 Hawai'i has improved on six of the 10 measures, has setbacks on three measures and saw no change on one measure.

Of the six indicators of child well-being that Hawai'i has made significant progress on since 2000, Hawai'i ranks No. 1 nationwide for its teen death rate. Hawai'i has the lowest death rate of teens, ages 15-19, at 40 deaths per 100,000 teens. Nationally, the teen death rate is 66 deaths per 100,000 teens.

Hawai'i also ranks best in the nation for its high school dropout rate. The percentage of Hawai'i teens ages 16-19 who are high school dropouts improved by 40 percent from 2000 to 2005, dropping from 5 percent to 3 percent. The national dropout rate also improved from 2000 to 2005, falling from 11 percent to 7 percent.

Similarly and on another measure, the percent of Hawai'i teens, ages 16-19, who were not attending school or working significantly decreased from 2000 to 2005. In 2000, 10 percent of Hawai'i's teens were neither in school nor working; this rate dropped to 8 percent by 2005, a 20 percent improvement.

FAMILIES URGED TO PICK UP BUS PASSES

Hawai'i Department of Education officials are encouraging families in need of a bus pass to complete necessary paperwork before school opens for the 2007-08 year.

Even students who are entitled to free bus passes are required to apply for a bus pass and show it to their bus driver every morning and afternoon, officials said.

Last week, only about half the number of students who rode the school bus last school year had applied to ride the bus for the new school year, according to a DOE news release.

Bus passes cost $31.50 per academic quarter or $119.70 for the full year.