After a rigorous three-year accreditation process, Niu Valley Middle School and Kaiser High School are on the brink of becoming Hawai'i's newest campuses to offer International Baccalaureate programs, an elite college preparatory curriculum focused on global citizenship.

An IB accreditation team is expected to visit both campuses this fall. If approved, Niu Valley and Kaiser would become the first public schools in Hawai'i to collaboratively offer the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. Niu Valley is a feeder school to Kaiser.

In addition, Kaiser High would become the second public school in Hawai'i to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, a curriculum tailored for 11th- and 12th-grade students.

So far, Campbell High School is Hawai'i's only public school school offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Mid-Pacific Institute, a private school, is the only other school in the state offering IB curriculum.

The International Baccalaureate program is known worldwide as a way to help students compete in a global society, helping them understand and appreciate diverse cultures. Students are encouraged to become "transdisciplinary" through exposure to rigorous coursework in math, sciences, humanities, arts, foreign language and literature, all tied together with an emphasis on globalism.

Kaiser High School principal John Sosa said the school's effort to implement IB began as a way to push for even higher expectations and rigor from a school already known for its stellar academic achievement.

Principals at Kaiser and Niu Valley say they want their schools to remain as viable education options in a community where many families often turn to private schools.

"To me, good is not enough. We are exceptionally fortunate to have the raw product delivered to our door in the form of our students," Sosa said. "There isn't any reason that we can't raise the bar and provide something for our student that they can't get anywhere else — private or public school in this state."

By collaborating, Niu Valley Middle and Kaiser High will implement an International Baccalaureate curriculum that spans from sixth to 12th grade.

One of the unique aspects of IB education in middle school years is a requirement for students to learn foreign languages. Under the IB Middle Years Programme, which encompasses grades six to 10, Niu Valley and Kaiser teachers will work together in teaching a curriculum that seeks to mold students into bilingual scholars — students will be required to learn Mandarin or Japanese. The middle school curriculum also requires students to do a major original research project.

In addition to the Middle Years Programme, Kaiser High is also seeking approval to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, a rigorous college preparatory curriculum.

Students who complete an IB diploma in high school can often receive up to a full year of college credit at several university systems across the country, including the University of California system, Sosa said.

Like its sister school, Niu Valley has typically scored well on the state's standardized test. However, principal Justin Mew said the school sought to implement IB as a way to remain a valid educational choice for families in Hawai'i Kai and Niu Valley who "have other options," he said.

"In our community in East Honolulu ... one option is to go to a private school. If parents don't see value in what we're doing, they'll take their marbles and go somewhere else," Mew said.

Unlike the IB Diploma Programme, where students self-select to be involved in rigorous college preparatory classes, Mew said the Middle Years Programme will be available to all Niu Valley students.

Mew said the overall goal is to eventually make the Kaiser complex of schools — from the elementary to high school level — known for IB curriculum. Haha'ione Elementary is on track to become an IB candidate school next year, he said.

"Imagine foreign language started in kindergarten. Once a child reaches my school, they'd have five years worth," Mew said. "Just with languages alone, these students will be very proficient."