Fourteen of the startup charter schools in the State of Hawai'i are Hawaiian-focused, providing an education grounded in culturally relevant content and context. This study centers on outcomes in these Hawaiian-focused charter schools, which have demonstrated their value to the community, serving the educational needs of an increasing number of Native Hawaiian children that enroll each year. Despite their increasingly deep roots within the community and their growing recognition among educators, many of these schools have struggled to meet their federally-mandated goals and face the threat of state intervention and federal sanctions under provisions of NCLB. The rigid performance measurement system established under NCLB holds all schools to the same standard and accepts no justifications for failure to meet that standard. The hard-earned accomplishments of Hawaiian-focused charter schools are important and deserve recognition as schools stretch to support all students to achieve proficiency and positive educational outcomes. Critical to the engagement of Native Hawaiian students is the confidence that comes with cultural relevance and knowing who they are and where they come from as Hawaiian children in today's global society.