HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii public school students made gains across grade levels in reading and math test scores, the state Department of Education said.
Reading and math proficiency jumped 5 percentage points statewide, according to 2012 Hawaii State Assessment data released Tuesday. Seventy-one percent of students earned proficient reading scores, compared with 66 percent last year. Math proficiency was 59 percent, compared with 54 percent in 2011.
The assessment results determine whether schools are making “adequate yearly progress” toward the No Child Left Behind federal mandate that every student be proficient by 2014. More than half, or 53 percent, of Hawaii’s schools failed to meet that benchmark during the 2011-12 school year. But that’s an improvement from 59 percent last year.
More than 96,000 students took the assessment from Oct. 17, 2011, through May 18, 2012, in grades 3-8 and 10.
The results continue to show improvement over the years. Reading proficiency went from 41 percent in 2003 and 60 percent in 2007, while math increased from 20 percent in 2003 and 39 percent in 2007. They also mirror performance in last year’s National Assessment of Educational Progress, where Hawaii stood out as the only state that improved fourth- and eighth-graders’ reading and math scores from two years prior.
“This really steady now increase in scores … really validate for us we’re on the right trajectory,” said Deputy Superintendent Ronn Nozoe. “What we really need to do is continue that trajectory and continue that growth. We need to keep in mind there’s always room for improvement.”
Gov. Neil Abercrombie noted the gains helped 17 more schools achieve adequate yearly progress, compared to last year.
“We asked for the opportunity to demonstrate what could be done,” he said. “These scores provide an excellent snapshot of the positive results taking place in the classroom.”
Hawaii is one of the states that will apply for a No Child Left Behind waiver to get some flexibility from the law’s stringent requirements.
Currently, in order to meet adequate yearly progress, schools must meet more than two dozen targets, but No Child Left Behind has drawn criticism that it’s a one-size-fits-all approach to defining student success.
The U.S. Department of Education began granting waivers in exchange for promises from states to improve how they prepare and evaluate students and their teachers.
Hawaii will submit its application in September, Nozoe said. “We want to focus our efforts on student growth over time in order to get to attainment, versus an all-or-nothing rating system,” he said.
Meanwhile, 51 percent of Hawaii schools were unable to attain all targets for two consecutive years. Nozoe said about 20 percent of those schools missed the benchmark by one or two targets.
Under the law, schools that don’t meet requirements for two years or longer face increasingly tough consequences, including allowing children to transfer to higher-performing schools, offering tutoring and replacing staff.
Fifty-three percent not meeting adequate yearly progress “doesn’t tell the whole picture,” Nozoe said. “A couple of cells can be down to one or two or five kids.” However, 15 schools have moved from sanctions into “good standing,” according to the state data.
Nozoe is hopeful the results will be seen in Washington, D.C. Federal education officials have put Hawaii on “high-risk” status for failing to carry out education reforms it promised in return for a $75 million grant from the federal government.
“I think it’s a nice body of data to say Hawaii is moving in the right direction,” he said.
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the results were an encouraging sign that “Hawaii is focused on efforts to support classroom instruction and student learning.”
He commended Hawaii officials and teachers for moving forward with “Race to the Top” education reforms despite setbacks and challenges.
“Their continued commitment to do what is best for students and staff will be critical to putting in place progressive reforms through Race to the Top,” Duncan said in a statement emailed to media by Hawaii’s Department of Education.
