Study: More Hawaiʻi Public School Students are College & Career Ready

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By Maui Now Staff

Hawaiʻi’s students have made steady, and in some cases, significant improvements in key indicators of college and career readiness, according to the new College and Career Indicators Report released today by Hawaiʻi P-20 Partnerships for Education.

The report included improvements in Hawaiʻi State Assessment reading and math scores, college enrollment and early credit attainment.

State officials with the Department of Education say the results show that Hawaiʻi’s public high school students have shown that the transformative, systemwide changes undertaken by the department in the implementation of its 2011-18 Strategic Plan are paying off.

Highlights of this most recent report as detailed by the DOE include the following:

• Hawaii State Assessment proficiency scores in mathematics increased 11 percentage points to 60% for the Class of 2014 from 49% for the Class of 2012, while reading proficiency rose to 72% from 67%. These gains are reflected in the graduates’ readiness for college-level coursework in both increased enrollment in college-level math and English courses and decreased enrollment in remedial courses at University of Hawaiʻi campuses.
• Five high schools made significant gains of 10 percentage points or more in college enrollment from 2012 to 2014 including the following: Kalaheo High School: 51% to 66% (+15); Waimea High School: 61% to 74% (+13); Waipahu High School: 43% to 53% (+10); Waiʻanae High School: 36% to 46% (+10); and Waialua High School: 49% to 59% (+10).
• Students enrolled in dual-credit courses (earning college credits while in high school) increased to 879 students (8% of the Class of 2014) from 671 students (6% of the Class of 2012), with significant gains made in dual-credit participants at Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School and Waiʻanae High School.

“The progress reflected in this year’s report is a real tribute to the continued hard work and dedication of our students, educators and administrators,” said Hawaiʻi Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi in a press release statement.

“The graduating class of 2014 was the freshman class when Hawaiʻi first implemented Race to the Top reforms, so this CCRI report is significant in that it shows the positive impact of the reform efforts. There have been significant challenges in making these changes, but the resiliency and dedication of teachers, education leaders and everyone in our schools and communities to focus on what is best for students have allowed us to overcome the challenges, and move the needle on student success. We’re setting high expectations with the Hawaiʻi Common Core and the new Smarter Balanced assessments so that students are ready to succeed once they graduate from high school, whether they choose to go to college or to begin an entry-level career.”