Hawaii fourth graders exceed national average in classroom assessment
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii’s public school fourth graders have made notable progress in the classroom according to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress.
The report showed that Hawaii was one of only 15 states to make a statistically significant improvement in fourth grade math scores.
This means Hawaii students surpassed the national average by 2 points for a second consecutive NAEP assessment.
“The upward trend in Hawaii’s fourth grade math scores is an encouraging sign of resilience and instructional effectiveness,” said Hawaii’s Department of Education superintendent Keith Hayashi.
About 7,200 Hawaii public school students from 140 schools participated in the assessment.
The report, also known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” showed that Hawaii students maintained a steady performance in three additional tested areas; fourth and eighth grade reading, and eighth grade math.
On the national level, the average scores for those three tested areas declined.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the percentage of Hawaii students scoring at or above proficient and advanced levels increased by 5% from 2022.
In 2003, Hawaii fourth graders ranked among the bottom 10 states in reading. Over the last 20 years, they’ve surpassed the national average and secured a top 10 spot.
“Given the national context, where most states saw little or no improvement, Hawaii’s ability to sustain and even surpass pre-pandemic performance levels is particularly significant. While we celebrate these gains, we remain focused on further elevating student outcomes across all grade levels,” Hayashi said.
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