DOE report: Despite improved test scores, many students still falling behind

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A new report shows how Hawaii public school students fared last year as they returned to full in-person learning after the COVID lockdowns.

State school leaders released their annual performance report for the 2021-2022 school year. It showed that while test scores improved overall, many students are still falling behind.

In pre-pandemic 2019, data shows that 54% of students were deemed proficient. Then in 2021, it fell to 50%. The number then rose to 52% last year.

There’s no data for 2020 because COVID canceled the statewide tests.

In math, 43% of students were proficient in 2019. That plummeted to 32% in 2021 and rose to 38% last year — which is still low.

For science, the numbers are similar: 44%, then down to 35% and then up again to 40%.

The report found that chronic absenteeism was also a major concern last year, with 37% of student missing 15 or more days.

State officials said that was mainly due to COVID quarantines and isolations. But, the bus driver shortage and the Navy’s fuel leaks also played a role.

Meanwhile, a new national report reveals ACT college admission test scores fell to their lowest point in more than 30 years.

The average score for this year’s high school graduates was 19.8 out of 36.

This is the first time that the score fell below 20 since 1991.

To read more on the Hawaii Department of Education report, click here.

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