Hawaii students see math, reading proficiency decline in national exam

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The percentage of Hawaii fourth and eighth graders proficient in math and reading declined in 2015, scores released Tuesday show.

Hawaii's scores slipped in both grades and both subjects on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which is administered every two years to a representative sample of students in each state.

The Hawaii declines follow a national trend.

State officials note, however, that over the last decade Hawaii has made significant gains on the test, known as the "nation's report card."

"NAEP is one of the many measures we look at to assess progress," schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi, in a news release.

"This single test score provides important information but does not tell the whole story about our state's education progress."

Nationally, average fourth- and eight-grade math scores and the average eight-grade reading score declined from 2013, the last time the test was administered.

In Hawaii, 38 percent of fourth-graders were proficient in math, down from 46 percent in 2013 and 40 percent in 2011.

Some 29 percent of fourth graders were proficient in reading, from 30 percent in 2013 and 27 percent in 2011.

Hawaii eighth graders also saw their scores drop.

Some 30 percent were proficient in math, the same percentage as in 2011. The figure is down from 32 percent in 2013.

Just 26 percent were proficient in reading, from 28 percent in 2013 and 26 percent in 2011.

Hawaii's average scale scores in both grades and both subjects were below national averages.

NAEP rates student achievement on four levels: below basic, basic, proficient and advanced.

About 2,300 students each in grades 4 and 8 represented Hawaii in the 2015 NAEP exam, representing 18 percent of students statewide in the tested grades.