Hawaiʻi Department of Education data show student performance rates dropped during the first full school year of the pandemic. The DOE released its latest Strive HI Performance reportat the Board of Education meeting last week.
Math proficiency fell the most, down 11 percentage points from 43% in 2019 to 32% in 2021. Science proficiency dropped 9 percentage points from 44% in 2019 to 35% in 2021. English language arts proficiency also dropped from 54% in 2019 to 50% in 2021.
About 77% of eighth-graders are reading at or above their grade level — up 6 percentage points from 2019.
The graduation rate increased for the third year in a row, with 86% of students graduating.
However, the number of students attending college dipped 5 percentage points, from 55% in 2020 to 50% in 2021.
The U.S. Department of Education did not require statewide assessments during the 2019-2020 school year because of the pandemic, so the most recent results are compared to 2019 figures.
The federal education department also waived the 95% testing participation rate requirement for the latest school year. Only 85% of Hawaiʻi students participated.
"Even though this year’s results are not as comprehensive due to the lower participation rates, the data are still very informative for our schools, complex areas, administrators and teachers,” Interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a statement.
“We know the pandemic has had and continues to have a major impact on student learning. On average 88% of students were learning in blended or virtual learning environments last school year when these performance results were captured. While there are some bright spots, the overall results emphasize the importance of having students back in the classroom for in-person learning and will help inform our plans for targeted supports and resources,” Hayashi said.
