More public school students are college and career ready

College and Career Indicators Report shows significant improvements in key metrics for Hawaii's public schools, including higher reading and math achievement, college enrollment and early credit attainment.

News Release from Hawaii DoE, 23-Mar-2015

HONOLULU – Hawaii's public high school students have shown that the transformative, systemwide changes undertaken by the Hawaii State Department of Education (DOE) in the implementation of its 2011-18 Strategic Plan are paying off.

​The College and Career Indicators Report​ (CCRI) released today by Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education shows Hawaii's students have made steady, and in some cases, significant improvements in key indicators of college and career readiness, including Hawaii State Assessment reading and mathematics scores, college enrollment and early credit attainment.​

The CCRI report provides a detailed look at the accomplishments of Class of 2014 students in high schools statewide and provides a measurement of their readiness for college and career. Highlights of this most recent report include:

• Hawaii State Assessment (HSA) proficiency scores in mathematics increased 11 percentage points to 60 percent for the Class of 2014 from 49 percent for the Class of 2012, while reading proficiency rose to 72 percent from 67 percent. 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 Hawaii (UH) campuses.

• Five high schools made significant gains of 10 percentage points or more in college enrollment from 2012 to 2014:
  • Kalaheo High School:       51% to 66% (+15)
  • Waimea High School:      61% to 74% (+13)
  • Waipahu High School:     43% to 53% (+10)
  • Waianae High School:      36% to 46% (+10)
  • 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 percent of the Class of 2014) from 671 students (6 percent of the Class of 2012), with significant gains made in dual-credit participants at these schools:
  • Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School:  from 17 participants in 2012 (3 percent of graduates) to 49 participants in 2014 (10 percent of graduates)
  • Waianae High School:  from 4 participants in 2012 (1 percent of graduates) to 56 participants in 2014 (15 percent of graduates)

"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," stated Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. "The graduating class of 2014 was the freshman class when Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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."

Data from the CCRI provides information on the annual progress made by each graduating class.  ​

"This year's report is especially exciting as we see the incredible gains that each school, and the DOE as a whole, have made across several different metrics. It is a testament not only to the hard work of the DOE educators and students, but also to the strong partnership with the 10 UH campuses as DOE and UH align expectations and outcomes for students," said Karen Lee, Executive Director of Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education. "This report shows that we are making progress toward achieving Hawaii's education goal of "55 by '25" – to have 55 percent of Hawaii's working age adults hold a 2- or 4-year college degree by the year 2025."

The DOE also recently received across-the-board ratings of "meets expectations" for its Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Monitoring Report. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, "The progress that Hawaii has made in its educational transformation is incredible. Much credit goes to the state's educators and school leaders for showing tremendous courage and doing the hard work to improve outcomes for all students." Duncan also noted, "Hawaii is a model for the rest of the country. I congratulate the state for its accomplishments and hope the state continues its leadership in improving outcomes for all students."

CCRI reports are an annual collaboration between the DOE and the University of Hawaii, coordinated by Hawai'i P-20 Partnerships for Education, to present information on how well Hawaii public school graduates are prepared for college.

Hawaii's CCRI reports are continuously recognized by national organizations, including the Education Sector, the Data Quality Campaign, Achieve, and the National Governors Association, as a leading example of collaboration between K-12 and higher education and for providing useful information on college readiness. The full reports can be found at: LINK.

About Hawaii P-20

Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, a statewide partnership led by the Executive Office on Early Learning, the Hawaii State Department of Education and the University of Hawaii System, works to strengthen the education pipeline from early childhood through higher education so that all students achieve college and career success. Hawaii P-20's partners share a sense of urgency about the need to improve Hawaii's educational outcomes in an increasingly global economy, and have established a goal of 55% of Hawaii's working age adults having a 2- or 4-year college degree by 2025. For more information, visit http://www.p20hawaii.org​.

About the Hawaii State Department of Education

The Hawaii State Department of Education is among the largest U.S. school districts and the only statewide educational system in the country. It is comprised of 255 schools and 34 charter schools, and serves more than 180,000 students. King Kamehameha III established Hawaii's public school system in 1840. The DOE is in the midst of a range of historic efforts to transform its public education system to ensure graduates succeed in college or careers.

​​An Expectation of College​ Learn about our initiatives and track our progress as we prepare students for success beyond high school.

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