Sinking test scores show pandemic impact on Hawaii students
KHON: … The toll that more than a year of pandemic disruption has taken on Hawaii’s public school students is sobering: a record 26% change for the worse in math proficiency, 20% down in science, and 7% for language arts. These are the results of StriveHI scores based on tests taken earlier this year and just revealed in agendas for an upcoming Board of Education monthly meeting….
But in documents and memos to the board, DOE officials say: “Over the next few years, we will get a better sense of the ‘recovery rate,’ and how long it will take to return to 2019 levels.”
The scores show that may be a bigger challenge for certain groups, with Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students, Micronesians and the homeless seeing the biggest drops in scores. There are red flags in all of the data. Test participation plummeted. More than one in five kids simply opted out, leaving a participation rate at only 78% statewide….
There was a spike in chronic absenteeism — up 20% among all students but a whopping 77% for Micronesians, 72% for English learners, 55% for Pacific Islanders….
Only 33% of students in language arts and 25% in math scored at or above grade level….
Another 34% are one grade level behind and the remaining 32% are two or more grade levels behind in language arts. In math, nearly 43% screened one grade level behind, and one third are two or more grade levels behind….
Among “pandemic-related considerations” the DOE plans to emphasize to the board at this Thursday’s meeting are the following, excerpted from the DOE’s presentation slides:
- Decrease in language arts, math, and science scores
- The 2021 result of 26 percent of English learners having ‘Met” Growth-To-Target has decreased from prior years
- For HSA-Alt and KAEO students’ growth for language arts and math coincidentally were the same within each of the assessments at 51% and 48% respectively
- Both 3rd and 8th grade literacy increased from 2019. Third grade as a one point increase to 76% while 8th grade presented a notable 7 point increase to 77%
- Drop in 9th grade promotions, from 93% to 85%
- Steady annual increase in students completing a Career and Technical Education program
- The 2020 cohort graduation rate increased by 1 percentage point for the third straight year in a row
- The college-going rate decreased by 5 percentage points from 2020 where it remained stable at 55% since 2017
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DoE: 2020-21 STRIVE HI PERFORMANCE DATA REFLECT NATIONAL TRENDS OF PANDEMIC IMPACTS TO STUDENT LEARNING
News Release from Hawaii DoE, Oct 21, 2021
The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) shared its 2020-21 Strive HI Performance System results at today’s Board of Education (BOE) General Business Meeting. The data reflect downward trends in academic performance seen across the nation due to impacts from the pandemic.
For the 2020-21 school year that ended in May, the U.S. Department of Education offered states a waiver from certain accountability requirements, which included the waiving of the 95% participation rate requirement, acknowledging that all states would have difficulty administering tests due to the large proportion of students in blended or full distance learning environments.
A penalty is typically applied to proficiency results for all tested-grade students and subgroups if the 95% participation rate is not met. For the 2020-21 school year, 85% of students statewide tested in language arts and math, which is within the threshold for allowing decision-making using test-derived results.
“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.
“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.
Key 2020-21 Strive HI findings
- Overall statewide academic proficiency in English language arts, math and science decreased:
- Language arts proficiency decreased 4 percentage points to 50% in 2021 from 54% in 2019.
- Math proficiency decreased 11 percentage points to 32% in 2021 from 43% in 2019.
- Science proficiency decreased 9 percentage points to 35% in 2021 from 44% in 2019.
- Third-grade literacy (reading near/at or above grade level) increased by 1 percentage point to 76% in 2021 from 75% in 2019.
- Eighth-grade literacy (reading near, at or above grade level) increased by 6 percentage points to 77% in 2021 from 71% in 2019.
- Ninth-grade promotions decreased to 85% in 2021 from 93% in 2020.
- Career and Technical Education (CTE) program completion increased to 61% in 2021 from 58% in 2020.
- Graduation rate increased for the third-straight year, to 86% in 2020 from 85% in 2019.
- College-going rate decreased by 5 percentage points, dropping to 50% in 2021 from 55% in 2020.
For the 2019-20 school year, the U.S. Department of Education offered states the option to waive required statewide assessments. As a result, comparisons of 2020-21 proficiency and other test-derived results such as growth, achievement gap and literacy rates are gauged against 2018-19 results.
Utilizing both Strive HI and universal screener data, schools will be making instructional decisions for academic intervention and acceleration which may include small-group instruction, intervention blocks, tutoring, out-of-school-time programs (after school, weekends, intersessions or summer), academic coaching, personalized activities, specialized services and other supports. Schools are also looking at behavioral and social-emotional needs of students to strategize necessary support for students in those areas.
“We are fully committed to bridging any gaps in student academic performance,” Hayashi added. “We already have learning loss mitigation plans in place and stand ready to do what it takes to ensure our students get back on track and succeed.”
Strive HI was launched in the 2012-13 school year as the state’s locally designed school improvement and accountability system that offered flexibility from the former federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. It includes multiple measures of school performance including proficiency in science, math and Language arts/literacy; achievement gaps; chronic absenteeism; academic growth; and graduation rates. The system was modified in 2017 to align with the revised HIDOE/BOE Strategic Plan and reauthorization of federal education law under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Click here to view the 2020-21 State Snapshot of Strive HI indicators. For more information about the Strive HI performance system, see here.
2020-21 StriveHI test results can be seen here.
Fall 2021 “universal screener” results can be seen here.