Hawaii schools near pre-pandemic proficiency in language arts and math

News admin October 10, 2026 0 Comments

Hawaii schools near pre-pandemic proficiency in language arts and math

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaiʻi’s public schools are approaching pre-pandemic proficiency levels in language arts and math, while regular attendance continues to improve, state officials said.

The data is from the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education’s 2025-26 Strive HI results.

Statewide language arts proficiency was 53.2%, compared with 54.1% before the pandemic. Math proficiency rose for the fourth consecutive year, reaching 42.5%, compared with 43.1% before the pandemic.

Key year-over-year results include:

The department said Hawaiʻi is one of 12 members of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, which administers common language arts and math assessments to measure students’ critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills as they progress toward college and career readiness.

HIDOE said Hawaiʻi had the second-highest language arts proficiency rate and third-highest math proficiency rate among states with 2025-26 data. Hawaiʻi and Idaho were the only two consortium members within one percentage point of their pre-pandemic proficiency levels in both subjects.

Education officials told Board of Education members Thursday that proficiency will need to increase faster over the next three years to meet the board’s 2029 targets of 65% in language arts and 50% in math.

Superintendent Keith Hayashi said the state’s progress toward pre-pandemic proficiency levels is encouraging and reflects the efforts of students, educators and school communities.

“At a time when schools across the nation and around the world continue to face challenges in student achievement, Hawaii’s progress toward pre-pandemic proficiency levels is encouraging and reflects the hard work of our students, educators and school communities,” Hayashi said. “But returning to where we were before the pandemic is not our ultimate goal. We need to build on that progress and accelerate learning so that more of our students are meeting academic expectations and are prepared for success beyond high school.”

As the department shifts from recovery to acceleration, statewide instructional priorities in language arts, math and special education include high-quality curricula, targeted coaching and professional development, and earlier identification and support for students who need additional help.

HIDOE recognized several schools for their work, including Waiakea High, Waimea High, and Mililani ike elementary.

School-level reports are posted on the ARCH database. View the 2025-26 State Snapshot of Strive HI indicators. Learn more about the Strive HI performance system.