Posted on: Thursday, August 2, 2001
Hawai'i math scores improve, but falls below average
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The nation's fourth- and eighth-grade students have made slow, steady progress in math over the past decade, but only one in four has moved beyond the basics, a national test found.
Students were graded on their skills in measurement, geometry, statistics and algebra. Some questions were multiple choice; in others, students had to formulate their own responses.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the nation's report card, said 25 percent of fourth-graders in public school performed at or above proficient level in 2000. In 1992, 17 percent did.
Eighth-graders' performance increased as well, rising to 26 percent from 20 percent in 1992.
The figures in both grades rose about one point when private-school students' scores were added.
Hawai'i fourth-graders improved slightly over pervious test years, but their average score of 216 still lagged behind the national average of 226. Their average score in 1996 was 215, a point higher than it was in 1992. In achievement levels, 55 percent of the Hawai'i students were at or above basic level, compared to 67 percent nationwide.
Similarly, the average scores for Hawai'i eighth-graders also improved slightly, from 262 in 1996 to 263 in the current test. This still left them behind the national average of 274, however. By achievement level, 52 percent of Hawai'i eighth-graders were at or above basic level proficiency compared to 65 percent nationwide.
"Hawai'i's NAEP math results are a wake-up call that serious work is needed to raise the academic performance to greater levels," said Hawai'i public schools Superintendent Paul LeMahieu. "Our performance standards in math provide the expectation of higher achievement, coupled with the belief that all students can, and must, achieve those standards. Students in Hawai'i have done relatively well on other math assessments in the past, and have the ability to improve these scores as well."
American students have consistently performed worse in math than their counterparts in Asia and elsewhere, and U.S. education officials have searched for ways to close what it calls an unacceptable gap.
"States and districts around the country have paid closer attention to math instruction than reading over the past decade, and these results give us reason to believe that we're on the right track," Education Secretary Rod Paige said today. "Yet they also make it clear that we have more work to do to make sure our children have enough math skills to lead their communities and expand our economy throughout the 21st century."
Students judged proficient are those who show solid
academic performance on challenging problems, are able to think them through and apply their knowledge to word problems.
Students working at the basic level have only partially mastered material and skills needed for math work at their grade levels.
The assessment test is administered every four years to more than 113,000 students.
