Hawai'i 4th-graders improve in writing
By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer
The writing skills of Hawai'i fourth-graders approach the national average, while the state's eighth-graders rank among the nation's poorest writers, according to an assessment that shows most American public school students can't effectively write essays, communicate information or compose arguments.
On the 2002 National Assessment of Educational Progress, considered an authoritative test for writing proficiency, Hawai'i fourth-graders scored a 149 average, compared with a national average of 153 on a 300-point scale.
The fourth-grade scores were the highest ever NAEP results for Hawai'i students in any year in any subject, said Robert Hillier, NAEP coordinator at the Department of Education. "We're guardedly optimistic," he said.
Eighth-grade writers had an average score of 138, compared with a national average of 152.
"In writing we are seeing performance that places us closer to the middle of the states and progress at many levels," Superintendent Pat Hamamoto said. "Scores are still lower than we'd like, but they are improving and Hawai'i's public school students are moving forward."
In the fourth grade, 83 percent or more scored at least at the basic level, which means they could get their point across with at least some effectiveness. Twenty-two percent of the total scored at proficient levels and 1 percent at the advanced level.
About three-fourths of eighth-graders scored at least at the basic level. Eighteen percent scored at proficient levels and 1 percent at the advanced level.
Hawai'i's average fourth-grade scores were higher than or statistically equivalent to 25 of the 47 other states and jurisdictions that participated in the test.
But its eighth-graders fell below nearly all other jurisdictions tested. Of 46 states and jurisdictions, Hawai'i's average score was on par with three states (Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico) and above four jurisdictions (American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam and the Virgin Islands).
The eighth-grade average scores did improve by three points since they last took the test in 1998.
This was the first time fourth graders had been tested in writing.
"Although eighth-grade scores are not as high as those in Grade 4, we are encouraged that 74 percent of eighth-graders are scoring at or above basic in writing," Hamamoto said.
NAEP tests public school students only; about 16 percent of Hawai'i students in kindergarten through Grade 12 are enrolled in private school, compared with about 11 percent nationally, according to Census Bureau statistics.
Students were given a range of assignments, from writing a letter to a newspaper editor to composing a tale about a character with superhuman ability. The sophistication of the questions grew by grade, as did the expectations of the assessors, who watched for content, organization, sentence structure, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Nationally, results showed that fourth- and eighth-graders have become better writers but that fewer 12th-grade students can convey well-organized ideas. State-by-state data is not available for high school seniors; NAEP only tests them to find a national average.
Even the signs of improvement must be considered in context: Most students still can't provide coherent answers with clear language, supporting details, accurate punctuation and creative thinking.
Students tested are given two 25-minute writing tasks designed for their grade level.
Hillier said one way to improve the scores of eighth-graders might be to have students write under deadline pressure more often.
"In our writing we try to stress a good final product, good drafting and revising and writing groups. ... there needs to be a little bit of focus on writing under pressure," he said.
NAEP, often called the Nation's Report Card, is the only federally financed ongoing assessment of student achievement on a national scale.
The federal No Child Left Behind legislation, passed in 2001, requires states who receive federal money for high poverty schools to participate in NAEP in reading and mathematics at Grades 4 and 8 every two years. Participation in writing remains voluntary, but Hawai'i has participated in all NAEP state assessments since they started in 1990.
The NAEP reading scores, released last month, showed that Hawai'i students remain among the least proficient readers in the country, although test scores are improving and indicate the state is making some progress in closing that achievement gap.
Math scores from the 2002 test will be released in the fall.
NAEP does not provide individual scores for the students or schools assessed. Instead, it gives statewide and national results about subject-matter achievement, instructional experiences and school environment for fourth- and eighth-graders.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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