A child's chance for success in Hawai'i is better than in half of the nation's states, according to a new analysis that also rates the state's public education system as the weakest link in the preschool-to-work force continuum.

But a spokesman for the state Department of Education questioned some of the survey's key findings as well as some of the numbers it uses.

In offering its young people the chance at a successful future, Hawai'i ranks 25th among the 50 states in this latest "Quality Counts 2007" analysis released today by Education Week. Virginia scores at the top, while New Mexico ranks at the bottom.

"We find that a child's life prospects depend greatly on where he or she lives," said Christopher B. Swanson, director of the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, which produces Education Week.

Hawai'i ranks above the national average in virtually every one of the indicators except school-age achievement. That includes family income, parental employment and attainment of college degrees.

But in the key educational years of kindergarten through 12th grade, the state takes a beating — scoring 47th among the 50 states in student achievement.

In the years from elementary through high school, student achievement falls below the national average in every category, and well below in the percentage of students proficient in elementary reading and middle school math. The report uses Hawai'i student scores from the National Assessment of Education Progress — also known as "the nation's report card" — to make its evaluation.

FIGURES DISPUTED

While DOE spokesman Greg Knudsen agrees the Hawai'i scores "need to improve," he disputed some of the data used in the study. He said some of the figures analyzing the schools are wrong, specifically the high school graduation rate and kindergarten enrollment.

Knudsen said Hawai'i's public school graduation rate is almost 17 percentage points higher than the 63.7 percent the survey cited.

"We track students, so we know which students actually graduate with a diploma, and our figures are closer to 80 percent," Knudsen said. "We have a more accurate tracking system than most of the states."

Knudsen said the Quality Counts figures don't take into consideration students who leave the system before graduation, including military students.

The survey said just 71.5 percent of the state's eligible children are enrolled in kindergarten, compared with the national average of 75.3 percent, and Knudsen also questioned those figures, noting this year's class of about 13,000 students is just slightly less than the approximately 13,500 enrollment in first grade.

He also noted the state has made junior kindergarten available to all children whose birthdays fall too late to enroll in regular kindergarten.

Knudsen also questioned the survey's evaluation methods, asking whether graduation from high school in four years is truly the only yardstick to measure success in that area.

"Some students take four years and summer school, or five years to graduate, and go on to lead productive lives," he said.

ECONOMICS HAS ROLE

In looking at the data overall, state Rep. Roy Takumi, chairman of the House Education Committee, said it speaks to the importance of fully supporting the state's public education system.

"Do we provide enough resources for an adequate education in our public schools?" Takumi asked. "I believe the answer to that is 'no.' "

Takumi also believes that the biggest factor in school performance is economics.

"Study after study has shown that it's poverty that has the greatest influence on the ability for children to succeed in school," he said.

Even if the state family income average exceeds the national average, Takumi said, that could be providing a false picture of our community.

"For instance, if Bill Gates moves next door, all of a sudden the average income goes through the roof," he said. "I know there are more children today getting free and reduced lunch than two or three years ago, despite the real estate boom. So I have no doubt that perhaps the average household income has gone up, but obviously the economy is not equal to everybody."

Takumi believes that changes such as a redistribution of highly qualified teachers to the most struggling schools and those with the most disadvantaged students could help bring scores up. To that end he hopes to introduce legislation offering financial incentives to nationally certified teachers who move to struggling schools.

"The schools that are in wealthier neighborhoods have a higher percentage of highly qualified teachers," Takumi said. "And those in depressed communities have a lower percentage. If that was reversed, I believe the poorer schools would do better."

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com.