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Writer's pictureHawaiʻi State Senate

Annual Strive HI performance update shows positive college and career readiness trends


​The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) shared its 2018-19 Strive HI Performance System results today during a Board of Education (BOE) meeting. The results show promising gains in college and career readiness among public school students. Career & Technical Education (CTE) completers are up 8 percentage points and 500 more students graduated from high school on time, as compared with school year 2017-18.

“We have well-coordinated, effective strategies to ensure that students have improved access to college and career readiness and success, and our measurements in this area show the positive results of these efforts,” said Superintendent Dr. Christina M. Kishimoto. “We have work that we need to continue to deliver on through our school design efforts to ensure equity of access to highly engaging, rigorous school models that will lead to the acceleration of results for all students.”

Schools that showed the highest year-over-year percentage point increase in CTE completers and graduation rate improvement include:

CTE Completer Increase (top five public schools, excluding charter schools) Percentage of 12th graders who completed a CTE program of study.

Aiea High (2018: 46%; 2019: 76%)Kohala High (2018: 34%; 2019: 60%)Baldwin High (2018: 33%; 2019: 57%)Farrington High (2018: 45%; 2019: 67%)Waianae High (2018: 60%; 2019: 81%)

Graduation Rate Increase (top five public schools, excluding charter schools)Kohala High (2018: 75%; 2019: 89%)Kalaheo High (2018: 82%; 2019: 94%)Kailua High (2018: 80%; 2019: 90%)Waimea High (2018: 80%; 2019: 90%)Lahainaluna High (2018: 73%; 2019: 82%)

Strive HI results on statewide assessments remained constant over the prior year, with a slight decrease in Language Arts/Literacy and science scores.  The data also showed third grade English Language Arts (ELA)/Literacy performance gains — an increase of 2 percentage points from the year prior.  Performance gains were stable for ELA/Literacy in grades 4, 5 and 7, and for math in grades 3, 4, 5 and 7.

The state also saw gains in inclusion rates, increasing 3 percentage points from last year. 

HIDOE's statewide assessments are:

ELA and math: Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) and Hawaii State Assessment-Alternate (HSA-ALT) in grades 3-8 and 11.

Science: For school year 2018-19, science performance, which is assessed at grades 4 and 8 and once in high school, was based on a bridge test as HIDOE schools transition to the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The first administration of a full NGSS assessment will happen this school year, which will be the baseline year for future benchmarking. Science scores for 2017 and 2018 are derived from the Hawaii State Assessment (HSA) (grades 4 and 8) and HSA-ALT in science (grades 4, 8, and 11), and the Biology End of Course Exam; these assess understanding of Hawaii Content & Performance Standards III.

For school year 2018-19, Hawaiian immersion students were tested in Language Arts and math in grades 3-8 and in grades 4 and 8 for science using the Kaiapuni Assessment of Educational Outcomes (KĀ'EO).  In previous years, Hawaiian immersion students were tested in Language Arts and math in grades 3 and 4 and in grade 4 for science.

Language Arts/Literacy (SBA, HSA-ALT & KĀʻEO)

(2017: 51%; 2018: 55%; 2019: 54%)


Mathematics (SBA, HSA-ALT & KĀʻEO) (2017: 43%; 2018: 43%; 2019: 43%) Science (HSA, HSA-ALT & KĀʻEO) (2017: 46%; 2018: 46%; 2019: 44%) 


Strive HI was launched in school year 2012-13 as the state's locally designed performance system that was a waiver from the 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; school climate; and graduation rates.

The system was modified in 2017 to address the federal requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the revised HIDOE/BOE Strategic Plan. The law replaces both NCLB and the state's waiver. ESSA requires full implementation, including the provisions related to school accountability, this school year.

Click here to view the 2018-19 State Snapshot of Strive HI indicators. For more information about the Strive HI performance system, click here.


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