Supt's Corner
 This fall has been a whirlwind
of announcements regarding the
progress of our schools.
Strive HI: Our third year of
performance system results
showed schools are maintaining
recent gains across indicators. We
intend to give special attention to
the achievement gap.
Smarter Balanced
Assessments: In this first year
with SBA, many students met
the more rigorous achievement
standard — 48 percent in English
Language Arts/Literacy, 41
percent in mathematics. We will
have a basis for comparison with
the 2016 administration of SBA,
but we did
well compared
with other states
taking it, and had a strong
participation rate (97 percent).
National Assessment of
Educational Progress: The
2015 results showed a national
decline in scores in reading and
mathematics. Hawaii followed
the same pattern. This exam
provides important data for a
national comparison, but does
not tell the whole story about our
state’s education progress. Our
10-year growth track continues
to outpace the national average.
We are getting a lot of data
from our assessments, but there is
valid concern over the quantity of
tests and the time spent prepping
students. Teaching and learning is
our primary mission. Assessments
play a role in guiding that effort,
but must be in balance.
Last school year, the
Department reviewed all of the
assessments required by the
state. Deputy Stephen Schatz and
I listened to concerns from the
field and held discussions with
the Hawaii State Teachers
Association. As a result, we
eliminated mandatory testing for
five exams. We are seeking an
additional reduction with the
U.S. Department of Education. (Learn more.) In July, I sent a letter to the
SBA Consortium expressing
concern about the time required
to complete the assessment. We
will reiterate that call at a
meeting of state superintendents
next month. President Obama
recently addressed testing as
well. Learn more and leave your
feedback: bit.ly/WhiteHouseTAP.
We are committed to keep the
conversation moving in a
direction that supports schools
and ensures student success.
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