Nearly a month following the release of preliminary No Child Left Behind testing results, the state Department of Education this morning released a school-by-school breakdown of the latest round of standardized testing.

This year marked the second year of dramatic increases in the number of schools failing to meet the federal goals, known as “adequate yearly progress.” Only 34 percent of schools — or 97 campuses — made AYP this year compared with 42 percent a year ago.
That means a total of 187 schools — or 66 percent — missed the benchmarks required to prevent them from potentially slipping further into sanctions under NCLB. It's the largest number of schools to miss their targets since testing began in 2002.
Even while the number of schools making their AYP goals decreased this year, actual scores on the Hawaii State Assessment show steady gains in statewide math and reading test scores, especially among middle and high school students.
About 65 percent of public school students are proficient in reading. That compares with 39 percent when testing began in 2002. Likewise, 44 percent of students demonstrated proficiency in math, compared with 19 percent in 2002.
Education officials also say NCLB's "all or nothing" approach is preventing schools from reaching their AYP goals. NCLB requires that each significant subgroup of students meet the set targets. There are a total of 37 subgroups that students are categorized in — from specific ethnicities, to various income levels, to English-language learners to special-needs students.
This year, 87 schools missed AYP by either one or two subgroups of students.
To view school-by-school results from the 2009 Hawaii State Assessment, visit the state Department of Education’s Web site at http://doe.k12.hi.us/.