Press Release
February 11, 2025
Contact: Sam Stockwell
samuel_stockwell@gse.harvard.edu
617.495.0342
Hawaii Ranked 4th Among States in Math Recovery and 2nd in Reading Between 2019 and 2024
Students remain 13% of a grade level below 2019 levels in both math and reading.
Chronic absenteeism has risen sharply in Hawaii from 14% of students in 2019 to 34% in 2022, significantly slowing recovery efforts in some districts.
(February 11, 2025) In its third year of reporting on the pace of academic recovery measures in districts nationwide, the Education Recovery Scorecard (a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University and The Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University) is issuing its annual report on district-level student growth in math and reading.
The latest report also provides the first high resolution picture of where Hawaii students’ academic recovery stood in Spring 2024, just before federal relief dollars expired in September. While the National Assessment of Educational Progress described changes in average achievement by state, we combine those scores with district scores on state assessments to describe the change in local communities throughout Hawaii. Here’s what we found:
- Hawaii ranked 4th among states in terms of recovery in math and 2nd in reading between 2019 and 2024.
- Students in Hawaii remain 13 percent of a grade level below 2019 levels in both math and reading (.13 grade level equivalents). In other words, the loss in achievement in Hawaii is equivalent to 13 percent of the progress students typically make annually between grades 4 through grade 8.
- Nationally, 85 percent of students are in districts below 2019 levels in math, with only 15 percent above. Similarly, 89 percent of students are in districts below 2019 levels in reading, with only 11 percent above.
- A sharp rise in chronic absenteeism (students missing more than 10 percent of a school year) from 14 percent of students in 2019 before the pandemic to 34 percent in 2022 (back down to 25 percent in 2024) is slowing the recovery in Hawaii.
- Hawaii received $639 million in federal pandemic relief for K-12 schools—or roughly $3,500 per student—which is slightly less than the national average of $3,700 per student.) Nationally, our analysis suggests that the dollars did contribute to the academic recovery, especially when targeted at academic catch-up efforts such as summer learning and tutoring.
The federal pandemic relief dollars may be gone, but the pandemic’s impact lingers in many Hawaii schools. Even without federal relief dollars, states could be targeting continuing federal Title I dollars and state dollars to implement interventions which have been shown effective, such as tutoring and summer learning. State leaders, mayors, employers and other community leaders should join schools to redouble efforts on the shared challenge of reducing student absenteeism.
“Lowering absenteeism generates tremendous bang-for-the-buck. Regular attendance benefits the student as well as her classmates. And taxpayers are paying for the seat whether it’s occupied or not.”
For the national press release and findings click here.
About the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University
The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, seeks to transform education through quality research and evidence. CEPR and its partners believe all students will learn and thrive when education leaders make decisions using facts and findings, rather than untested assumptions. Learn more at cepr.harvard.edu.
Contact: Sam Stockwell, samuel_stockwell@gse.harvard.edu, (617) 495-0342