Hawaii Public Schools Reached Academic Milestones
Statewide student proficiency in core subjects and attendance rates neared pre-pandemic levels in 2025-26.
Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Hawaii public schools recorded significant academic gains during the 2025-26 school year, with student proficiency in language arts and math nearing pre-pandemic levels. Officials also reported that regular student attendance improved for the fourth consecutive year.
Why it matters
Improving proficiency and attendance metrics suggest that state-level instructional initiatives are effectively stabilizing student outcomes. These results provide a necessary baseline as the state works toward ambitious performance targets set for 2029.
Statewide language arts proficiency reached 53.2% in 2025-26, while math proficiency hit 42.5% and science proficiency reached 44%. Regular student attendance reached 76.8% during the same period, marking four years of consistent growth.
The players
Hawaii State Department of Education
This government entity oversees the administration and development of public education programs across the state.
Board of Education
This board serves as the primary policy-making body for the public school system in the state.
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
This organization provides a common assessment system used by multiple states to evaluate student academic progress.
The details
The Hawaii State Department of Education utilized the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium to measure these outcomes. Educators focused on high-quality curricula, targeted coaching, and professional development to bolster classroom performance.
Timeline
Math proficiency was 38.5% and attendance was 66.1% during the 2021-22 school year.
The 2025-26 school year results reflect current proficiency and attendance levels.
Education officials reported these performance metrics to the Board of Education in October 2026.
The state board established 2029 as the deadline for achieving higher proficiency targets.
Culture Shift
This progress aligns with the state's ongoing implementation of the Strive HI performance system, which standardizes school evaluation across the islands. The current figures represent a notable advancement in restoring academic stability within the state's public education infrastructure.
Parents and students may see a continued focus on standardized curriculum and professional development as schools push to meet the 2029 goals. The upward trend in attendance suggests more consistent classroom availability for students across the state.
The takeaway
The state's consistent improvement in both attendance and core subject proficiency highlights the success of long-term instructional strategies. These gains set the stage for continued growth as the system targets even higher proficiency levels by 2029.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in Secondary Education in Hawaii.
More information
Review the State Snapshot of Strive HI indicators for detailed metrics on school performance.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Hawaiinewsnow.
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