60% of Hawaii Schools Not Meeting Fed Standards

July 17, 2008 06:21 PM

School test results show 60% of Hawaii schools are not meeting the requirements set by the "no child left behind" program. Now about a third of all public schools face state control. Those numbers are way up from last year, and school officials say it's because of higher benchmarks, meaning the federal government is now requiring more students to be proficient in math and reading. The board of education released the preliminary numbers Thursday. They show 113 schools or 40% did meet all their targets, specifically reading and math, while 170 schools or 60% did not meet all their targets. Castle High School's principal knows they missed some of their marks last year. he says it's especially difficult when the objectives are getting higher and higher. "I think if you look at where we are heading and you look at test scores across the state, the ideal is 100% in every category. No school has met 100% in all categories, so eventually, possibly all schools will be under some kind of status," said Meredith Maeda. Schools should get the breakdown of their scores soon. Schools that didn't meet their targets have until July 30 to file an appeal. On the flip side, 27 schools improved to good standing status this year.     Related Story: School Progress Report; DOE Preliminary Results

Last Updated ( July 17, 2008 06:21 PM )