LIHUE — In a special edition of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation 2015 Leaders and Laggards report series, Hawaii is profiled as one of top states that have made continuous gains. The report, titled “Laggards to Leaders: How Three
LIHUE — In a special edition of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation 2015 Leaders and Laggards report series, Hawaii is profiled as one of top states that have made continuous gains.
The report, titled “Laggards to Leaders: How Three States, Found Their Way Forward,” addresses how the Hawaii State Department of Education overcame adversity to manage and sustain improvement.
“We want to congratulate the Department of Education and its leadership for the positive recognition in this national report,” said Sherry Menor-McNamara, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii president and CEO. “Our public school system plays a vital role in our community.”
The chamber has supported various public/private partnerships with the HIDOE and other organizations that help students understand the importance of education and learning.
The report, released last week, shows Hawaii as ranking second among states with the highest aggregate gains on the National Assessment of Educational Progress between 2005 and 2013.
According to the report, there are a variety of factors contributing to this increase. However, it is not the typical policy driven change seen in other states. The report credits the HIDOE’s ability to collaborate, foster relationships with the community and apply ongoing pressure to strive higher for its increase in NAEP scores.
Since 2007, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has issued its Leaders and Laggards report to shed light on how schools progress in K-12 and higher education measures.
“We remain committed to continuing the growth in our school communities and appreciate the chamber’s recognition and support of Hawaii’s public schools, our students and teachers,” said Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi.
