Fifty-four percent of Hawaii’s 2012 public school graduates enrolled in two- and four-year colleges — up from 53 percent the year before.
That amounts to more than 6,200 graduates going on to college, an increase of more than 500 students over the 2011 class. Hawaii’s college-going rate had hovered at about 50 percent for several years prior.
The boost is one of several improvements shown in the state Department of Education’s annual college and career readiness indicators report released Wednesday.
"This new data is very encouraging, and the upward trend in college-going rates is a positive sign for our students and the state’s economic outlook," DOE Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said in a statement. "The improvements on all of the indicators reflect our ongoing statewide reforms and we expect continued improvement over time."
As part of the DOE’s efforts to improve education, the department has set a goal to reach a college-going rate of 71 percent by 2018 — eclipsing the national median of 62 percent — as part of its strategic plan.
DOE spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz said college enrollment rates will be part of a new school accountability system, which still needs approval from the U.S. Department of Education as part of the state’s proposed alternative to requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
"Once approved, that system will use college enrollment data, along with multiple other measures, to monitor school progress and recognize success," Dela Cruz said.
Among other findings, the college and career readiness report said 82 percent of 2012 graduates completed high school on time, up 1 percentage point from the year before.
The number of graduates opting to earn the more rigorous "Step Up" recognition diploma remained steady at 19 percent.
There were upticks in the number of graduates who tested proficient in math and reading on the Hawaii State Assessment. Overall, 67 percent of last year’s seniors were proficient in reading — up from 65 percent — and 49 percent were proficient in math, compared with 45 percent of 2011 graduates.
More students also took Advanced Placement courses, according to the report. About 24 percent of seniors last year took AP exams, an increase of 3 percentage points from the year before and compared with 19 percent in 2010.
But the percentage of students who passed an AP exam with a 3 or better, making them eligible to earn college credit, dipped slightly to 39 percent from 41 percent.
The number of seniors taking the SAT also dropped slightly to 50 percent, but overall reading and math scores for the college entrance exam improved over last year.
About 38 percent of college-going graduates enrolled at a University of Hawaii campus. Of those, 31 percent had to take a remedial English course — down from 34 percent in 2011. Remedial, or developmental courses, are designed to prepare students to complete college-level degree requirements. The percentage of students who had to take remedial math at UH was unchanged at 36 percent.
The annual report was compiled by Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, a nonprofit organization that works to strengthen the "education pipeline" from early childhood through higher education.
"This information is invaluable to the Hawaii P-20 goal of 55 percent of working-age adults having a two- or four-year college degree by 2025," Karen Lee, the nonprofit’s executive director, said in a statement.
Only 41 percent of Hawaii’s working-age adults hold a two- or four-year degree, according to a recent study by Complete College America.
"We are very pleased to see college-going rates and college preparation increase over the past three years," Lee said.
The P-20 initiative — led by the state Executive Office on Early Learning, the DOE and UH system — puts together the report to gauge how well Hawaii public school graduates are prepared for college. It includes school-by-school statistics.
Kalani High School had the highest college-going rate among regular public schools at 81 percent, unchanged from the year prior. At the other end of the scale, only 29 percent of Nanakuli High graduates went on to college last year — a decrease from 33 percent in 2011.
Several schools saw notable year-over-year increases in their rates, the data show.
For example, on Oahu, Kahuku High saw its 2012 college rate jump to 52 percent from 39 percent, while Farrington High’s rate rose by 10 percentage points to 48 percent. King Kekaulike High on Maui improved to 58 percent from 51 percent. Waiakea High on Hawaii island saw its rate increase 4 percentage points to 71 percent, while Kauai High improved to 64 percent from 61 percent in 2011.
———
On the Net:
» View individual school reports at www.p20hawaii.org/CCRI2012
