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In a special edition of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation 2015 Leaders and Laggards report series, Hawaiʻi is profiled as one of top states in achieving continuous gains. The report, titled Laggards to Leaders: How Three States Found Their Way Forward, shows Hawaiʻi as ranking second among states with the highest aggregate gains on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) between 2005-2013.

The report credits the Hawaiʻi Department of Education’s ability to collaborate, foster relationships with the community and apply ongoing pressure to strive higher for its increase in NAEP scores. The report also highlights the work of Hawaiʻi P-20 Partnerships for Education, a statewide partnership led by the Executive Office on Early Learning, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education and the University of Hawaiʻi System.

“Perhaps Hawaiʻi’s signature collaboration is the Hawaiʻi P–20 Partnerships for Education,” according to the report. It says the organization runs innovative programs, helps agencies share data, and convenes stakeholders to develop goals and strategies.

Hawaiʻi P-20 is a division at the UH System that works to strengthen the education pipeline from early childhood through higher education so that all students achieve college and career success. It is advised by a council comprised of education, business, labor and government leaders.
The report says, “…in Hawaiʻi, P–20 is not about meaningless mottos that don’t amount to positive change, but about day-to-day efforts on the ground to support effective transitions and alignment.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has issued its Leaders and Laggards report since 2007 to shed light on how schools progress in K–12 and higher education measures including student success, use of funding and data management, and factors leading to change and success.

For more, download the full report (PDF)

Twenty students from Waiakea, Hilo, Farrington and Kaimuki High School visit the Bay Area as part of GEAR UP Hawaiʻi Summer College Tour.
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