Hawaiʻi is seeing fewer teen pregnancies and improvements in child mortality rates, but student achievement has yet to fully recover after dipping during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a recent report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. 

The national report ranks states on 16 factors measuring student well-being compared to 2019, the last year of data before the pandemic. From 2019 to 2024, Hawaiʻi saw worse outcomes in seven of the 16 factors, which ranged from teen obesity rates to the number of children living in single-parent households. 

Hawaiʻi ranked 33rd in the nation for education. Like nearly every other state, Hawaiʻi has seen a drop in its overall educational score since the pandemic.  

Fewer 3- and 4-year-olds attended preschool in recent years, even as the state significantly invested in expanding access to early learning programs. Between 2020 and 2024, 44% of young children were enrolled in early learning programs, down from 48% between 2015 and 2019.  

Eighth grade math achievement fell slightly after the pandemic, with 23% of students scoring proficient in math on a national standardized exam in 2024 — down from 28% in 2019.  

Fourth grade reading levels, which also factored into Hawaiʻi’s education score, saw smaller changes. In 2024, 32% of fourth graders scored proficient on a national reading test, slightly below the 34% mark in 2019. 

Even still, Hawaiʻi reported smaller academic losses than other states in the years immediately following the pandemic. Hawai‘i school leaders have recently doubled down on improving student attendance, which they say is key to improving students’ learning. 

While Hawaiʻi’s score for children’s economic well-being improved from 2019 to 2024, it still ranked in the bottom third of states. 

The percentage of Hawaiʻi children living in poverty – 12% – remained stable from 2019 to 2024. But the percentage of children whose parents lack secure employment increased from 24% to 27% in the same time frame. 

Local advocacy groups have warned some families’ financial situations could worsen amid cuts to federal programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. State lawmakers introduced a series of bills this year to support working families by making transportation or school meals free for kids, but many proposals failed to pass.

Hawaiʻi fared better when it came to factors related to family and community, where it was rated 19th out of 50 states. 

The state also received its highest ranking – 15th in the nation – for childhood health outcomes.

“Data Dive” is supported in part by the Will J. Reid Foundation, and Civil Beat’s education reporting is supported by a grant from Chamberlin Family Philanthropy.