Room for improvement on test scores

In a lineup of 10 states, Hawaii’s public-school students, grades 3 through 8, rank in the middle among peers on the 2019 Smarter Balanced Assessment. But that’s not a comfortable position, given that Hawaii’s rates for English and math proficiency were 53% and 44%, respectively.

Let’s hope for a better showing on the best cross- country comparison of academic performance, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, aka “the Nation’s Report Card.” Administered every other year, and given to a random statistical sample of students in grades 4 and 8, the latest results are expected to be released soon.

Kahn inspires online learners

It’s easy to see why Salman Khan, the entrepreneur who founded the free online tutorial system Khan Academy, inspires people wherever he goes to speak — and recently a Hawaii audience greeted him with enthusiasm. That’s because the videos on myriad school subjects, first launched on YouTube, have a global reach but still bridge learning gaps on an individual basis for many students.

Some might be surprised to know that many learners are well past school age — though Khan surely knows that, too.