Hawai'i Educational Research Association. Revealing Variation in the Performance of Hawai'i's Asian Pacific Islander Subgroups on the English Language Arts Smarter Balanced Assessment: Implications for Policy and Practice

• In Event: The Consortium of State and Regional Educational Research Associations: Distinguished Paper Session 4

Abstract

In this paper, we report accurate estimates of the achievement gap patterns on the English Language Arts Smarter Balanced Assessment between different subgroups of students in Hawaii. We employed a multilevel framework to examine the reading achievement gaps between White students and their peers comprising the traditional Asian Pacific Islander (API) subgroup: Asian, Filipino, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander. The results indicate the need for reporting disaggregated performance of the subgroups that make up the API group. We discuss the potential implications of these findings, argue the need for collaborative partnerships, and offer recommendations for improving student achievement and closing achievement gaps.

Authors

• Hugh H. Dunn, University of Hawaii

• Malkeet Singh, Wake County Public School System

• April M. Burke, Central Michigan University