Hawai'i's eighth-grade writing test scores have improved, but continue to lag behind the national average, according test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress released today.

Hawai'i's eighth-grade average scale score was 144, compared with the national average of 154. Hawai'i's score was up six points from 2002 — the last time the NAEP was administered — while the nation only increased two points.

Only about 20 percent of Hawai'i's eighth-grade students are "proficient" or "advanced" at reading, compared with 31 percent nationally, according to the results.

About 61 percent demonstrated "basic" writing skills on the NAEP, compared with 57 percent nationally.

At 19 percent, Hawai'i had the second-highest number of students at the "below basic" writing level.

The 2007 NAEP writing assessment was administered in more than 7,640 schools between January and March 2007. Approximately 140,000 grade 8 students participated.

For grade 8, the writing assessment was completed in 45 states plus Department of Defense schools (all but Alaska, Maryland, Nebraska, South Dakota and Oregon).