Middle school and high school students posted steady gains in math and reading in this year's Hawaii State Assessment, while elementary school students made little to no improvement, according to testing under No Child Left Behind.

Nearly a month following the release of preliminary NCLB test results, the state Department of Education yesterday released a school-by-school breakdown of the latest round of standardized testing.

The biggest improvement in literacy scores was posted by sixth-grade students, with 65 percent proficient in reading at their grade level, compared to 57 percent last year. Seventh-grade students posted the largest improvement in math, with 47 percent proficient, compared with only 40 percent last year.

Also significant was that reading scores at the 10th-grade level — the only high school grade tested under NCLB — increased to 73 percent, up from 67 percent last year.

"Our secondary schools are making good gains, in both core subjects," said Cara Tanimura, director of the state Department of Education's Systems Accountability Office.

The progress being made on the secondary level may have a lot to do with those cohorts of students being the first to have had the NCLB standards-based education since its inception in 2002, she said.

"They've been getting the standards-based education, and the basics, in the elementary grades and it's reflected as they get older," Tanimura said.

Despite steady gains statewide in math and reading test scores, the number of schools that made their "adequate yearly progress" goals decreased to a record low since testing began.

This year marked the second year of increases in the number of schools failing to meet the federal goals for adequate progress.

Only 34 percent of schools — 97 campuses — made AYP, compared with 42 percent a year ago.

That means 187 schools missed the benchmarks to prevent them from potentially slipping further into sanctions under NCLB.

About 65 percent of public school students are proficient in reading. That compares with 39 percent when testing began in 2002.

Likewise, 44 percent of students demonstrated proficiency in math, compared with 19 percent in 2002.

Education officials also say NCLB's "all or nothing" approach is preventing schools from reaching their AYP goals. NCLB requires that each significant subgroup of students meet the set targets. There are a total of 37 subgroups that students are categorized in — from specific ethnicities to various income levels, from English-language learners to special-needs students.

This year, 87 schools missed AYP by either one or two subgroups of students.

For instance, at Niu Valley Middle School, special education students did not make their AYP goals in math and reading even though all other students were able to reach or exceed the set targets.

This year, the goals were set at 58 percent for reading and 46 percent for math. However, at Niu Valley, only 15 percent of special education students were proficient in reading and 11 percent were proficient in math.

"Our strategy will need to change," said Justin Mew, principal of Niu Valley.

Mew said the school has been reviewing the individual student results and identifying those pupils who are on the edge of being proficient and need just a little more help.

Tanimura said, "AYP is one indicator of a school. I don't want people judging a school based solely on whether or not they made AYP. It's not fair to the school and it's not fair to the students. You have to look at school climate, the teachers, the family involvement. There are a whole lot of things to look at."