The American Samoa Department of Education is developing a strategic plan to raise the level of student achievement and teacher development.
The Department's statistics show that in the past four school years, between 70 and 80 percent of students have been performing below basic levels in reading and mathematics.
The director of education, Vaitinasa Dr Salu Hunkin-Finau, says the territory has not seen significant improvements in students' reading and maths skills for 30 years.
"And we have spent millions on text books and millions in educating our students. And still when we test them on these national tests to compare them with their counterparts, they do not do well."
Dr Salu Hunkin-Finau says part of the problem is the curriculum is not being tailored for students whose first language is not English, and she says the instructional language should be Samoan.
