Results show Marshall Islands students still struggling

9:15 am on 16 October 2015

Most elementary school subject areas tested in the Marshall Islands have shown a decline or stayed the same over the past year.

The Marshall Islands Standard Achievement Test results were released by the Public School System yesterday.

The tests involved students in the third, sixth and eighth grades around the Marshall Islands.

The Education Minister Hilda Heine had last year called for schools to aim for a five percent annual improvement.

Third graders showed academic advancement in mathematics and science, but also a significant drop in Marshallese reading ability.

English reading results remained the same from the previous year but the best result was in science, but still only 34 percent of the students were deemed proficient.

Only one in five third grade students is proficient in English.

The eighth grade results are used as an entrance test for the five public high schools in the country but their overall results declined after two years of improvement.