The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in English language arts. The lowest is 43% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Prince David Kawananakoa Middle School
Prince David Kawananakoa Middle School sits in urban Honolulu, serving grades six through eight as a regular public school within the Hawaii Department of Education. It is not a charter or magnet school. The campus sits on Funchal Street, in a city that functions as Hawaii's capital and its center of business, government, and tourism.
In state testing, the school shows a clear pattern: English language arts results run well ahead of mathematics. Across all three grade levels, a majority of students reached proficiency in ELA on the Smarter Balanced Assessment, with sixth graders posting the strongest results and seventh graders the lowest, though still in the upper range. Science, tested only in eighth grade under the Hawaii Science Assessment aligned to NGSS standards, landed in a range similar to ELA. Mathematics was the softer area, with fewer than half of students reaching proficiency at each grade level. Participation was near-universal across every subject and grade. Average scale scores were not available, so there is no additional achievement detail beyond the proficiency rates. A parent weighing this school may want to ask how the school supports students who are approaching but not yet meeting math benchmarks.
Only one year of assessment data is available, so there is no trend to describe. The data does not tell us whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability over time.
The student body is predominantly Asian, with a large Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander contingent and a meaningful share of students identifying as two or more races or Hispanic. A little over half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Information on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not reported, so we cannot describe those populations or the services they receive. A family whose child receives special education or English language support should contact the school directly to understand what is available.
Honolulu itself shapes the school's context. Publicly reported sources describe the city as a hub for military defense, tourism, state government, and finance. Waikiki draws millions of visitors annually, downtown is the state's financial and commercial center, and Ala Moana Center anchors retail. The city has an aging and declining population, with residents leaving for the mainland, and housing affordability is a persistent concern. Honolulu is also developing its Skyline rail system, a major infrastructure project. Street life and walkability concentrate in the downtown, Waikiki, and Ala Moana areas. The school sits within this urban core, where high-rise density and civic landmarks define the surroundings.
Housing in the school's zip code is expensive relative to national norms, with typical home values well above the national benchmark and rents that take a substantial share of household income. Compared to state-level figures, home values in this area run lower than Hawaii's statewide average, which itself sits far above the national mark. Renting is meaningfully less expensive month-to-month than carrying a mortgage here, though both require a high share of income. Families considering a move to this attendance area should weigh housing costs carefully.
Several data gaps are worth naming. The school's Title I status was not reported. No information on course offerings, staffing ratios, attendance patterns, or discipline was available. Program details such as advanced coursework, arts, or athletic offerings were not provided. There is no neighbor comparison or civil rights data to contextualize the school against nearby middle schools. The Hawaii Department of Education district brief returned no specific policy, curriculum, or budget changes of recent note.
What the available picture does show is a mid-sized urban middle school where literacy outcomes are a relative strength and math is the area needing the most attention, situated in a dense, expensive, culturally rich city navigating population decline and housing pressures. Families who want to understand the full picture should ask the school about math intervention, special education and English learner services, and the elective and extracurricular options that the data did not capture.
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