The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 21% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on William P Jarrett Middle School
William P Jarrett Middle School sits on Palolo Avenue in Honolulu, serving grades six through eight as a regular public school within the Hawaii Department of Education, the statewide district that operates all of Hawaii's public schools. The school draws from the broader Honolulu area, a city shaped by its role as Hawaii's capital and the Pacific region's commercial and military hub. Publicly reported sources describe a dense urban environment of high-rises, tourism, and government, with an aging population and ongoing resident exodus to the mainland creating headwinds for the community.
The student body is small for a middle school. A clear majority of students identify as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, with smaller groups identifying as two or more races, Asian, and Hispanic. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the economic pressures many Honolulu families face. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available in the provided materials, so those population sizes remain unclear.
On state assessments using the Smarter Balanced test, the academic picture is mixed. English language arts results are the brighter thread. Proficiency rises meaningfully from sixth grade through eighth grade, with the oldest students showing a majority reaching proficiency. That upward arc across the middle school years suggests students are growing in literacy as they move through the building. Mathematics tells a different story. Proficiency sits in a narrow band across all three grades, with a modest share of students meeting the standard, and no grade breaking out of that pattern. A parent weighing this school may want to look into how math instruction and intervention are structured, and what supports exist for students working below grade level. Eighth-grade science, assessed through the Hawaii Science Assessment aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards, lands in a moderate range, with a comparable share of tested students proficient.
Participation rates on the state tests are consistently high across subjects and grades, which means the proficiency figures reflect nearly the full student body rather than a self-selected subset. No multi-year trend data was available for this school, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability over time.
The provided materials did not include information on course offerings, extracurricular programs, staffing ratios, discipline data, attendance patterns, or Title I status. The school's magnet status and locale classification were also not reported. A family wanting a full picture would want to ask the school directly about these areas.
Honolulu's housing market shapes the context around Jarrett in ways parents feel directly. Home values in the school's zip code are well above the state benchmark and far above national levels, and rents have been climbing at a brisk pace recently. The gap between monthly mortgage costs and rent is wide, and the price-to-income ratio sits at a level that puts ownership out of reach for many families. For renters, housing absorbs a large share of household income. These conditions are part of the broader Honolulu story the locale brief describes: a city balancing tourism-driven economic activity with population decline, climate pressures, and a persistent housing affordability challenge.
No neighbor comparison data was provided for this school, so it is not possible to position Jarrett's academic results or demographics against nearby middle schools using the available materials. The district brief for the Hawaii Department of Education did not surface any specific recent policy changes, curriculum shifts, or facility decisions affecting schools like Jarrett.
What the data does show is a small, community-rooted middle school serving a predominantly Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander student population in a high-cost urban setting, with developing literacy outcomes and a math profile that warrants closer attention.
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