Hawaii's public school students in every grade increased their scores in both reading and math in the 2012 Hawaii State Assessment, according to data released Tuesday by the Hawaii State Department of Education.

The gain helped 17 more DOE schools achieve Adequate Year Progress, or AYP, under the No Child Left Behind law, compared to last year.

"The remarkable growth in reading and math proficiency for all grade levels is a direct reflection of the hard work of our educators and students," said Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi.  "Our plan to create systemic change is working. Increasingly, more students in more schools across the state are on the path toward college and career readiness."

"Today we stop to celebrate our students’ impressive achievement – but our work to ensure all children succeed only accelerates," said Matayoshi.

Here's a look at some of the highlights:

The number of students proficient in reading and math this year increased by about 6,000 in each subject, compared to the previous year.
The statewide jump in reading and math proficiency was educationally significant at 5 percentage points.
A total of 15 schools improved to "Good Standing" status under NCLB.

This year’s positive results follow an upward trend that has seen DOE students’ reading and math proficiency rise steadily in recent years.

They also mirror students’ performance in the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress, validating the strength and rigor of Hawaii’s standards.

Hawaii stood out as the only state in the nation to better its scores in both mathematics and reading in grades 4 and 8 in the so-called "Nation’s Report Card."

The 2012 Hawaii Statewide Assessment Program results show that student proficiency scores in reading and math increased for all tested grades -- 3 through 8 and 10. The results include the Hawaii State Assessment (in English and Hawaiian languages), and the Hawaii State Alternate Assessment.