Disaggregating Data, Amplifying Voices: Academic Outcomes and Opportunity of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Students

Guided by QuantCrit, we examine academic outcomes and access to opportunity for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) students. Using a longitudinal administrative dataset from a large urban district in California, we find that NHPI students are significantly underrepresented and disadvantaged across all achievement measures (e.g., grade point average, standardized test scores, scholastic assessment test [SAT]), and opportunity indicators (e.g., advanced coursework and SAT participation), with disparities persisting over time. By uncovering these overlooked inequities, we advocate for more thoughtful, nuanced understandings of NHPI students’ educational experiences—grounded in the distinct racialization of Asian American and NHPI communities. This study highlights the need for positioning data equity as foundational to social justice.