This report provides data on the academic achievement gap that separates low-income and minority students from other students, examining how well different groups of students perform in Hawaii and noting inequities in teacher quality, course offerings, and funding. Included are tables and data that provide: a frontier gap analysis (a comparison of Hawaii to the leaders in achievement and gap closing); student profile (the demographic distribution of youth in Hawaii); state performance (academic achievement and educational attainment); opportunity (well prepared teachers, challenging curricula, special student placements, effective instruction, and annual per pupil investments); minority achievement gains, state by state; and analysis of minority-white achievement gaps by subject area and grade level. Hispanic 8th graders in Hawaii made more progress in math from 1990 to 1996 than Hispanic 8th graders in most other states. However, Hispanic 8th graders in Hawaii score more than 2 years behind white 8th graders in the state in science, math, reading, and writing, while African American 8th graders score more than 1 year behind white 8th graders in science, reading, and writing. The state's poor/non-poor achievement gap would close for 8th graders in both math and science if poor students in Hawaii scored as well as poor students in North Dakota. (Contains 24 references.) (SM)