ChildStats.gov—Forum on Child and Family Statistics
faces of children
Home  |  About the Forum  |  Publications  |  Data Sources  |  Help
Search

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2009

Mathematics and Reading Achievement

The extent and content of students' knowledge, as well as their ability to think, learn, and communicate, affect their likelihood of becoming productive adults and active citizens. Mathematics and reading achievement test scores are important measures of students' skills in these subject areas, as well as good indicators of overall achievement in school. To assess progress in mathematics and reading, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) measures national trends in the academic performance of students in grades 4, 8, and 12.

Indicator ED2.A: Average mathematics scale scores for students in grades 4, 8, and 12, selected years 1990–2007
Average mathematics scale scores for students in grades 4, 8, and 12, selected years 1990–2007

NOTE: Data are available for 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, and 2007, although the 2003 and 2007 assessments only included grades 4 and 8. The 2005 assessment included a 12th-grade component, but the National Assessment Governing Board introduced changes in the 2005 NAEP mathematics framework for grade 12 in both the assessment content and administration procedures. As a result, the 12th-grade assessment results cannot be compared with those of previous assessments. In early years of the assessment, testing accommodations (e.g., extended time, small group testing) for children with disabilities and limited-English-proficient students were not permitted. In 1996, scores are shown for both the assessments with and without accommodations to show comparability across the assessments.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress.

  • At grades 4 and 8, average mathematics scores were higher in 2007 than in all previous assessments.
  • There was no 12th-grade NAEP mathematics assessment in 2007. Moreover, the 12th-grade NAEP mathematics assessment in 2005 was based on a mathematics framework that was revised to reflect changes in high school mathematics standards and coursework. As a result, the 2005 results cannot be compared with those from previous years.104
  • In 2007, 39 percent of 4th-graders and 32 percent of 8th-graders were at or above the Proficient level in mathematics, indicating solid academic achievement. The percentages of 4th- and 8th-graders at or above Basic (indicating partial mastery of prerequisite knowledge and skills), at or above Proficient, and at Advanced (indicating superior performance) in mathematics in 2007 were higher than in all previous assessments.105
  • At grades 4 and 8 in 2007, Asian or Pacific Islander and White, non-Hispanic students scored higher on average in mathematics than their Black, non-Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Hispanic peers; also, Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native students had higher average scores than Black, non-Hispanic students.
  • In mathematics, males outperformed females at grades 4 and 8 in 2007 and at grade 12 in 2005.

Indicator ED2.B: Average reading scale scores for students in grades 4, 8, and 12, selected years 1992–2007
Average reading scale scores for students in grades 4, 8, and 12, selected years 1992–2007

NOTE: Data are available for 1992, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2007, although the 2000 assessment only included grade 4, and the 2003 and 2007 assessments only included grades 4 and 8. In early years of the assessment, testing accommodations (e.g., extended time, small group testing) for children with disabilities and limited-English-proficient students were not permitted. In 1998, scores are shown for both the assessments with and without accommodations to show comparability across the assessments.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress.

  • At grade 4, there was a 4-point increase in the average reading score between 1992 and 2007. At grade 8, reading scores in 2007 had increased 1 point from 2005 and 3 points from 1992.
  • There was no 12th-grade NAEP reading assessment in 2007. However, in 2005 the average score at grade 12 was 6 points lower than in 1992.
  • In 2007, 33 percent of 4th-graders were at or above the Proficient achievement level in reading, indicating solid academic achievement, a higher percentage than in all previous assessments. Thirty-one percent of students in grade 8 were at or above Proficient, a percentage not statistically different from the percentage in 1992. Thirty-five percent of students in grade 12 were at or above Proficient in 2005, a lower percentage than the percentage in 1992 and 1998 but not statistically different than the percentage in 2002.105
  • In reading, Asian or Pacific Islander and White, non-Hispanic students scored higher on average in 2007 than their Black, non-Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Hispanic peers at grades 4 and 8. The gap between White, non-Hispanic students and their Black, non-Hispanic peers decreased 5 points between 1992 and 2007 at grade 4; however, there was no change in the gap between White, non-Hispanic students and their Hispanic peers between 1992 and 2007 at grade 4. There were no changes in the gaps between White, non-Hispanic students and their Black, non-Hispanic or Hispanic peers from 1992 to 2007 at grade 8 or between 1992 and 2005 at grade 12.
  • Females had higher reading scores than males at grades 4 and 8 in 2007 and at grade 12 in 2005.
  • In both mathematics and reading, higher parental education levels were associated with higher achievement scores.106

table icon ED2.A HTML Table, ED2.B HTML Table

104 Among other changes, the framework was revised by merging the measurement and geometry content areas into one and by adding additional questions on algebra, data analysis, and probability. For more details, see Grigg, W., Donahue, P., and Dion, G. (2007). The Nation's Report Card: 12th-grade reading and mathematics 2005 (NCES 2007-468). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

105 The achievement levels define what students should know and be able to do at each grade. They are set by the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) and have undergone several evaluations but remain developmental in nature and continue to be used on a trial basis. Until the Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics determines that the levels are reasonable, valid, and informative to the public, they should be interpreted and used with caution. For more information, see http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/.

106 Parents' education is the highest educational attainment of either parent. Data on parents' level of education are not reliable for 4th-graders.