ChildStats.gov—Forum on Child and Family Statistics
faces of children
Home  |  About the Forum  |  Publications  |  Data Sources  |  Help
Search
ED2.A Mathematics and reading achievement: Average mathematics scale scores of 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-graders by child and family characteristics, selected years 1990–2009

excel icon ED2A Excel Table

Characteristic 1990a 1992a 1996a 1996 2000 2003 2005 2007 2009
4th-graders
Total 213 220 224 224 226 235 238 240 240
Gender
Male 214 221 226 224 227 236 239 241 241
Female 213 219 222 223 224 233 237 239 239
Race and Hispanic originb
White, non-Hispanic 220 227 231 232 234 243 246 248 248
Black, non-Hispanic 188 193 199 198 203 216 220 222 222
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic — — — 217 208 223 226 228 225
Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic 225 231 226 229 — 246 251 253 255
Hispanic 200 202 205 207 208 222 226 227 227
8th-graders
Total 263 268 272 270 273 278 279 281 283
Gender
Male 263 268 272 271 274 278 280 282 284
Female 262 269 272 269 272 277 278 280 282
Race and Hispanic originb
White, non-Hispanic 270 277 281 281 284 288 289 291 293
Black, non-Hispanic 237 237 242 240 244 252 255 260 261
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic — — — — 259 263 264 264 266
Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic 275 290 — — 288 291 295 297 301
Hispanic 246 249 251 251 253 259 262 265 266
Parents' education
Less than high school 242 249 254 250 253 257 259 263 265
High school diploma or equivalent 255 257 261 260 261 267 267 270 270
Some education after high school 267 271 279 277 277 280 280 283 284
Bachelor's degree or higher 274 281 282 281 286 288 290 292 295
12th-graders
Total 294 299 304 302 300 — 150.0c — —
Gender
Male 297 301 305 303 302 — 151.3c — —
Female 291 298 303 300 299 — 148.8c — —
Race and Hispanic originb
White, non-Hispanic 300 305 311 309 307 — 157.5c — —
Black, non-Hispanic 268 275 280 275 273 — 126.6c — —
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic — — 284 — 294 — 134.2c — —
Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic 311 312 312 305 315 — 162.6c — —
Hispanic 276 286 287 284 282 — 133.5c — —
Parents' education
Less than high school 272 278 282 280 278 — 130.3c — —
High school diploma or equivalent 283 288 294 290 287 — 137.9c — —
Some education after high school 297 299 302 302 299 — 148.2c — —
Bachelor's degree or higher 306 311 314 313 312 — 161.5c — —
— Not available.
a Testing accommodations (e.g., extended time, small group testing) for children with disabilities and limited-English-proficient students were not permitted.
b For data before 2003, the 1977 OMB Standards for Data on Race and Ethnicity were used to classify persons into one of the following four racial groups: White, Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, or Asian or Pacific Islander. The revised 1997 OMB standards were used for data from 2003 onward. Persons could select one or more of five racial groups: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Included in the total but not shown separately are respondents with “Two or more races.” Beginning in 2003, those in each racial category represent those reporting only one race. Data from 2003 onward are not directly comparable with data from earlier years. For continuity purposes, respondents who reported being Asian or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander were combined. Data on race and Hispanic origin are collected separately. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
c The 12th-grade mathematics assessment in 2005 was based on a revised National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics framework for grade 12. In addition, unlike previous assessment results which were placed on a scale of 0–500, the results of the revised assessment were placed on a scale of 0–300. As a result of both changes, the 12th-grade assessment results cannot be compared with those of previous assessments.
NOTE: In 2003 and 2007, the assessment was only conducted at grades 4 and 8. The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) introduced changes in the 2005 NAEP mathematics framework for grade 12 in both the assessment content and administration procedures. As a result, the grade 12 assessment results from 2005 forward cannot be compared with those of previous assessments. The 2009 grade 12 assessment results were not available at the time of publication. Parents’ education is the highest educational attainment of either parent. Data on parents’ education are not reliable for 4th-graders.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress.