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, 2011

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 and 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 1990–2009
Average mathematics scale scores for students in grades 4, 8, and 12, selected years 1990–2009

NOTE: Data are available for 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009, although the 2003 and 2007 assessments only included grades 4 and 8. After 2000, assessment results for grade 12 are not comparable with those from previous assessment years. In early years of the assessment, testing accommodations (e.g., extended time, small group testing) for children with disabilities and limited-Englishproficient 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.

Indicator Ed2.B: Average mathematics scale scores for students in grade 12 by race and Hispanic origin,107 2005 and 2009
Average mathematics scale scores for students in grade 12 by race and Hispanic origin, 2005 and 2009

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

  • In 2009, the average 4th-grade NAEP mathematics score was higher than the score in 1990 but unchanged from the score in 2007. The average 8th-grade mathematics score in 2009 was higher than the scores in all previous assessment years and 2 points higher than the score in 2007.
  • The framework for the 12th-grade mathematics assessment was revised in 2005; as a result, the 2005 and 2009 results cannot be compared with those from previous years.106 Between 2005 and 2009, the average 12th-grade mathematics score increased by 3 points, from 150 to 153 (on a scale of 0–300).
  • For all racial and ethnic groups, average 12th-grade mathematics scores were higher in 2009 than in 2005.

Indicator Ed2.C: Average reading scale scores for students in grades 4, 8, and 12, selected years 1992–2009
Average reading scale scores for students in grades 4, 8, and 12, selected years 1992–2009

NOTE: Data are available for 1992, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009, 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, the average NAEP reading score increased by 4 points between 1992 and 2009 but was unchanged from the average score in 2007. At grade 8, the average reading score in 2009 was 4 points higher than the score in 1992 and 1 point higher than the score in 2007. At grade 12, the average reading score decreased by 4 points between 1992 and 2009 but was not significantly different from the average score in 2005.
  • In 2009, at grade 4, Asian or Pacific Islander students had the highest reading scores, on average, of all the racial and ethnic groups; also White, non-Hispanic 4th-graders scored higher, on average, than their Black, non-Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Hispanic peers. At grades 8 and 12, the average reading scores of Asian or Pacific Islander and White, non- Hispanic students were higher than those of their Black, non-Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Hispanic peers.
  • At each grade in 2009, Asian or Pacific Islander students had the highest mathematics scores, on average. White, non-Hispanic students scored higher than their peers in the remaining racial and ethnic groups. In addition, at grade 4, Hispanics scored higher than Black, non- Hispanic students in mathematics; at grade 8, Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native students scored higher than Black, non-Hispanic students. At grade 12, American Indian or Alaska Native students scored higher than Hispanic students, who scored higher than Black, non-Hispanic students.
  • In 2009, at each grade tested, females scored higher, on average, than males in reading but lower than males in mathematics.
  • For students in grades 8 and 12, higher parental education levels were associated with higher average reading and mathematics scores in 2009.108

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

106 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.

107 The 1997 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Standards for Data on Race and Ethnicity were used. 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." Data from 2005 and 2009 are not directly comparable with data from earlier years. For continuity with earlier race and ethnicity standards, 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.

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