Stuart KerachskyActing Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

October 14, 2009

EMBARGOED untilOctober 14, 200910:00 a.m. E.D.T.

Overview of the 2009 Mathematics Assessment• Administered January – March 2009 to

– 168,800 fourth-graders– 161,700 eighth-graders

• Students assessed in five mathematical content areas– Number properties and operations– Measurement– Geometry– Data analysis, statistics, and probability– Algebra

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NAEP Mathematics Results

• Results available for grades 4 and 8 for– Nation– 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Department of

Defense school system

• Results reported as– Average scale scores (0–500 scale)– Achievement levels (Basic, Proficient, Advanced)

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National Scale Score Results

• Fourth-grade mathematics score unchanged from 2007, but remains higher than in earlier assessment years

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National Achievement-Level Results

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• Percentages of students performing at or above Basic and Proficient hold steady since 2007

Race/Ethnicity

• No change since 2007 in performance of racial/ethnic groups

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• White – Black score gap shows no change since 2007 but smaller than in 1990

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• No significant change in White – Hispanic score gap compared to 2007 or 1990

Eligibility for National School Lunch Program

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• Results by family income show no change since 2007

Type of School

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• Private school students outperform public school students

Changes in State Scores Between 2007 and 2009

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• Scores increase since 2007 in 8 states and decrease in 4 states

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Sample 4th-Grade Geometry Question

• 27% of fourth-graders correctly plotted points on a grid and provided their coordinates

• 45% were able to plot at least some of the required points

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• 67% of fourth-graders correctly subtracted a two-digit number from a three-digit number

Sample 4th-Grade Question in Number Properties and Operations

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National Achievement-Level Results

• Eighth-graders’ performance in mathematics continues to improve

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National Achievement-Level Results

• Gains reflected in higher percentages of students at or above Basic and Proficient

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Race/Ethnicity

• Most racial/ethnic groups continue to make gains

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• No significant change in White – Black score gap compared to 2007 or 1990

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• No significant change in White – Hispanic score gap compared to 2007 or 1990

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Eligibility for National School Lunch Program• Scores increase across family income levels

Type of School

• Public and Catholic school students make gains since 2007

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Change in State Scores Between 2007 and 2009• Scores increase since 2007 in 15 states, and no states decline

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• 51% of eighth-graders correctly identified the length of a rectangle in terms of the width

Sample 8th-Grade Algebra Question

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• 77% of eighth-graders determined the probability of a particular outcome

Sample 8th-Grade Question in Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability

For More Information

http://nationsreportcard.gov

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