Release Date: Oct 14, 2009 3:00 PM  

(Dover, DE.) Earlier today, results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Mathematics assessment were released by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The NAEP assessments, known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” were administered to all fourth and eighth grade public schools in Delaware from January through March of 2009.

Grade 4 Mathematics

In 2009, the average score of fourth-grade public school students in Delaware was 239. This is equal to the average score of 239 for public school students in the nation. Delaware’s score of 239 was lower than the average score in 2007 (242) but higher than the average score in 1992 (218).

Delaware experienced a significant shift in the fourth grade student population between the 2007 and 2009 NAEP assessments. There was an increase in students eligible for free/reduced-price school lunch from 39% in 2007 to 43% in 2009. National public schools also had a smaller increase of eligible students from 46% to 48% in 2009.

In the NAEP achievement levels, the percentage of students in Delaware who performed at or above the NAEP Basic level was 84 percent in 2009. This percentage was significantly higher than the percentage of students at or above Basic in national public schools (81 percent). Delaware’s percentage of students at or above Basic was also significantly higher than the nation’s public schools for the subgroups of Males, White, Black and Hispanic students. The percentage of Delaware students at or above Proficient was similar to the national public schools.

Delaware fourth graders have consistently scored in the higher achievement levels since 1996. Fewer students are scoring in the Below Basic achievement level while more students are scoring in the
At Basic, At Proficient and At Advanced NAEP achievement levels.

Year	Below Basic	At Basic	At Proficient	At Advanced
2009	16%	47%	31%	5%
2007	13%	47%	36%	4%
2005	16%	48%	32%	4%
2003	19%	50%	28%	3%
1996	46%	38%	15%	1%

Grade 8 Mathematics

In 2009, the average score of eighth-grade public school students in Delaware was 284 and remained above the national public school average of 282. The 284 average score in Delaware in 2009 was not significantly different from their average score in 2007 (283) but was higher than their average score in 1990 (261). Delaware eighth graders scored higher than national public schools in the following subgroups: Females, White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Low Income Students and Students With Disabilities.

In Delaware, eighth grade schools also experienced an increase in students eligible for free/reduced-price school lunch from 33% in 2007 to 38% in 2009. National public schools also had a smaller increase of eligible students from 41% to 43% in 2009.

The percentage of students in Delaware who performed at or above the NAEP Basic level was 75 percent in 2009. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2007 (74 percent) but was significantly greater than that in 1990 (48 percent). Delaware’s percentage of students who performed at or above the NAEP Basic level (75 percent) was significantly higher than the percentage of students in national public schools (71 percent). ). In looking at the percentage of Delaware students at or above Basic achievement levels, Delaware’s eighth grade subgroups surpassed the national percentages in most subgroups, including: Males, Females, White, Black, Hispanic and Low Income Students. The percentage of Delaware students at or above Proficient was similar to the national public schools, except for Asian students at 69% while the national public average for Asians was 53%.

Delaware eighth graders have consistently scored in the higher achievement levels since 1996. Fewer students are scoring in the Below Basic achievement level while more students are scoring in the
At Basic, At Proficient and At Advanced achievement levels.

Year	Below Basic	At Basic	At Proficient	At Advanced
2009	25	44	26	6
2007	26	43	25	7
2005	28	43	25	5
2003	32	43	21	4
1996	45	36	16	3

For additional information, please visit the National Center for Educational Statistics website at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard or contact Patsy Kersteter, the NAEP State Coordinator, at pkersteter@doe.k12.de.us .

---

Delaware's Department of Education is committed to promoting the highest quality education for every Delaware student by providing visionary leadership and superior service.	Contact Info. Alison Kepner Delaware Department of Education 401 Federal Street, Suite #2 Dover, Delaware 19901 Phone: (302) 735-4035 Fax: (302) 739-4654 Email: akepner@doe.k12.de.us
Other Press Releases