2011 NAEP Reading and Mathematics Results Released
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) today released the results of 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and mathematics assessments – commonly called the “Nation’s Report Card.” In Delaware, all fourth and eighth grade students took the test between January and March 2011. Overall, the scores generally are flat from 2009, the last administration of the exams.
“These results reinforce what we knew: The status quo wasn’t working,” Secretary of Education Lillian M. Lowery said. “The aggressive reforms and innovative work being rolled out across the state this year as part of our Race to the Top plan are necessary to bring the significant improvements our students need.
“The 2011 NAEP assessments, taken by students last year during the Race to the Top planning year, give us a starting point by which to benchmark our progress in the coming years under these reforms,” Lowery said. “In our Race to the Top plan, we set high goals for Delaware, including on NAEP performance. Our children need us to meet – and exceed -- those goals. And that means we as adults must do the work we promised to do.”
The goals include:
- 60 percent of Delaware fourth-graders being rated proficient or advanced on NAEP by 2014-15
- 55 percent of students being proficient or advanced on all other NAEP exams by 2014-15
- Reducing the black-white and Hispanic-white achivement gaps by half on NAEP by 2014-15
NAEP results are reported as average scores on a scale of 0 to 500 and broken down by three achievement levels: Basic, which denotes partial mastery of the skills and knowledge students need for proficient work; Proficient, which represents
solid academic performance; and Advanced, which represents superior work.
While overall the performance of Delaware’s students has remained flat as compared to 2009, there have been statistically significant increases in student achievement over the last five administrations of NAEP among subgroups of students. Since 2003, Delaware’s Hispanic students at eighth grade have increased their average scale score by 13 points in reading and 17 points in math. Also at eighth grade, the percent of Delaware’s Hispanic students scoring at or above the NAEP Proficient level has increased by 13 percent and 10 percent in reading and math respectively. Score gaps between white and Hispanic students have been cut in half in reading and by a third in math over this same period at eighth grade.
Since 2003, the percent of black students in Delaware achieving the Proficient level has increased in reading by 7 percent at grade 4 and by 5 percent at grade 8. Similar increases have been seen in mathematics, with the percent of Delaware’s black students at the Proficient level increasing by 7 percent at grade 4 and 6 percent at grade 8.
Reading
While higher than the national averages, Delaware’s 2011 average reading scores did not show significant differences from two years ago (Note: both public and private school students participated in the assessment and are included as part of the national results. Results for states and other jurisdictions reflect the performance of students in public schools only).
In 2011, the average reading score of fourth-grade public school students in Delaware was 225, compared to 226 in 2009. It was higher than the average score in 1998 (212) and in the first NAEP assessment in 1992 (213). At eighth grade, the average reading score of public school students in Delaware was 266. That compares to 265 in and 254 in 1998.
Delaware’s 2011 average fourth grade score was higher than the average score of 220 for public school students in the nation. In 2011, the average score of Delaware’s fourth-grade students was higher than those in 31 states/juristictions, lower than those in 5, and not significantly different from 15 state/jurisdictions. At eighth grade, Delaware’s 2011 average score was higher than the national average score of 264. Delaware’s eighth-grade public school students scored higher than those in 19 states/jurisdictions, lower than those in 16, and not significantly different from 16 states/jurisdictions.
In the NAEP Achievement levels, the percentage of fourth grade students in Delaware who performed at or above the NAEP Basic level was 72 percent in 2011. Delaware’s percentage of students At or Above Basic was greater than the nation’s public schools (66%). The percentage of eighth grade students in Delaware who performed at or above the NAEP Basic level was 77 percent in 2011. Delaware’s percentage of students At or Above Basic was greater than the nation’s public schools (75%).
Delaware has reduced the number of students at the Below Basic level by 15 percent since 1998 at fourth grade and by 9 percent at eighth grade. During the same period, the number of students at the Proficient Level has increased by 7 percent at grade 4 and 8 percent at grade 8.
NAEP Reading – Grade 4
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
NAEP Reading – Grade 8
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding
Mathematics
In 2011, the average mathematics score of fourth-grade public school students in Delaware was 240, which was not significantly different from the state’s average score in 2009 (239) but higher than in the first NAEP assessment in 1992 (213). At eighth grade, the average mathematics score of public school students in Delaware was 283. This results was not significantly different from the state’s average score in 2009 (284) but higher than the average score in 1990 (261).
Delaware’s 2011 average score at fourth grade was not significantly different from the average score of 240 for public school students in the nation. In 2011, the average score for Delaware’s fourth-grade public schools was higher than those in 18 states/jurisdictions, lower than those in 21, and not significantly different from 12 states/jurisdictions. Similar results occurred at eighth grade, where Delaware’s 2011 average mathematics score was not significantly different from the score of 283 for public school students in the nation. Delaware’s eighth-grade public schools were higher than those in 15 states/jurisdictions, lower than those in 23, and not significantly different from 13 states/jurisdictions.
The percentage of fourth grade students in Delaware who performed at or above the NAEP Basic level in mathematics was 84 percent in 2011. Delaware’s percentage of students At or Above Basic was higher than the nation’s public schools (82%). The percentage of eighth grade students in Delaware who performed at or above the NAEP Basic level was 74 percent in 2011. Delaware’s percentage of students At or Above Basic was not significantly higher than the nation’s public schools (72%).
Delaware has reduced the number of students at the Below Basic level by 30 percent since 1996 at fourth grade and by 19 percent at eighth grade in mathematics. During the same period, the number of students at the Proficient achievement level has increased by 18 percent at grade 4 and 9 percent at grade 8.
NAEP Mathematics – Grade 4
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding
NAEP Mathematics – Grade 8
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
For more information on the NAEP program, visit the Nation’s Report Card at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard or contact the Delaware NAEP State Coordinator, Duncan G. Smith, at dsmith@doe.k12.de.us.
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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 |
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