2011 NAEP Science data available: 8th grade

Data from the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) find that our nation’s eighth-grade students have made gains in science since 2009. The Nation’s Report Card: Science 2011 presents results for the nation, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Department of Defense Schools.

Key findings from The Nation’s Report Card: Science 2011 include:

• In 2011, a higher percentage of students performed at or above the Basic and Proficient achievement levels than in 2009.

• The achievement gap between Black and White students narrowed between 2009 and 2011, with average scores since 2009 rising by 1 point for White students and by 3 points for Black students.

• The achievement gap between Hispanic and White students also narrowed between 2009 and 2011, with average scores since 2009 rising by 1 point for White students and by 5 points for Hispanic students.

• Public school students in 16 states and jurisdictions have made gains since 2009.

• No state scored lower in 2011 than in 2009.

• Public school students in 28 states scored higher than their peers in the nation; students in 15 states and the District of Columbia scored lower than their peers nationally.

The Nation’s Report Card is a product of the National Center for Education Statistics at the Institute of Education Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Education.

To view the full science report please visit
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2012465

A small bright spot for Nevada in newest NAEP

An article in today's (Nov. 1, 2011) Education Week notes that, "Nevada registered statistically significant gains in both 8th grade reading and math compared with 2009, in both cases climbing 4 points. The state also saw 2-point gains in 4th grade reading and math, but neither was deemed statistically significant.
Keith W. Rheault, Nevada’s superintendent of public instruction, who was invited to comment on this year’s results at a press conference scheduled for this morning, said in prepared remarks that he was pleased to see the gains in his state, especially amid challenging economic times."
Given that the educational news about Nevada is usually so grim, I thought it worth a mention. Recent NAEP data is here: http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/

Nation's Report Card: Civics 2010

"This report presents results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2010 civics assessment. National results for representative samples of students at grades 4, 8, and 12 are reported as average scale scores and as a percentage of students performing at or above three achievement levels: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. Scores are also reported at selected percentiles, showing changes in the performance of lower-, middle-, and higher-performing students. Results for student demographic groups defined by various background characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, and students’ eligibility for free or reduced-price school lunch) are included, as well as sample assessment questions with examples of student responses. Results from the 2010 assessment are compared to those from two previous assessments in 1998 and 2006."
Full report is linked here: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2011466

Schott Foundation's 2009 report on Opportunity to Learn

The most recent report from the Schott Foundation, Lost Opportunity: A 50 State Report on the Opportunity to Learn in America , "employs a state-by-state comparison of academic proficiency as illustrated by the percentage of students scoring at or above proficiency on the eighth-grade National Assessment of Educational Progress reading exam and access to high-performing schools as measured by the Opportunity to Learn Index (OTLI)." Unfortunately, Nevada falls into the lowest category (with 8 other states and the District of Columbia) that " provide neither a moderately proficient school system nor equitable access to the systems' best schools or resources." (from the web site: http://www.otlstatereport.org/national/summary/intro#staterankings)

Gloomy results persist in science performance

An article in today's edition of EdWeek reports on the continuing dismal performance of K-12 students in science, this time according to the NAEP results. Only 20 percent of 12th graders scored as "proficient" in science, lower than the proficient percentages for 8th graders ( 30% ) or 4th graders ( 34% ). These results confirm the mediocre science and math performance documented by the PISA results at the end of last year. Even more disturbing are the huge discrepancies in performance based on race/ethnicity and SES. Per the article in EdWeek, "At the 4th grade, for example, 47 percent of white students scored proficient or above, compared with 11 percent of African-American and 14 percent of Hispanic students. Meanwhile, only 15 percent of 4th graders eligible for a free lunch and 25 percent for a reduced-price lunch scored proficient or higher on the exam, compared with 48 percent of 8th graders ineligible for either."
Large percentages of students at all levels don't even reach basic levels in science, "The figure was highest at the 12th grade, where 40 percent were below basic, compared with 37 percent of 8th graders and 28 percent of 4th graders." And very few perform at high levels on the NAEP, "Only 1 percent of 4th and 12th graders earned an advanced score, and 2 percent at the 8th grade." Links to the 2009 report are here: http://nationsreportcard.gov/science_2009/

HS Transcript data

Not sure if this data set will help with anyone's current and/or future research, but thought I would make the link available.
"The NAEP Data Explorer for the High School Transcript Study database now provides more information on the coursetaking patterns of high school graduates. Users can access the data and create statistical tables and charts on the types of courses students take, credits earned, grade point averages, the relationship between coursetaking patterns and achievement on NAEP assessments, and performance on other assessments."
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/hstsdata/

12th grade math and reading scores published

NAEP has provided national scores for 12th graders in math and reading.
Highlights of the results include:

• The overall average reading score for 12th graders was 2 points higher than in 2005, but 4 points lower than in 1992.
• There were no significant changes from 1992 to 2009 in the reading score gaps between White and Black students or between White and Hispanic students.  In mathematics, the overall average score was 3 points higher in 2009 than in 2005.
• There was no significant change from 2005 in the mathematics score gaps between White and Black students or between White and Hispanic students.
• The percentage of 12th graders who expect to graduate from college increased from 58 percent in 2005 to 60 percent in 2009.
• In the 11 participating states, average reading scores in seven states were higher than the score for the nation, and scores for three states were lower; in mathematics, the average scores for six states were higher than the nation, and scores for three states were lower.

Scores should be viewed with qualifications since large numbers of ESL students and students with disabilities are excluded from reports. Also, states are not required to report 12th grade scores. And then there are all those students who don't make it to 12th grade or take the tests at all. I expect Dr. Loveless will have something to say about the scores at today's Brookings talk (Nov. 18) since he was interviewed by Education Week regarding the new report.

NAEP: Reading 2009 Trial Urban District Assessment

Comparative data on reading performance of 4th and 8th graders in 18 selected large urban areas (Las Vegas is not one of these). Comparisons are made across time for those cities that have previously participated, and also between the TUDA's and large cities (over 250K population) generally and national scores. Highlights and links to the full report are here:
http://nationsreportcard.gov/reading_2009/

NCES study finds states lowered proficiency levels

To read the full report, visit http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/studies/2010456.asp

Additional resources for understanding state proficiency standards, including profiles of proficiency standards for each state, frequently asked questions, and copies of past reports, are available at
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/studies/statemapping.asp

Some excerpts from an article in today's Education Week~

"With 2014 approaching as the deadline by which states must get their all their students up to “proficient” levels on state tests, the U.S. Department of Education’s top statistics agency released data today suggesting that some states may have lowered student-proficiency standards on such tests in recent years.

For the 47-state study, researchers for the National Center for Education Statistics used student test scores to figure out where the proficiency levels on various state tests would lie on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Their results suggest that between 2005 and 2007, various states made their standards less rigorous in one or more grade levels or subjects in at least 26 instances. In 12 instances, particular states appeared to make their standards more stringent in one or more grade levels or subjects.

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, adopted nearly eight years ago, states are required to show that all students have attained proficient levels of performance in reading and mathematics by the end of the 2013-14 school year, and most states are far from reaching that goal.

“I think as 2014 looms, ... clearly what a lot of states are doing is changing the bar so that a lot more students will become proficient,” said Mark S. Schneider, who served as the NCES commissioner from 2005 to November 2008....

But the study uses a methodology that is controversial among some testing experts. They caution that the standardized exams that states use and the more rigorous NAEP—the congressionally mandated program known as “the nation’s report card”—are too different to put on the same scale....

The results, nonetheless, are expected to figure in growing efforts to develop common academic standards for what K-12 students should know and be able to do. So far, 48 states are taking part in a push to craft such standards, while federal education officials are at the same time making plans to award $350 million in grants to help states plan common assessments.

2009 NAEP Math report card is out

Links to the report are here.
Significant results for mathematics in 2009 include:

* For the first time since the assessment began, 4th graders showed no overall increase at the national level, although they scored significantly higher in 2009 than when the assessment began in 1990. For 8th graders, scores in 2009 were higher when compared to both 2007 and 1990. These nationwide patterns also held for most student subgroups. Findings regarding students performing at or above the NAEP achievement levels mirror those of the scale scores at both grades.

* Compared to 2007, five states and jurisdictions made gains at both grades 4 and 8, three states increased at grade 4 only, and ten increased at grade 8 only. Scores declined in four states at grade 4, while no state declined at grade 8.

Black-White achievement gaps persist

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the Institute of Education Sciences has released a new report analyzing Black-White achievement gaps at both the national and state levels, using NAEP scores as a common yardstick. The study examines data from all main NAEP mathematics and reading assessments through 2007, supplemented by data from long-term trend NAEP results through 2004. Readers will find context for understanding these gaps, as the report examines both the changes in the performance of Black and White students and the changes in the Black-White achievement gap over time.

NAEP at a glance

"The Nation's Report Card: 2007 At A Glance" is a new brochure that provides an overview of the NAEP activities surrounding the math, reading, and writing assessments. "At a Glance" summarizes the results of each 2007 assessment for the nation, states, and selected urban districts [Las Vegas is not one of the 11 urban districts reported--pm].

The results presented in "At a Glance" examine the change over time in average scores for all students, in addition to the changes in the gender and racial/ethnic achievement gaps observed in the 2007 assessments. The brochure pairs these results with instructive graphics to help you understand the findings. "At a Glance" also notes how many students at each grade level participated in the assessments and breaks down percentages of certain demographic details of participants, including race/ethnicity, school type, and percentage of accommodated students. Find the "At a Glance" publication at
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2009486

State math assessments align with 2009 NAEP

Five new reports from REL Southwest examine the alignment of mathematics assessement standards in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Okalahoma, and New Mexico with the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics framework. These reports look at the extent to which current state assessments standards cover the content on which the 2009 NAEP assessments will be based.

* Aligning mathematics assessment standards: Texas and the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=168&productID=120

* Aligning mathematics assessment standards: Arkansas and the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=168&productID=119

* Aligning mathematics assessment standards: Louisiana and the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=168&productID=118

* Aligning mathematics assessment standards: Oklahoma and the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=168&productID=117

* Aligning mathematics assessment standards: New Mexico and the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=168&productID=116