NAEP Achievement Gaps

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NAEP Achievement Gaps
Stuart Kerachsky Acting CommissionerNational
Center for Education Statistics July 14, 2009
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Purpose of Report

• Highlight state achievement gaps between Black
  and White students
• Provide an accessible summary of gap statistics
• Present a more complete portrayal of student
  performance than national results alone

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National Trends in Main NAEP

• Mathematics results back to 1990 at grades 4 and
  8
• Reading results back to 1992 at grades 4 and 8

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State Trends in Main NAEP

• Mathematics results back to
• 1990 at grade 8
• 1992 at grade 4
• Reading results back to
• 1992 at grade 4
• 1998 at grade 8

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Report Features

• Public school data only
• Comparison of 2007 results to all previous years
• Not all states have sufficient data for analysis
  in 2007
• 41 to 46 states for the Mathematics Assessment
• 42 to 44 states for the Reading Assessment

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Patterns of Gaps in NAEP
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How State Trend Results Are Reported
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education,
Institute of Education Sciences, National Center
for Education Statistics, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP), various years,
19922007, Grade 4 Mathematics Assessments.
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2007 National Gaps
2007 State Gaps Compared to Nation
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Trends in National Gaps
National Gaps Closing

• At grade 4, both groups made gains, and the gaps
  narrowed
• At grade 8, both groups made gains, but no gaps
  narrowed

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State Achievement Gap Results
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State Mathematics Trends Grade 4
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State Mathematics Gaps Closing Grade 4

• In 15 states, the gap was narrower in 2007 than
  in 1992

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State Mathematics Trends Grade 8
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State Mathematics Gaps Closing Grade 8

• In 4 states, gaps narrowed between 1990 and 2007

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State Gaps Smaller than the Nation Grade 4
1 Department of Defense Education Activity
(overseas and domestic schools).
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State Gaps Larger than the Nation Grade 4
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State Gaps Smaller than the Nation Grade 8
1 Department of Defense Education Activity
(overseas and domestic schools).
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State Gaps Larger than the Nation Grade 8
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Summary of State Mathematics Results

• Gaps persist in every state
• Gaps narrowed in 15 states since 1992 at grade 4
• Gaps narrowed in 4 states since 1990 at grade 8
• No states showed a decline in scores for White or
  Black students
• No state had a widening of the gap

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State Achievement Gap Results
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State Reading Trends Grade 4
State Reading Trends Grade 4
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State Reading Trends Grade 4
State Reading Gaps Closing Grade 4

• In 3 states, the gap was narrower in 2007 than in
  1992

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State Reading Trends Grade 8

• There was no significant change in the gaps for
  any of the states

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State Gaps Smaller than the Nation Grade 4
1 Department of Defense Education Activity
(overseas and domestic schools).
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State Gaps Larger than the Nation Grade 4
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State Gaps Smaller than the Nation Grade 8
1 Department of Defense Education Activity
(overseas and domestic schools).
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State Gaps Larger than the Nation Grade 8
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Summary of State Reading Results

• Gaps persist in every state except Hawaii at
  grade 8
• Gaps narrowed in 3 states since 1992 at grade 4
• No significant changes in state gaps since 1998
  at grade 8
• Scores decreased for White students in 1 state
  and for Black students in 1 state at grade 8
• No state had a widening of the gap

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Conclusions

• Overall scores do not provide a complete picture
  of student performance
• Both location of student performance on the NAEP
  scale and the size of the gap are important
• For gaps to narrow, Black students must have
  score increases that are larger than the
  increases for White students

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For more information

• http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

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