NAEP math scores document gaps—in assessments, achievement and more 

A nationwide sampling of students demonstrated little to no improvement in math achievement during the past two years, according to the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress. While eighth-grade students’ scores showed some progress, scores for fourth-graders were flat, the National Center for Education Statistics, which administers the test, reported Oct. 14.

NAEP’s results for 12th-grade math will be reported in 2010. NAEP reading results will be released next spring to allow time for additional analysis because the framework for the reading test was changed this year, federal officials said.

NAEP tests, administered every two years as part of a national effort to track what U.S. students know and can do, garner national attention—and controversy. Some cite the results as evidence that many states’ academic content standards are too lax. In some states, a vast majority of students score proficient on state tests while making a poor showing on NAEP. Questions also surround the validity of conclusions drawn from tests that are not universally administered, comparisons of results among states with differing curricula and instruction schedules, administration of the tests and other issues.

CSTs chart rising proficiency

The new math scores show that the performance of white, black and Asian fourth-graders in California is on par with their peers nationwide but that the state’s Hispanic students fared worse than in the nation as a whole. In the eighth grade, only white students performed at the national average, with no closing of the achievement gap among any group at either grade level.

But a closer look at the results of California’s own standards-aligned assessments tells a slightly different story. The California Department of Education reported that in the seven years since all California Standards Tests were completely aligned to state standards, students scoring at the proficient or advanced level increased from 35 percent to 46 percent in mathematics (and from 35 percent to 50 percent in English-language arts).

Looking specifically at English language learners in California, 47 percent of fourth-grade students scored proficient or better on state standards tests in math in 2009, along with 32 percent of eighth-graders taking the Algebra 1 or general math CST. That was up significantly from results in 2007, when 39 percent of fourth-graders and 22 percent of eighth-graders scored as well.

“This dichotomy is confusing,” state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell said when the NAEP math results were released. “Having a set of common, rigorous standards that prepares all students to succeed in college and careers would raise the bar for many students, and make any national assessment much more meaningful as a gauge of student learning.

O’Connell espouses the move toward common national standards—spearheaded by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers—to better align the results of California standards tests and NAEP. The prospect of a national assessment—possibly some version of NAEP—concerns many in the education community who feel that states and even local communities should retain the right to set educational priorities for their children.

Demography differs

The sample of California students taking NAEP differs greatly from those of other states and the nation as a whole. From 1990 to 2009, for example, the proportion of Hispanic students nationwide taking the fourth-grade NAEP rose from 6 percent to 21 percent, with the participation of white students dropping from 75 percent to 56 percent. Federal officials said the overall student mix reflects the racial-ethnic makeup of the U.S. student population at that grade.

In contrast, the percentage of Hispanic students in the California sample grew from 30 percent to 51 percent over the same period, while the percentage of white students shrank from 50 percent to 28 percent.

Overall, California tests slightly fewer of its students with disabilities than the nation as a whole, but it tests far more English learners. For example, EL students comprised 30 percent of the fourth-graders and 20 percent of the eighth-graders taking NAEP in California; nationally, just 10 percent of students in fourth grade and 6 percent those in eighth grade were English learners.

Testing methods vary

In the early 1990s, NAEP analysts realized that students were showing gains on the multiple-choice questions but not on those that required an extended response. Investigating the effects high stakes testing was having on classroom instruction, researchers found that the pressure to improve test scores caused teachers to spend more time on rote skill-building and little time on group work, discussion or problem-solving that would encourage students’ higher-order thinking skills.

Since then, NAEP has included more items requiring students to demonstrate their knowledge while—in the case of math questions—showing their work and drawing diagrams. Partial credit is awarded for incomplete or partially correct responses. The CSTs, on the other hand, ask students only to identify the correct answer among multiple choices printed in the test booklet.

Changing the way California tests its students could deepen their understanding of core subjects, said Holly Jacobson, CSBA’s assistant executive director for policy analysis and leadership development.

“With so much class time spent ensuring student success on the state assessments, if those assessments dug more deeply into problem-solving, conceptual understanding and critical thinking skills, it might change the way the curriculum is taught,” Jacobson said.

Related links:

• Search NAEP results and learn more about the assessment here.
• California Department of Education NAEP resources are here.