Mathematics

Question:
How are American students performing in mathematics?

Response:
On the main National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics assessment, gains in average scores seen in earlier years continued from 2007 to 2009 at grade 8 but not at grade 4. At grade 8, the average NAEP mathematics score (reported on a scale of 0 to 500) increased 2 points from 2007 to 2009 and was higher in 2009 than in any previous assessment year. At grade 4, the average score in 2009 was unchanged from the score in 2007 but still higher than the scores in the six assessment years from 1990 to 2005. From 2007 to 2009, no significant score changes occurred at grade 4 for males or females or for any of the racial/ethnic groups. At grade 8, average scores increased from 2007 to 2009 for both male and female students as well as for White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander students. For American Indian/Alaska Native 8th-graders, no measurable differences were detected in average scores over the assessment years. Because of major changes to the grade 12 mathematics assessment, results from 2005 and 2009 cannot be compared with results from earlier assessment years. For 12th-graders, the average mathematics score (reported on a scale of 0 to 300) was 3 points higher in 2009 than in 2005. Average scores increased from 2005 to 2009 for both male and female 12th-graders as well as for 12th-graders from all the racial/ethnic groups.

The 2009 main NAEP assessment of states found that the average mathematics proficiency of public school 4th- and 8th-graders varied across participating jurisdictions (the 50 states, the Department of Defense overseas and domestic schools, and the District of Columbia). For 4th-graders in public schools, the U.S. average score was 239, with average scores in participating jurisdictions ranging from 219 in the District of Columbia to 251 in New Hampshire and 252 in Massachusetts. For 8th-graders in public schools, the U.S. average score was 282, with average scores in participating jurisdictions ranging from 254 in the District of Columbia to 299 in Massachusetts.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics, 2010 (NCES 2011-015), Chapter 2.

Average mathematics scale score of 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-graders, by selected student characteristics: Selected years, 1990 through 2009
Selected student characteristic	19901	19921	1996	2000	2003	2005	2007	2009
4th-graders, all students
Total	213	220	224	226	235	238	240	240
Sex
Male	214	221	224	227	236	239	241	241
Female	213	219	223	224	233	237	239	239
Race/ethnicity
White	220	227	232	234	243	246	248	248
Black	188	193	198	203	216	220	222	222
Hispanic	200	202	207	208	222	226	227	227
Asian/Pacific Islander	225	231	229	‡	246	251	253	255
American Indian/Alaska Native	‡	‡	217	208	223	226	228	225
8th-graders, all students
Total	263	268	270	273	278	279	281	283
Sex
Male	263	268	271	274	278	280	282	284
Female	262	269	269	272	277	278	280	282
Race/ethnicity
White	270	277	281	284	288	289	291	293
Black	237	237	240	244	252	255	260	261
Hispanic	246	249	251	253	259	262	265	266
Asian/Pacific Islander	275	290	‡	288	291	295	297	301
American Indian/Alaska Native	‡	‡	‡	259	263	264	264	266
12th-graders, all students
Total	(2)	(2)	(2)	(2)	—	150	—	153
Sex
Male	(2)	(2)	(2)	(2)	—	151	—	155
Female	(2)	(2)	(2)	(2)	—	149	—	152
Race/ethnicity
White	(2)	(2)	(2)	(2)	—	157	—	161
Black	(2)	(2)	(2)	(2)	—	127	—	131
Hispanic	(2)	(2)	(2)	(2)	—	133	—	138
Asian/Pacific Islander	(2)	(2)	(2)	(2)	—	163	—	175
Hispanic	(2)	(2)	(2)	(2)	—	134	—	144

— Not available.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

¹ Accommodations were not permitted for this assessment.

² Because of major changes to the framework and content of the grade 12 assessment, scores from 2005 and 2009 cannot be compared with scores from earlier assessment years. Therefore, this table does not include scores from the earlier grade 12 assessment years (1990, 1992, 1996, and 2000).

NOTE: For the grade 4 and grade 8 assessments, scale ranges from 0 to 500. For the grade 12 assessment, scale ranges from 0 to 300. Includes public and private schools. Excludes persons not enrolled in school and students who were unable to be tested due to limited proficiency in English or due to a disability. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics, 2010 (NCES 2011-015), Table 146 .

Related Tables and Figures:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2011, Digest of Education Statistics 2010, Table 141. Percentage of students at or above selected mathematics proficiency levels, by age, sex, and race/ethnicity: Selected years, 1978 through 2008
  
• 2011, Digest of Education Statistics 2010, Table 140. Average mathematics scale score, by age and selected student and school characteristics: Selected years, 1973 through 2008
  
• 2011, Digest of Education Statistics 2010, Table 142. Mathematics performance of 17-year-olds, by highest mathematics course taken, sex, and race/ethnicity: Selected years, 1978 through 2008
  
• 2011, Digest of Education Statistics 2010, Table 143. Average mathematics scale score of 4th-grade public school students and percentages attaining mathematics achievement levels and having 5 or more hours of mathematics instruction per week, by state or jurisdiction: Selected years, 1992 through 2009
  
• 2011, Digest of Education Statistics 2010, Table 144. Average mathematics scale score of 8th-grade public school students and percentage attaining mathematics achievement levels, by level of parental education and state or jurisdiction: Selected years, 1990 through 2009
  
• 2011, Digest of Education Statistics 2010, Table 145. Average mathematics scale scores of 4th- and 8th-grade public school students and percentage at or above selected mathematics achievement levels, by race/ethnicity and jurisdiction or specific urban district: 2007 and 2009
  
• 2011, The Condition of Education 2011: International Mathematics and Science Literacy
  
• 2011, The Condition of Education 2011: Mathematics Achievement Gaps
  
• 2011, The Condition of Education 2011: Mathematics Performance
  
• 2010, The Condition of Education 2010: Reading and Mathematics Score Trends
  
• 2009, Mathematics Achievement of Language-Minority Students During the Elementary Years
  
• 2009, The Condition of Education 2009: International Trends in Mathematics Performance
  
• 2006, The Condition of Education 2006: Poverty and Student Mathematics Achievement
  

Other Resources:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2011, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS): ECLS includes three longitudinal studies that examine child development, school readiness, and early school experiences.
  
• 2011, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP): This site provides access to publications and data on the reading, mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, geography, and arts achievement of U.S. students.
  
• 2011, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) provides reliable and timely data on the mathematics and science achievement of U.S. 4th- and 8th-grade students compared to that of students in other countries.