A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

     RELEASE                       CONTACT: David Thomas   February 27, 1997                    (202) 401-1576 

According to a new report released today by the Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics, American students have made significant progress in math achievement.

"This is good news. In all three grades tested, math scores improved between 1992 and 1996, building on gains made since 1990," said U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley. "But, we're in an era of global competition, where the world is made smaller and smarter every day, by the primary resource of any nation -- its people. So it's imperative that our students measure up to the international benchmarks of excellence in core subjects, especially math. We must expect more if our students are to match their international peers."

Overall, the math results for the nation's 4th , 8th and 12th grade students showed continued improvement from 1990 to 1996. During the same period, average scores rose for white, black and Hispanic students in grades 4 and 12, and for white students in grade 8. The assessment analyzed math score changes over time for the nation as well as for individual states.

The assessment further showed that the percentage of students at or above the "basic" level increased for all three grades, from 1990 to 1992, and from 1992 to 1996.

The results, from the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Mathematics Report Card, highlight what students know and can do in math in the 4th, 8th, and 12th grades nationally. State level results for 4th and 8th graders are presented. In addition, performance trends since 1990 are reported for the nation and for states that participated in the 1990 and/or 1992 and 1996 assessments.

"This report shows we've made solid progress," Riley said, "but we cannot be satisfied. "Our children are smarter than we think, and we've already shown that they can achieve to international standards of excellence. The First In the World Consortium proved that."

The consortium is comprised of Chicago area school districts whose eighth grade students took an international test in math and science and came in second in math only to Singapore among 41 nations.

"About half of these consortium students take algebra and geometry by the end of the 8th grade, compared to 20 percent of 8th graders nationally who take algebra," Riley said. "We need to notch our standards higher. If students in other countries are ready for algebra by the 8th grade, why not our students?"

The NAEP math assessment uses a sample of students to serve as a barometer of how the nation and participating states are performing over time. President Clinton has proposed that a similar, national type of test be made available in 1999 that individual eighth graders could take so that parents and teachers would know how their students are mastering math, no matter where they lived. That eighth grade test would also contain an international comparison.

The 1996 NAEP math assessment, like previous tests in 1990 and 1992, uses a framework influenced by Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics, a study published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in 1989. The NAEP 1996 framework was updated to reflect more adequately recent curricular emphases and objectives. It deliberately focused on reasoning and communication by requiring students to connect their learning across math strands.

Students' math proficiency is scored on a scale ranging from 0 to 500. In addition, results for each grade are reported according to three achievement levels: basic, proficient, and advanced. The achievement levels are set by the National Assessment Governing Board.

Results from the NAEP Math Report Card showed:

• The national average score for fourth graders in 1996 was 224, 11 points over the national average for 1990; for eighth graders in 1996, the national average was 272, a nine point increase over 1990; and the average score for 12th graders was 304, an increase of ten points;

• For fourth graders, the percentage performing at or above the "basic" level was 64 percent in 1996, as compared to only 50 percent in 1990; for eighth graders, 62 percent as compared to 52 percent; and for 12th graders, 69 percent compared to 58 percent;

• For fourth grade students, scores were higher in the northeast and central regions than the southeast and west; for eighth grade students, scores in the central region were higher than in the west; and for 12th grade students, scores in the southeast were lower than in the other three regions;

• Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia reported significant increases in percentages of fourth graders who scored at or above the basic and proficient levels from 1992 to 1996; and

• Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Texas, and Wyoming reported significant increases in percentages of eighth graders who scored at or above the basic and proficient levels from 1990 to 1996.

Known as the Nation's Report Card, NAEP has monitored trends in academic achievement since the 1970s and is the only continuing, nationally representative assessment of academic performance. The math exam marks the third time the subject has been assessed with the updated math framework in the 1990s.

Single copies of the report are available while supplies last through the National Library of Education by calling 1 800 424 1616. The report also will be available on the Internet at National Assessment of Educational Progress.

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