Average mathematics scale scores on the long-term trend National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), by age, sex, and race/ethnicity: Various years, 1973 through 2004

Academic Outcomes

Table 17-2. Average mathematics scale scores on the long-term trend National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), by age, sex, and race/ethnicity: Various years, 1973 through 2004

Age, sex, and race/ethnicity¹	1973	1978	1982	1986	1990	1992	1994	1996	1999	2004

9-year-olds
Total	219	219	219	222	230	230	231	231	232	241
Sex
Male	218	217	217	222	229	231	232	233	233	243
Female	220	220	221	222	230	228	230	229	231	240
Race/ethnicity
White	225	224	224	227	235	235	237	237	239	247
Black	190	192	195	202	208	208	212	212	211	224
Hispanic	202	203	204	205	214	212	210	215	213	230

13-year-olds
Total	266	264	269	269	270	273	274	274	276	281
Sex
Male	265	264	269	270	271	274	276	276	277	283
Female	267	265	268	268	270	272	273	272	274	279
Race/ethnicity
White	274	272	274	274	276	279	281	281	283	288
Black	228	230	240	249	249	250	252	252	251	262
Hispanic	239	238	252	254	255	259	256	256	259	265

17-year-olds
Total	304	300	298	302	305	307	306	307	308	307
Sex
Male	309	304	301	305	306	309	309	310	310	308
Female	301	297	296	299	303	305	304	305	307	305
Race/ethnicity
White	310	306	304	308	309	312	312	313	315	313
Black	270	268	272	279	289	286	286	286	283	285
Hispanic	277	276	277	283	284	292	291	292	293	289

¹ Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.
NOTE: Includes public and private schools. Excludes persons not enrolled in school and those who were unable to be tested due to limited proficiency in English or a disability. Totals include other race/ethnicity categories not separately shown. The long-term trend NAEP scores range from 0 to 500 and have been evaluated at certain performance levels. A score of 150 implies the knowledge of some basic addition and subtraction facts, and most students at this level can add 2-digit numbers without regrouping. They recognize simple situations in which addition and subtraction apply. A score of 200 implies considerable understanding of 2-digit numbers and knowledge of some basic multiplication and division facts. A score of 250 implies an initial understanding of the four basic operations. Students at this level can also compare information from graphs and charts and are developing an ability to analyze simple logical relations. A score of 300 implies an ability to compute decimals, simple fractions, and percents. Students at this level can identify geometric figures, measure lengths and angles, and calculate areas of rectangles. They are developing the skills to operate with signed numbers, exponents, and square roots. A score of 350 implies an ability to apply a range of reasoning skills to solve multistep problems. Students at this level can solve routine problems involving fractions and percents, recognize properties of basic geometric figures, and work with exponents and square roots.
SOURCE: Perie, M., Moran, R., and Lutkus, A.D. (2005). NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress: Three Decades of Student Performance in Reading and Mathematics (NCES 2005-464), figures 2-4, 3-5, 3-6, and 3-7, data from U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 1973–2004 Long-Term Trend Mathematics Assessment.

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