Table 1-2
Changes in mathematics performance of students in grades 4 and 8, by student characteristics and other factors: 1990–2005 and 2003–05
 
 
  Grade 4   Grade 8
Student characteristic 1990–2005   2003–05   1990–2005   2003–05
 
Average score  
Total      
Sex  
Male      
Female      
Race/ethnicity  
White, non-Hispanic      
Black, non-Hispanic      
Hispanic      
Asian/Pacific Islandera NA     NA  
American Indian/Alaska Nativeb NA     NA  
Free/reduced-price lunchc  
Eligible      
Not eligible      
Percentile scoresd  
10th      
25th      
50th      
75th      
90th      
Changes in achievement gaps in average scores  
Gender gap      
White-black gap      
White-Hispanic gap      
Eligible and not eligible for free/reduced-price lunch gapc      
 

▲ = increase; ● = no change; ▼ = decrease (based on t-tests using unrounded numbers); NA = not available

aInsufficient sample size in 1990 for Asian/Pacific Islanders precluded calculation of reliable estimates.
bInsufficient sample size in 1990 for American Indians/Alaska Natives precluded calculation of reliable estimates.
cInformation on student eligibility for free/reduced-price lunch first collected in 1996: comparisons in 1990s columns from 1996 to 2005.
dPercentage of students whose scores fell below a particular score, e.g., 75% of students had scores <75th percentile.

NOTES: 2005 grade 12 assessment not comparable with previous assessments; therefore mathematics trend information for grade 12 not available.

SOURCES: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2005, NCES 2006-453 (2006); National Assessment of Educational Progress, 1990, 1996, 2003, and 2005 mathematics assessments; and National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics, special tabulations. See appendix table 1-5.

Science and Engineering Indicators 2008