Beth from Brookeville, MD asked:
- There are so many numbers; it's hard to keep them straight. I'm
trying to understand what the differences in NAEP scores mean across
subjects and grades. Fourth graders had an average reading score of 220;
8th graders had average score of 261 (roughly about 10 points per
grade); In math, 4th graders were at 239 and 8th graders were at 280--
(again, about a 40 point difference or 10 points per grade). My
questions are (1) has the Department conducted any studies to see if the
10 points per grade level is accurate? (2) are 4th graders better in
reading than they are in math, by about 2 grade levels? (3) what about
8th graders-- it looks like they are a lot better in Math than they are
in Reading?
Dr. Peggy G. Carr 's
response:
- Beth, the difference between average scores at grades 4, 8, and 12
are often about 40 points apart, so it is possible that there is about
a 10-point difference between grades. But this assumes learning
progresses at a uniform rate through the school years. Research
indicates that learning may be more rapid in the early years, so the
10-points-per-grade is an estimate. We are conducting a couple of
studies that will address this question: a study of performance in
algebra at grade 8, and a study of motivation of 12th grade students.
Both these studies will provide empirical insight into performance
growth. Results should be available in 2008. As to your question about
grade 4 reading performance vs. math performance, a higher score in
one subject than another does not necessarily mean that performance is
better in that subject. In NAEP, scores for different subjects are not
comparable. The score scales are set independently for each subject.
So, for example, a score of 215 in reading does not necessarily
reflect the same performance level as 215 in mathematics. Similarly at
grade 8, the higher math score does not necessarily reflect higher
performance. It may be useful to look at the achievement-level
results, in the context of the achievement-level definitions for each
grade found in the Report Cards. These are specific statements of the
types of skills students have at each level.
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