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DoDEA Students Continue High Performance on the 2011 NAEP Reading and Mathematics Assessments

For Immediate Release — November 10, 2011 | HQ
: | (703) 588-3260   •   : | (703) 588-3265

ARLINGTON, VA — November 10, 2011 — Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) fourth and eighth grade students continued their strong performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2011 Reading and Mathematics Assessments.

The NAEP was administered to DoDEA fourth and eighth grade students from January to early March. DoDEA's domestic and overseas school systems participated in NAEP as a single jurisdiction.

DoDEA Results: 2011 NAEP Reading Assessment

4th Grade
  • In 2011, the average score on the NAEP Reading Assessment was 229 while the average score for 4th grade public school students was 220.
  • The DoDEA average score of 229 on the 2011 NAEP Reading Assessment was not significantly different from their average score of 228 in 2009.
8th Grade
  • In 2011, the average score on the NAEP Reading Assessment was 272 while the average score for 8th grade public school students was 264.
  • The DoDEA average score of 272 on the 2011 NAEP Reading Assessment equaled their 2009 average score of 272.

DoDEA Results: 2011 NAEP Mathematics Assessment

4th Grade
  • In 2011, the average score on the NAEP Mathematics Assessment was 241 while the average score for 4th grade public school students was 240.
  • The DoDEA average score of 241 on the 2011 NAEP Mathematics Assessment was not statistically different from their average score of 240 in 2009.
8th Grade
  • In 2011, the average score on the NAEP Mathematics Assessment was 288, 5 points higher than the 283 average score for 8th grade public school students.
  • The DoDEA average score of 288 on the 2011 NAEP Mathematics Assessment was 5 points higher than their average score of 283 in 2009.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. Assessments are conducted periodically in mathematics, reading, science, writing, the arts, civics, economics, geography, and U.S. history. NAEP does not provide scores for individual students or schools; instead, it offers results regarding subject-matter achievement, instructional experiences, and school environment for populations of students (e.g., fourth-graders) and groups within those populations (e.g., female students, Hispanic students). NAEP results are based on a sample of student populations of interest.

Additional Key Findings for the 2009 NAEP Reading Assessment
(Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES))

Highlights for DoDEA students' performance on the 2011 NAEP Reading Assessment include:

4th Grade
  • In 2011, the score gap between students in DoDEA at the 75th percentile and students at the 25th percentile was 36 points. This performance gap was narrower than the 47-point gap in 1998.
  • In 2011, the average score of 229 in DoDEA was higher than the average scores in 45 states and not significantly different from those in 5 states. Only Massachusetts had a significantly higher average score in reading for 4th grade students.
  • The percentage of students in DoDEA who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 39 percent in 2011, not significantly different from 2009 (39 percent), and greater than that in 1998 (32 percent).
  • The percentage of DoDEA students who performed at or above the NAEP Basic level was 79 percent in 2011. This percentage was not significantly different from 2009 (77 percent) and was greater than that in 1998 (66 percent).
8th Grade:
  • In 2011, the score gap between students in DoDEA at the 75th percentile and students at the 25th percentile was 35 points. This performance gap is narrower than that in 1998 (44 points).
  • In 2011, the average score of 272 in DoDEA was higher than the average scores in 42 states and not significantly different from those in 8 states. Only Massachusetts had a significantly higher average score in reading for 8th grade students.
  • The percentage of students in DoDEA who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 39 percent in 2011, equaling the 39 percent in 2009 and not significantly different from the 37 percent in 1998.
  • The percentage of DoDEA students who performed at or above the NAEP Basic level was 87 percent in 2011 and was greater than that the 79 percent in 1998.

Highlights for DoDEA students' performance on the 2011 NAEP Mathematics Assessment include:

4th Grade:
  • In 2011, the score gap between DoDEA students at the 75th percentile and students at the 25th percentile was 33 points. This performance gap was narrower than that of 1996 (40 points).
  • In 2011, the average score of 241 for DoDEA students was higher than those in 19 states; lower than those in 19 states and not significantly different from those in 13 states.
  • The percentage of students in DoDEA who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 39 percent in 2011. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2009 (38 percent) and was greater than that in 1996 (19 percent).
  • The percentage of students in DoDEA who performed at or above the NAEP Basic level was 86 percent in 2011. This percentage equaled that in 2990 and was greater than that in 1996 (64 percent).
8th Grade:
  • In 2011, the score gap between students in DoDEA at the 75th percentile and students at the 25th percentile was 41 points. This performance gap was not significantly different from that of 1996 (45 points).
  • In 2011, the average score of 288 for DoDEA students was higher than those in 29 states; not significantly different from those in 13 states; and lower than those in 9 states.
  • The percentage of students in DoDEA who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 37 percent in 2011. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2009 (36 percent) and was greater than that in 1996 (22 percent).
  • The percentage of students in DoDEA who performed at or above the NAEP Basic level was 80 percent in 2011. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2009 (79 percent) and was greater than that in 1996 (64 percent).

DoDEA's Minority Achievement DoDEA's African American and Hispanic students continued to score higher when compared with their stateside counterparts at both grade levels tested in reading and mathematics.

DoDEA African-American Students:
  • In 2011, DoDEA's African-American 4th grade students had an average score of 222 on the NAEP Reading Assessment. This score compares to an average of 205 for their counterparts in public schools nationally.
  • In 2011, DoDEA's African-American 8th grade students scored an average of 263 on the NAEP Reading Assessment. This compares to an average score of 248 for their counterparts in public schools nationally.
  • In 2011, DoDEA's African-American 4th grade students scored an average of 228 on the NAEP Mathematics Assessment. This score compares to an average of 224 for their counterparts in public schools nationally.
  • In 2011, DoDEA's African-American 8th grade students scored an average of 274 on the NAEP Mathematics Assessment. This score compares to an average of 262 for their counterparts in public schools nationally.
DoDEA Hispanic Students
  • In 2011, DoDEA's Hispanic 4th grade students scored an average of 226 on the NAEP Reading Assessment. This score compares to an average of 205 for their counterparts in public schools nationally.
  • In 2011, DoDEA's Hispanic 8th grade students scored an average of 268 on the NAEP Reading Assessment. This score compares to an average of 251 for their counterparts in public schools nationally.
  • In 2011, DoDEA's Hispanic 4th grade students scored an average of 236 on the NAEP Mathematics Assessment. This score compares to an average of 229 for their counterparts in public schools nationally.
  • In 2011, DoDEA's Hispanic 8th grade students scored an average of 282 on the NAEP Mathematics Assessment. This score compares to an average of 269 for their counterparts in public schools nationally.

"This year's NAEP Reading and Mathematics Assessments results are continued evidence that DoDEA students perform above the national average," said Marilee Fitzgerald, DoDEA's Acting Director. "DoDEA minority students' performance also continues to outpace the national average and we exceed minority performance in nearly every state. DoDEA's minority gap continues to narrow, and we are very pleased about that. We are also one of a few states outperforming the overwhelming majority of states in both 4th at 8th grade reading," she added."

"We are proud of our students' performance and we remain focused on reaching even higher levels of achievement, particularly at the advanced levels," Ms. Fitzgerald continued. We've recently focused on the area of mathematics by restructuring our curriculum, and refining instructional practices. We're also focusing our resources toward science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) initiatives. I'm looking forward to seeing the results of these new programs," she said.

Additional Information

Detailed statistical information on the 2011 NAEP reading assessment and all other NAEP assessments can be found on the web at the following URL: www.nationsreportcard.gov