DoDEA Announces 2007 NAEP Results
For Immediate Release — October 1, 2007 | HQ
Frank X. O'Gara: DoDEA Educational Communications Officer | (703) 588-3260
Elaine Kanellis: DoDEA Educational Communications Officer | (703) 588-3265
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA — October 1, 2007 — Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) fourth and eighth grade students made advances in reading achievement while regressing slightly in math achievement according to test results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
The NAEP was administered to DoDEA students from January to early March. Reading scores for DoDEA's fourth and eighth graders were significantly higher than the national average, with eighth graders improving their national rank from second place in 2005 to first in 2007. For 2007, fourth grade students maintained their 2005 third place ranking. DoDEA's domestic and overseas school systems participated in NAEP as a single jurisdiction.
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.
DoDEA Reading Achievement Remains High
Eighth grade students in DoDEA earned the highest reading score in the nation at 273 along with students from Massachusetts and Vermont. DoDEA eighth graders scored 12 points above the national average of 261.
Dr. Shirley Miles, DoDEA's Associate Director for Education and Principal Deputy Director, credits teachers, students and effective curriculum initiatives for the achievements made in reading.
"We're extremely pleased with the results we see in reading," she said. "It is a reflection on how well our students are doing in reading and language arts in general. We have our teachers and students to thank for their hard work and commitment to achieving."
Rank | State/Jurisdiction | Average Scale Score |
---|---|---|
1 | Massachusetts, DoDEA, Vermont | 273 |
2 | Montana | 271 |
3 | New Jersey, Maine, New Hampshire, South Dakota | 270 |
4 | Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania | 268 |
5 | Iowa, Kansas, Connecticut, Nebraska, Virginia | 267 |
6 | Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon | 266 |
7 | Maryland, Washington, Idaho, Delaware | 265 |
8 | Wisconsin, Indiana, New York | 264 |
Nation | 261 |
DoDEA fourth graders ranked third nationally, along with fourth graders from New Hampshire. Students from Massachusetts and New Jersey ranked first and second, respectively.
Rank | State/Jurisdiction | Average Scale Score |
---|---|---|
1 | Massachusetts | 236 |
2 | New Jersey | 231 |
3 | DoDEA, New Hampshire | 229 |
4 | Vermont | 228 |
5 | Connecticut, Virginia, Montana | 227 |
6 | Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Ohio, Maine | 226 |
7 | Wyoming, Delaware, Minnesota, Iowa, Maryland, Kansas | 225 |
8 | Washington, New York, Colorado, Florida | 224 |
Nation | 220 |
National achievement rankings for the past four years show DoDEA fourth and eighth graders performing at a consistently high rate.
All Students | Grade 8 | Grade 4 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | |
DoDEA | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 4th | 3rd | 3rd |
Minority Achievement
African American and Hispanic students in DoDEA continued to score the highest in the nation in reading when compared with their stateside public school counterparts at both grade levels. Dr. Janet Rope, DoDEA's Administrator, System Accountability and Research, commented on the achievements of the system's minority students.
"We are enthusiastic that DoDEA has enabled minority students to continue their outstanding performance on the NAEP," she said. "We feel we're on the right track with regard to providing the right curriculum and rigor that helps students realize their full potential."
Grade 8 Students | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Score | Rank | Score | Rank | Score | Rank | |
DoDEA African American | 258 | 1st | 258 | 1st | 259 | 1st |
Nation African American | 244 | 242 | 244 | |||
Nation All Students | 261 | 260 | 261 |
At the fourth grade level in 2007, African American students in the DoD schools continue to score at the top of the nation in reading when compared with their stateside counterparts. African American fourth graders achieved a score of 218, which is two points below the national average of 220 for all fourth grade students nationwide.
Grade 4 Students | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Score | Rank | Score | Rank | Score | Rank | |
DoDEA African American | 214 | 1st | 218 | 1st | 218 | 1st |
Nation African American | 197 | 199 | 203 | |||
Nation All Students | 216 | 217 | 220 |
Hispanic students in DoDEA continued to lead their counterparts throughout the nation in reading. In addition to achieving the highest scores among their stateside counterparts, DoDEA Hispanic students at fourth and eighth grade continued to surpass the national average score for all students in the nation.
Grade 8 Students | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Score | Rank | Score | Rank | Score | Rank | |
DoDEA Hispanic | 268 | 1st | 268 | 1st | 273 | 1st |
Nation Hispanic | 244 | 245 | 246 | |||
Nation All Students | 261 | 260 | 261 |
Grade 4 Students | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Score | Rank | Score | Rank | Score | Rank | |
DoDEA Hispanic | 218 | 1st | 219 | 2nd | 223 | 1st |
Nation Hispanic | 199 | 201 | 204 | |||
Nation All Students | 216 | 217 | 220 |
DoDEA Math Achievement Drops Slightly
DoDEA students at both the fourth and eighth grade levels scored higher than the national average in math, but slipped three points each in national rankings at each level.
"Math is an area under review," said Dr. Miles. "We're going to concentrate our efforts in examining our current math practices and implement steps to improve our program. We are committed to developing opportunities to foster growth in student achievement in math," she added.
Eighth grade students in DoDEA earned the ninth highest math score in the nation at 285, five points above the national average of 280.
Rank | State/Jurisdiction | Average Scale Score |
---|---|---|
1 | Massachusetts | 298 |
2 | Minnesota, North Dakota | 292 |
3 | Vermont | 291 |
4 | Kansas | 290 |
5 | New Jersey | 289 |
6 | South Dakota, Virginia, New Hampshire | 288 |
7 | Montana, Wyoming | 287 |
8 | Maine, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas, Maryland, Wisconsin | 286 |
9 | Iowa, DoDEA, Indiana, Washington, Ohio | 285 |
Nation | 280 |
At the fourth grade level, DoDEA students rank 11th in the nation in math achievement, with a score of 240, one point above the national average.
Rank | State/Jurisdiction | Average Scale Score |
---|---|---|
1 | Massachusetts | 252 |
2 | New Jersey, New Hampshire | 249 |
3 | Kansas | 248 |
4 | Minnesota | 247 |
5 | Vermont | 246 |
6 | North Dakota, Indiana, Ohio | 245 |
7 | Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Montana, Virginia | 244 |
8 | Iowa, Connecticut, New York, Washington | 243 |
9 | Maine, Texas, Florida, Delaware, North Carolina | 242 |
10 | South Dakota, Idaho | 241 |
11 | Maryland, Colorado, DoDEA | 240 |
Nation | 239 |
The mathematics national score ranks show a decline of five places for both DoDEA 8th grade and 4th grade students.
All Students | Grade 8 | Grade 4 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | |
DoDEA | 4th | 6th | 9th | 6th | 8th | 11th |
Dr. Rope acknowledged the room for improvement in mathematics and credited students for their achievements in maintaining an edge on their counterparts nationally.
"We will definitely focus on student achievement in mathematics," she said. "The fact that our students as a group scored higher than the national average and the positive trends we continue to see in minority student achievement in math are great strengths and give us a solid foundation to base our efforts on," she added.
Minority Achievement
African American and Hispanic students in DoDEA continued to score at or near the highest in the nation when compared with their stateside counterparts at both grade levels tested in mathematics.
Grade 8 Students | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Score | Rank | Score | Rank | Score | Rank | |
DoDEA African American | 270 | 1st | 267 | 1st | 272 | 1st |
Nation African American | 252 | 254 | 259 | |||
Nation All Students | 276 | 278 | 280 |
Grade 4 Students | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Score | Rank | Score | Rank | Score | Rank | |
DoDEA African American | 227 | 1st | 227 | 3rd | 227 | 4th |
Nation African American | 216 | 220 | 222 | |||
Nation All Students | 234 | 237 | 239 |
Hispanic eighth graders in DoDEA continued to score higher than the national score for all students. Math scores for Hispanic fourth graders in DoDEA dropped from 2005 to 2007 by two points.
Grade 8 Students | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Score | Rank | Score | Rank | Score | Rank | |
DoDEA Hispanic | 278 | 1st | 280 | 1st | 282 | 1st |
Nation Hispanic | 258 | 261 | 264 | |||
Nation All Students | 276 | 278 | 280 |
Grade 4 Students | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Score | Rank | Score | Rank | Score | Rank | |
DoDEA Hispanic | 234 | 3rd | 235 | 2nd | 233 | 6th |
Nation Hispanic | 221 | 225 | 227 | |||
Nation All Students | 234 | 237 | 239 |
Additional Information
Detailed statistical information on the 2007 NAEP mathematics assessment and all other NAEP assessments can be found on the web at:
http://www.nationsreportcard.gov
Assessment items and samples of student responses from the 2005 mathematics assessment, along with sample questions from other subject areas, can be found on the web at:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrls/