Mathematics

Question:
How are American students performing in mathematics?

Response:

The average National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics score for the nation's 4th-graders in 2011 was higher than the scores in the eight previous assessment years. On a 0- to 500-point scale, 4th-graders scored 1 point higher in 2011 than in 2009 and 28 points higher than in 1990. Average scores for White, Black, and Hispanic 4th-graders were higher in 2011 than in any of the previous assessment years. The 25-point score gap between White and Black students in 2011 was not significantly different from the gap in 2009. However, larger gains from 1990 to 2011 for Black students than for White students contributed to a smaller gap in 2011 than in the first assessment year. The 20-point score gap between White and Hispanic students in 2011 was not significantly different from the gap in either 2009 or 1990.

The average NAEP mathematics score for the nation's 8th-graders in 2011 was higher than the scores in the eight previous assessment years. Students scored 1 point higher in 2011 than in 2009 and 21 points higher than in 1990. The average score for female 8th-graders was higher in 2011 than in 2009, while there was no significant change in the score for males. Scores for both groups were higher in 2011 than in the earlier assessment years, from 1990 to 2007. Male students scored 1 point higher, on average, than female students in 2011. While there were no significant changes from 2009 to 2011 in the average scores for White or Black students, the average score for Hispanic students was 4 points higher in 2011 than in 2009. Scores for all three groups were higher in 2011 than in 1990. The 31-point score gap between White and Black students in 2011 did not differ significantly from the gap in either 2009 or 1990. The 23-point score gap between White and Hispanic students in 2011 was smaller than the gap in 2009 but not significantly different from the gap in 1990.

For 12th-graders, the average mathematics score (reported on a scale of 0 to 300) was 3 points higher in 2009 than in 2005 (data for 12th-graders were not collected in 2011). Average scores increased from 2005 to 2009 for both male and female 12th-graders as well as for 12th-graders from all the racial/ethnic groups.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). Digest of Education Statistics, 2011 (NCES 2012-001), Chapter 2.

Average mathematics scale score of 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-graders, by selected student characteristics: Selected years, 1990 through 2011
Selected student characteristic	19901	19921	1996	2000	2003	2005	2007	2009	2011
4th-graders, all students
Total	213	220	224	226	235	238	240	240	241
Sex
Male	214	221	224	227	236	239	241	241	241
Female	213	219	223	224	233	237	239	239	240
Race/ethnicity
White	220	227	232	234	243	246	248	248	249
Black	188	193	198	203	216	220	222	222	224
Hispanic	200	202	207	208	222	226	227	227	229
Asian2	225	231	229	‡	246	251	253	255	257
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	[2]	[2]	[2]	[2]	[2]	[2]	[2]	[2]	236
	‡	‡	217	208	223	226	228	225	225
8th-graders, all students
Total	263	268	270	273	278	279	281	283	284
Sex
Male	263	268	271	274	278	280	282	284	284
Female	262	269	269	272	277	278	280	282	283
Race/ethnicity
White	270	277	281	284	288	289	291	293	293
Black	237	237	240	244	252	255	260	261	262
Hispanic	246	249	251	253	259	262	265	266	270
Asian	275	290	‡	288	291	295	297	301	305
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	[2]	[2]	[2]	[2]	[2]	[2]	[2]	[2]	269
American Indian/Alaska Native	‡	‡	‡	259	263	264	264	266	265
12th-graders, all students
Total	[3]	[3]	[3]	[3]	—	150	—	153	—
Sex
Male	[3]	[3]	[3]	[3]	—	151	—	155	—
Female	[3]	[3]	[3]	[3]	—	149	—	152	—
Race/ethnicity
White	[3]	[3]	[3]	[3]	—	157	—	161	—
Black	[3]	[3]	[3]	[3]	—	127	—	131	—
Hispanic	[3]	[3]	[3]	[3]	—	133	—	138	—
Asian/Pacific Islander	[3]	[3]	[3]	[3]	—	163	—	175	—
American Indian/Alaska Native	[3]	[3]	[3]	[3]	—	134	—	144	—

— Not available.

‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases or participation rates fell below the required standards for reporting.

¹ Accommodations were not permitted for this assessment.

²For assessment years prior to 2011, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students are included with Asian students.

³ Because of major changes to the framework and content of the grade 12 assessment, scores from 2005 and 2009 cannot be compared with scores from earlier assessment years. Therefore, this table does not include scores from the earlier grade 12 assessment years (1990, 1992, 1996, and 2000).

NOTE: For the grade 4 and grade 8 assessments, scale ranges from 0 to 500. For the grade 12 assessment, scale ranges from 0 to 300. Includes public and private schools. For 1996 and later years, includes students tested with accommodations (1 to 12 percent of all students, depending on grade level and year); excludes only those students with disabilities and English language learners who were unable to be tested even with accommodations (2 to 4 percent of all students). Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). Digest of Education Statistics, 2011 (NCES 2012-001), Table 144 .

Related Tables and Figures:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2012, Digest of Education Statistics 2011, Table 142. Percentage of students at or above selected mathematics proficiency levels, by age, sex, and race/ethnicity: Selected years, 1978 through 2008
  
• 2012, Digest of Education Statistics 2011, Table 141. Average mathematics scale score, by age and selected student and school characteristics: Selected years, 1973 through 2008
  
• 2012, Digest of Education Statistics 2011, Table 143. Mathematics performance of 17-year-olds, by highest mathematics course taken, sex, and race/ethnicity: Selected years, 1978 through 2008
  
• 2012, Digest of Education Statistics 2011, Table 145. Average mathematics scale score of 8th-graders and percentage reporting various attitudes toward mathematics work, by frequency of attitude and selected student and school characteristics: 2011
  
• 2012, Digest of Education Statistics 2011, Table 146. Average mathematics scale score of 4th-grade public school students and percentage attaining mathematics achievement levels, by state: Selected years, 1992 through 2011
  
• 2012, Digest of Education Statistics 2011, Table 149. Average mathematics scale scores of 4th- and 8th-grade public school students and percentage at or above selected mathematics achievement levels, by race/ethnicity and jurisdiction or specific urban district: 2007, 2009, and 2011
  
• 2011, The Condition of Education 2011: International Mathematics and Science Literacy
  
• 2011, The Condition of Education 2011: Mathematics Achievement Gaps
  
• 2011, The Condition of Education 2011: Mathematics Performance
  
• 2010, The Condition of Education 2010: Reading and Mathematics Score Trends
  
• 2009, The Condition of Education 2009: International Trends in Mathematics Performance
  
• 2006, The Condition of Education 2006: Poverty and Student Mathematics Achievement
  

Other Resources:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2012, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP): This site provides access to publications and data on the reading, mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, geography, and arts achievement of U.S. students.
  
• 2011, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS): ECLS includes three longitudinal studies that examine child development, school readiness, and early school experiences.
  
• 2011, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) provides reliable and timely data on the mathematics and science achievement of U.S. 4th- and 8th-grade students compared to that of students in other countries.