National Assessment of Educational Progress

No improvement for fourth-graders on national math test, By Amanda Paulson, October 14, 2009, Christian Science Monitor: “For the first time since 1990, America’s fourth-graders showed no improvement in math – a disappointing finding in the latest release from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the nation’s report card. In four states, scores for fourth-graders actually declined between 2007 and 2009 – the first time any state has shown a drop since all 50 states began participating in the assessment in 2003. The news is better at the eighth-grade level, where scores did rise by two points since 2007. But achievement gaps between white and minority students stayed the same…”
Math results show racial achievement gap hasn’t changed, By Tom Weber, October 14, 2009, Minnesota Public Radio: “Fourth and eighth graders in Minnesota continue to rank near the top in the nation in math, according to new national test results. But the new report also exposes a key shortcoming for both Minnesota and the nation — the gap between how well white students perform compared to students of color. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, Minnesota fourth-graders ranked third in the nation for math, and the state’s eighth-graders ranked second…”