City Students Outperform the Rest of the State and Nation on the National Assessment of Educational Progress
Record Number of Students Performing at or Above Proficiency
Chancellor Calls on State to Adopt More Rigorous Standards to Ensure Further Progress
Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today applauded consistent and sustained gains by New York City public school students on the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) math exam. Under the Bloomberg Administration, the progress of the City’s fourth and eighth graders—the two grades tested—has outpaced that of fourth and eighth graders in the rest of New York State and the nation. The 2009 results show that New York City students in both grades have made statistically significant improvement since 2003, when NAEP’s Trial Urban District Assessment in math was launched, and have raised their scores each time the biannual exam has been administered. New York City fourth-grade scores rose 11 scale score points since 2003, compared to an increase of one point among fourth-grade students in the rest of the State during that time and five points among fourth graders nationally. New York City eighth-grade scores rose seven points since 2003, compared to an increase of one point among eighth-grade students in the rest of the State and five points among eighth graders nationally.
In addition, the number of fourth-grade City students performing at or above proficient on the NAEP exam rose 14 percentage points since 2003, from 21 percent to 35 percent, only three points below the national average. For the first time, New York City eighth graders also made statistically significant gains at or above proficiency, with 26 percent of students now at or above proficient, compared to 20 percent in 2003.
The narrowing of the gap between New York City students and those in the rest of the State on NAEP follows a pattern similar to the one established on New York State math exams over the same period. Since 2003, the gap separating New York City fourth graders and their statewide peers on NAEP has decreased from 15 scale score points to five points. During this time, the gap between City fourth graders and those in the rest of the State on the New York State math exam has decreased from 18 scale score points to two points. In the eighth grade, the gap separating City students and their statewide peers went from 21 scale score points to 15 points on NAEP, and from 23 points to 11 points on the State exam.
“Today’s results reflect what we have seen in the classroom and what we have seen on State tests since Mayor Bloomberg took control of the schools—that New York City students are making consistent and meaningful progress thanks to their hard work and the dedication and determination of our educators. The fact that more students than ever are at or above proficient is especially encouraging,” Chancellor Klein said.
“A lot of work still lies ahead of us. The next important step is for New York State to adopt the more rigorous national common core standards so we can help all students reach their potential.”
New York City students are also doing well in comparison to students in other urban districts that share their results publicly as part of the NAEP Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA). New York City fourth graders rank third among their peers in the 18 participating districts, with City fourth graders eligible for free or reduced-price lunch ranking first among their peers and outperforming the nation by seven points. New York City eighth graders rank sixth out of the 18 urban districts.
Students in nearly every fourth- and eighth-grade subgroup—white, black, Hispanic, low-income—made statistically significant progress since 2003. New York City students in these grades also perform at nearly the same level, and in some cases exceed, their suburban peers in New York State. The City’s white fourth graders, who gained 10 scale score points since 2003, outperformed white fourth graders in the State’s suburbs by five points. The City’s black fourth graders gained eight points since 2003 and now score four points above their suburban peers.
NAEP, often referred to as “the nation’s report card,” is the nation’s ongoing representative sample survey of student achievement in core subject areas and reports the educational progress of students in grades 4 and 8. Mandated by Congress, NAEP is administered by the United States Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. Eighteen cities varying in demographic makeup, including New York City, participate in the NAEP Trial Urban District Assessment by allowing their results to be reported publicly. The results for this year’s fourth- and eighth-grade math tests were released in Washington, D.C. this morning. The results of NAEP English and science exams will be made public in the spring.