U.S. Fourth Graders Gain in Reading, 8th Grade Flat, 12th Grade Declines, National Assessment Reports

6/19/2003

From: Larry Feinberg, 202-357-6938, or Lisa Clarke, 202-842-3600 ext. 241, both of the National Assessment of Educational Progress

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- The reading achievement of American fourth graders has improved significantly since 1998, particularly among those at lower-performing levels, according to a new report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

Results of the NAEP 2002 reading assessment, released today by the National Assessment Governing Board, show the average performance of eighth graders has remained flat since 1998, although lower-performing eighth graders also registered gains.

Among twelfth graders, achievement has declined at all performance levels, although the percentage reaching Proficient continues to be higher than at fourth or eighth grade.

"The Nation's Report Card: Reading 2002" also includes data on NAEP's representative-sample surveys in 43 states and six other jurisdictions. From 1998 to 2002, 19 jurisdictions showed improvement in reading achievement at grade 4, and only one declined. At grade 8, ten jurisdictions had gains in 2002 and five showed declines. There is no state-by-state NAEP testing at grade 12.

NAEP is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), an agency within the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences. Policy for the assessment, including its content and standards, is set by the independent, bipartisan Governing Board. Under a law enacted by Congress last fall, the 26-member Board was given responsibility for the initial public release of NAEP reports.

"One result does not make a trend, but the recent gains at fourth grade are encouraging," said Darvin M. Winick, chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board. "The general improvement in the scores of lower-achieving students is a positive sign. Since 1998, the results suggest some narrowing of the gap between white and minority students. Still, many of our students do not read as well as they should. Of course, we also are concerned about the decline in the twelfth-grade results."

Compared to 1992, when the current series of NAEP reading assessments began, the 2002 national results show no change in achievement at grade 4, a gain at grade 8, and a decline at grade 12. The 2002 NAEP included about 270,000 students in almost 11,000 public and private schools. This is the first NAEP reading assessment in which accommodations were permitted for students with disabilities (SD) and limited English proficiency (LEP) in all NAEP samples. In 1998 and 2000, accommodations were allowed in half samples used for research. The new report shows trend lines from these accommodated samples, along with comparisons to the non-accommodated samples from 1992 to 2000.

According to the new report:

-- The proportion of fourth graders reaching the Basic achievement level rose from 60 percent in 1998 to 64 percent last year, its highest level ever. The proportion reaching Proficient rose from 29 to 31 percent.

-- At 8th grade, the percentage reaching Basic climbed from 73 percent in 1998 to 75 percent last year. But the proportion at or above Proficient was virtually unchanged at 33 percent. The average score was also flat.

-- The percentage of 12th graders reaching Basic fell to 74 percent, compared to 76 percent in 1998 and 80 percent in 1992, the first year of the current reading assessment. The proportion of high school seniors reaching Proficient dropped from 40 percent in 1998 to 36 percent in 2002.

The Proficient level is defined by the Governing Board as representing "solid academic performance," which demonstrates "competency over challenging subject matter" for each grade assessed. Basic indicates partial mastery of skills that are fundamental for proficient work at each grade. Advanced denotes superior performance.

Each achievement level has a description of the reading skills and abilities students should attain, a corresponding score on the NAEP scale, and illustrative questions and answers. The reading achievement levels were adopted by the Governing Board in 1993, based on recommendations by panels of teachers, other educators, and members of the public from across the country.

The state results show variations in both average scale scores and the proportion of students reaching the different achievement levels. There are also state-to-state differences in the achievement of particular groups of students, such as those from low-income families who are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch.

Nationally, the average scores of black and Hispanic fourth graders rose more sharply from 1998 to 2002 than did those of whites, but the gap in average scores was about the same as it had been ten years earlier. The racial/ethnic gaps in average scores at 8th and 12th grades also were virtually unchanged compared to ten years ago, despite some ups and downs in intervening years.

Among 12th graders nationwide, the proportion reaching the Proficient achievement level in 2002 was 42 percent for whites, 34 percent for Asians, 22 percent for Hispanics, and 16 percent for blacks. The proportion reaching the Basic achievement level for 12th grade was 79 percent for whites, 73 percent for Asians, 61 percent for Hispanics, and 54 percent for blacks.

Over the past decade, the proportion of students identified by their schools as either disabled or limited English proficient has risen substantially, most notably at fourth grade. Because of the changing student population, differential exclusion rates, and new policies and practices regarding accommodations in many states, the 2002 results have been subjected to even more extensive checks than usual by NCES and independent evaluators. The validity of the data has been supported by the reviews. Material has been included in the appendix of the report to help interpret the changes.

The Nation's Report Card: Reading 2002 and complete data from the NAEP 2002 reading assessment are available on the Internet at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard. Additional statements and information may be obtained at http://www.nagb.org.

NAEP publications may be ordered by calling toll-free 877-4ED-PUBS (877-433-7827) or from Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Orders may also be placed through e-mail at customerservice@edpubs.org or via the Internet at http://www.edpubs.org.