NAEP scores released: mostly bad news for NYC by Diane Ravitch

The NAEP scores for 11 big cities were released on November 15 and there was a little good news for New York City and quite a lot of bad news.

The good news is that fourth grade students made significant gains in mathematics on the 2007 NAEP test. These gains were spread across all groups of students of every race and ethnicity.

The bad news is that NAEP showed no significant gains between 2003 and 2007 for New York City students in fourth grade reading, eighth grade reading, or eighth grade mathematics. In these areas, there were no gains for students of any race or ethnicity.

NAEP has been releasing test results for certain big cities since 2002. The big-city testing program started at the request of the Council for Great City Schools, which wanted a clear measure of how the urban districts were doing compared to states and the nation.

The baseline for Children First begins with 2003 data, as the test was given in the spring of 2003, before the reforms were implemented in September 2003. There was a significant increase in scores from 2002-2003, but that was the year prior to the implementation of Children First.

Here is what the NAEP reports (http://nationsreportcard.gov) say:

• In fourth grade reading: the overall score was unchanged from 2003. The only significant gain was made between 2002 and 2003, before the Children First regime was launched.

For NYC fourth-graders in 2007, lower-income students showed "no significant change in the average score compared to 2003 and 2005."

In addition, there was "no significant change in the average scores for White, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander students compared to all previous assessments"; for Black students, "there was no significant change compared to 2003 and 2005."

The report said that there was "no significant change" in the percentage of students at or above Basic since 2003, and "no significant change in the percentage at or above Proficient compared to all previous assessments." (p. 50).

• For NYC eighth-graders in reading, "The overall score was not significantly different from 2003 and 2005."Results for lower-income students showed "no significant difference in the average score compared to 2003 and 2005."

Results for racial/ethnic groups showed "no significant change in the average scores for White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander students compared to 2003 and 2005."

Achievement-level results showed "no significant change in the percentage at or above Basic compared to 2003 and 2005" and "no significant change in the percentage at or above Proficient compared to 2003 and 2005." (p. 51)

• Fourth-grade mathematics was the one bright spot for NYC students. The overall score was higher in 2007 than in 2003 and 2005. Lower-income students showed a "higher average score" than in either 2003 or 2005. (p.50)

Results for racial/ethnic groups showed "higher average scores for White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander students compared to 2003 but no significant change compared to 2005."

Achievement level results showed "an increase in the percentage at or above Basic compared to 2003 and 2005, and an increase in the percentage at or above Proficient compared to 2003 and 2005."

• In eighth-grade mathematics, "the overall score was not significantly different from 2003 and 2005." Results for lower-income students showed a higher average score compared to 2003, but "no significant change compared to 2005." (p. 51)

Results for racial/ethnic groups showed: "No significant change in the average scores for White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander students compared to 2003 and 2005."
There was "no significant change in the percentage at or above Basic compared to 2003 and 2005."

There was "no signficant change in the percentage at or above Proficient compared to 2003 and 2005."

The NAEP scores may be seen as a report card for the Department of Education for its reforms from 2003 to 2007. In one area, fourth grade mathematics, the DOE gets an A. On three other areas -- fourth grade reading, eighth grade reading, and eighth grade mathematics--the DOE showed no progress at all.

Not a good report card, though I will leave it to others to assign a letter grade.

NAEP is widely considered the gold standard of educational testing. The federal government has invested heavily to ensure its reliability and validity.

-- Diane Ravitch