Washington, DC–District 4th and 8th graders achieved significant increases in mathematics in 2011 and citywide math scores have shown steady improvement since 1992, according to results released today by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Results are citywide and represent both DCPS schools and District public charter schools.
“Today’s assessment results validate the efforts our students, teachers and administrators have undertaken in the past year,” said State Superintendent Hosanna Mahaley. “Math proficiency is critical for student’s success and these improvements are a great sign of the progress we have made to date.”
Known as ‘the Nation’s Report Card,’ the NAEP is the only nationally representative, longitudinal tool for comparing student achievement in reading and math across the country. NAEP assessments are administered every two years and use the same sets of test booklets across the nation to provide a common comparative metric across all states and selected urban districts.
The District was one of only nine states nationwide showing improvement in 4th grade math in 2011, while 8th graders represent one of only 13 states with math gains this year. Out of all states across the country, DC is one of only four that had gains in math in both grades. English, however, received the same results as 2009 test with no significant gains made.
“Having worked with dozens of large urban school districts across the district, it is fundamentally clear that one of the necessary conditions for accelerated student achievement is tight alignment between what is written (standards), taught (curriculum), and measured (assessment). Game-changing progress is rarely possible without this alignment.”
As one of only 12 states to receive Race to the Top funding in 2010 from the US Department of Education, Superintendent Mahaley also believes continued integration of common core standards, curriculum alignment, and quality assessment will help District schools improve on their scores for years to come.
“We intend for DC-CAS to be aligned with common core standards in the next year,” she adds. “The NAEP 2011 findings will help us further establish the baseline indicators, subject and skill-specific instruction needed to successfully implement Race to the Top in District public and charter schools.”
When it comes to education reform and being one of the first states to implement and align with the national common core standards, DC educators should be proud of their aggressive approach to this challenge and the urgency they have employed while making positive changes to public education throughout the District.
For detailed information on the Nation’s Report Card go to: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
State profiles you can be viewed at: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/
OSSE Contact: Marc Caposino, (202) 727-7207