A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

       FOR RELEASE:                             Media Contact: David Thomas     October 11, 1996                                        (202) 401-1576                 Program Contact: National Library of Education                               1-800-424-1616

National Assessments Show Gains in Math, Science; Reading, Writing Skills Stable

The U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics today reported that American students generally have sustained improved performance in math and science, but have remained stable in reading and writing achievement.

In commenting on the Report in Brief: National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1994 Trends in Academic Progress, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley urged schools and families to work harder to improve reading and writing skills, while expanding on the gains made in math and science.

"In recent years, our commitment to improving math and science education has begun to pay off for America's children," Riley said. "They continue to take more challenging courses like physics and calculus and are scoring higher on college entrance exams as a result.

"The same achievements can be made in other academic courses. We just have to continue to do what we know works and research confirms - get and keep families involved in their children's education and forge a strong link among schools, teachers, parents and the community."

Riley cited the department's Read*Write*Now! initiative and the Family Involvement Partnership as two vehicles that are helping move Americans toward becoming a nation of active participants in enhancing the education of its youth.

"A decade ago we saw that we had to improve math and science education to prepare our students for a high tech world and a competitive international market," Riley said. "We've seen some positive results because of our commitment to higher standards in these courses.

"I'm confident we'll see the same kind of positive results when we start spending more time at home with the television off, reading to our children and having them read to us, and encouraging them to express themselves in writing more."

Department research shows that reading and writing are greatly influenced by what goes on in the home and in after school activities. "Parents can do their part by making sure that children have a vast assortment of reading material and practice writing, and get a library card and use it." Riley added.

Known as the "The Nation's Report Card," NAEP has monitored trends in academic achievement since the 1970s and is the only continuing assessment of a nationally representative sample of U.S. students' academic performance. In science, math, and reading, students were tested at ages nine, 13, and 17. In writing, students in grades 4, 8, and 11 were tested.

The trend report found that the average math and science score for nine year olds was higher than it was 20 years ago. Thirteen year olds had higher average math scores than in 1973, while their science scores were not significantly different over the time period from 1970 to 1994.

The average science score for 17 year olds in 1992 and 1994 was higher than anytime since 1977, but lower than the 1969 average, while their average math scores in 1992 and 1994 were higher than anytime since 1978, and a little higher than in 1973.

Student performance is reported on a 500point scale, divided into five levels of achievement (150, 200, 250, 300 and 350).

Among the report's findings:

Compared to 1977 for science and 1978 for math, higher percentages of 9 year olds in 1994 showed an understanding of fundamentals in both subjects (levels 150, 200, and 250). But no significant changes occurred in the percentages of students at age 9 or grade 4 reaching any level of performance on the reading or writing scales.
Almost all 13 year olds reached level 150 in science and math, and gains were made in the percentages of students at or above levels 200 and 250. Few changes were observed in levels of reading and writing performance.
At age 17, the only change observed in science performance levels was an increase in the percentage of students reaching at least level 300. In math, 17 year olds made gains at levels 250 and 300. No significant change at any performance level was observed in reading. And the percentage of 11th graders at or above level 250 in writing declined between 1984 and 1994.
Thirteen and 17 year old boys continue to outscore girls in science and math, while girls outperform boys in reading and writing.
Despite a narrowing of the gap between the average performance of white and black students in three of the four subjects tested, in 1994, white students had average scores that were higher than those of black students in all four subjects. And the average scores of white students were higher than the average scores of Hispanic students in all subjects.
Students' reports indicated an increased use of technology in the classroom. Between 1984 and 1994, there was a sharp increase in the percentage of students at grades 8 and 11 who used computers to write stories or papers.
There was an increase in the percentage of 9 year olds who reported reading for fun daily, and 9 and 13 year olds were less likely in 1994 than 1982 to watch six or more hours of television each day. Between 1978 and 1994, there was a small increase in the percentage of 17 year olds who reported watching six or more hours of television daily.

The report is available from the National Library of Education by calling 1-800-424-1616, and via the Internet at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/.

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