Thursday, November 07, 2013

KENTUCKY STUDENTS OUTPERFORM NATIONAL AVERAGE IN READING ON NATION’S REPORT CARD; HOLD STEADY IN MATH


This from KDE (Press release):
Kentucky's 4th graders and 8th graders continue to outperform their peers nationally in reading and are on par or slightly below the national average in mathematics according to data released today from the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card. 

            The 2013 data indicate:
·         In both 4th- and 8th-grade reading, Kentucky students scored above the national average for public school students.
·         In 4th grade mathematics, Kentucky students scored the same as the national average.  The average score was unchanged from 2011.
·         In 8th grade mathematics, the average score of Kentucky students was not significantly different from their average score in 2011 but was up 24 points from their score in 1990.
·         Kentucky's results have remained steady over the past few years, with minor gains and losses. Since 1998, Kentucky’s 4th graders have gained 6 points on the NAEP reading assessment, and 8th graders also have gained 8 points. Since 2000, Kentucky’s 4th graders have gained 20 points on the NAEP mathematics assessment, and 8th graders have gained 11 points.

            In an effort for NAEP scores to more accurately reflect the achievement of all Kentucky students, the Kentucky Department of Education encouraged schools to include students in 2013 NAEP testing who, in the past, may have been excluded from the test, based on teacher recommendations using students’ Individual Education Plans (IEPs).
            This year, in accordance with NAEP rules, many more students with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency (LEP) completed the test without special assistance or accommodation.  NAEP does not allow all the accommodations Kentucky students are allowed on the state's tests. (For information on NEP accommodations, see http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/inclusion.asp.)
            “Kentucky has made great strides in being more inclusive -- essentially reducing the exclusion rates by as much as two-thirds from 2011 while not significantly impacting results,” said Education Commissioner Terry Holliday.  “Typically, there is as much as a 30 percent difference in the scores of students with special needs and those without, so while we would have liked to have seen increases, the fact that Kentucky achievement levels are holding steady is actually not bad news. As we move forward, we need to focus on not only increased student achievement but also on closing the gaps among all students.”
READING
EXCLUSION RATES* OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

4th grade reading
8th grade reading

2009
2011
2013
2009
2011
2013
Kentucky Exclusion Rate
8%
9%
3%
7%
7%
3%
National
Exclusion Rate
5%
4%
3%
4%
3%
3%
                *Rounded to the nearest percentage
MATHEMATICS
EXCLUSION RATES* OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

4th grade mathematics
8th grade mathematics

2007
2009
2011
2013
2007
2009
2011
2013
Kentucky Exclusion Rate
3%
3%
3%
1%
7%
5%
3%
2%
National
Exclusion Rate
3%
2%
2%
2%
4%
3%
3%
2%
                *Rounded to the nearest percentage
            The NAEP grading scale ranges from 0 to 500. Students' performance on NAEP fits into one of four categories: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient or Advanced. In Kentucky, in reading, 72 percent of 4th graders and 80 percent of 8th graders scored at the Basic level or above. In mathematics, 83 percent of 4th graders and 71 percent of 8th graders scored at the Basic level or above.
NAEP READING SCALE SCORES – TRENDS SINCE 1998

Kentucky
4th-Grade
Scale Score
National Average
4th-Grade
Scale Score
Kentucky
8th-Grade
Scale Score
National Average
8th-Grade
Scale Score
1998
218
213
262
261
2002
219
217
265
263
2003
219
216
266
261
2005
220
217
264
260
2007
222
220
262
261
2009
226
220
267
262
2011
225
220
269
264
2013
224
221
270
264

NAEP MATHEMATICS SCALE SCORES – TRENDS SINCE 2000

Kentucky
4th-Grade
Scale Score
National Average
4th-Grade
Scale Score
Kentucky
8th-Grade
Scale Score
National Average
8th-Grade
Scale Score
2000
221
226
270
272
2003
229
234
274
276
2005
231
237
274
278
2007
235
239
279
280
2009
239
239
279
282
2011
241
240
282
283
2013
241
241
281
284

2003 marked the first year NAEP was administered under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. Under NCLB, states applying for Title I funds must indicate that they plan to participate in NAEP. In 2013, all 50 states, along with the District of Columbia and Department of Defense schools, participated in the NAEP reading and mathematics assessments.
2013 READING NAEP SCALE SCORES –
KENTUCKY COMPARED TO OTHER STATES/JURISDICTIONS

States/Jurisdictions Scoring Lower
than Kentucky
States/Jurisdictions Scoring Higher
than Kentucky
States/Jurisdictions Scoring About the Same as Kentucky
4th-Grade Reading
21
8
22
8th-Grade Reading
23
7
21

2013 MATHEMATICS NAEP SCALE SCORES –
KENTUCKY COMPARED TO OTHER STATES/JURISDICTIONS

States/Jurisdictions Scoring Lower
than Kentucky
States/Jurisdictions Scoring Higher
than Kentucky
States/Jurisdictions Scoring About the Same as Kentucky
4th-Grade Mathematics
12
19
20
8th-Grade Mathematics
8
29
14

For more than 40 years, NAEP has been the country’s only nationally representative and continuing survey of students’ educational achievement. The assessment is authorized by Congress, directed by the National Center for Education Statistics and developed by Educational Testing Service of Princeton, New Jersey. Westat, Inc. of Rockville, Maryland, conducts sample selection and data collection.
NAEP protects the confidentiality of students, teachers and schools that participate by not reporting individual student, teacher or school data. NAEP provides results for major demographic groups, and states that meet NAEP reporting criteria are able to compare their results with both national results and the results of other states.
More information is available from http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/.
  Tables that follow provide detailed information about Kentucky’s 4th- and 8th-grade NAEP scale scores by gender, free/reduced-price meal eligibility and ethnicity.

NAEP READING SCALE SCORES BY GENDER


4th Grade Male
4th Grade Female
8th Grade Male
8th Grade Female

KY
NATION
KY
NATION
KY
NATION
KY
NATION
1998
216
210
219
215
256
253
269
268
2002
215
214
224
220
261
258
270
267
2003
215
213
223
220
261
256
272
267
2005
218
214
222
220
258
255
270
266
2007
219
216
226
223
257
256
266
266
2009
222
216
229
223
263
258
271
267
2011
223
217
227
223
264
259
274
268
2013
221
217
228
224
266
261
273
271



NAEP READING SCALE SCORES BY FREE OR REDUCED-PRICE MEAL ELIGIBILITY


4th Grade
Eligible
4th Grade
Not Eligible
8th Grade
Eligible
8th Grade
Not Eligible

KY
NATION
KY
NATION
KY
NATION
KY
NATION
1998
206
195
227
226
251
245
270
268
2002
209
202
229
229
253
249
273
271
2003
209
201
229
229
257
246
273
271
2005
212
203
228
230
256
247
271
270
2007
212
205
234
232
252
247
271
271
2009
215
206
236
232
257
249
276
273
2011
216
207
236
234
260
251
278
275
2013
213
207
237
236
258
254
281
278



NAEP READING SCALE SCORES BY RACE


4th Grade
White
4th Grade
African American
8th Grade
White
8th Grade
African American

KY
NATION
KY
NATION
KY
NATION
KY
NATION
1998
220
223
199
192
264
268
246
242
2002
222
227
199
198
267
271
248
244
2003
221
227
202
197
269
270
245
244
2005
222
228
203
199
266
269
248
242
2007
225
230
203
203
264
270
247
244
2009     
228
229
204
204
269
271
249
245
2011
226
230
210
205
271
272
248
248
2013
227
231
204
205
272
275
247
250



NAEP MATHEMATICS SCALE SCORES BY GENDER

4th Grade Male
4th Grade Female
8th Grade Male
8th Grade Female

KY
NATION
KY
NATION
KY
NATION
KY
NATION
2000
220
225
219
223
271
273
269
271
2003
230
235
227
233
275
277
274
275
2005
233
238
230
236
275
278
273
277
2007
237
240
234
238
280
281
277
279
2009
240
240
238
238
281
283
278
281
2011
242
241
240
239
282
283
281
282
2013
242
242
241
241
281
284
280
283


NAEP MATHEMATICS SCALE SCORES BY FREE OR REDUCED-PRICE MEAL ELIGIBILITY

4th Grade
Eligible-
4th Grade
Not Eligible -
8th Grade
Eligible-
8th Grade
Not Eligible -

KY
NATION
KY
NATION
KY
NATION
KY
NATION
2000
207
208
230
235
255
253
280
283
2003
220
222
237
244
261
258
284
287
2005
224
225
240
248
264
261
283
288
2007
226
227
245
249
267
265
288
291
2009
229
228
249
250
268
266
290
293
2011
232
229
251
252
271
269
294
295
2013
232
230
251
254
268
270
293
297


NAEP MATHEMATICS SCALE SCORES BY RACE

4th Grade
White-
4th Grade
African American
8th Grade
White
8th Grade
African American

KY
NATION
KY
NATION
KY
NATION
KY
NATION
2000
223
233
196
203
272
283
250
243
2003
231
243
214
216
277
287
250
252
2005
234
246
217
220
276
288
255
254
2007
238
248
219
222
282
290
257
259
2009
241
248
220
222
282
292
258
260
2011
243
249
225
224
284
293
261
262
2013
250
244
224
224
283
293
260
263


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

OK, so if we get the kids on an equal footing compared to other states, what are they suppose to do when they graduate? We can't keep hammering about college and career readiness and then not support an economic environment which allows these students to take advantage of their education. So what if my kid goes to college and graduates if our state primarily provides low-mid range service sector jobs which don't take advantage of the overpriced post secondary education our family just invested in for him or her?

I hear our educational leaders bragging about how other states are looking at Kentucky as leading the pack in reform, but you know we heard the same thing way back in KERA era and seems like we have economically lost ground regardless of our efforts to better educate our children.

Just very disappointing to realize that even if our students move to top 10 or top 5 ranking, they will continue to exist in a poor state with unimaginative or forward thinking legislators.

Richard Innes said...

The NAEP scores need to be considered in proper context.

I just finished analyzing Kentucky's 2013 NAEP reading scores after making corrections for our very out of norm racial demographics.

When the national NAEP reading score averages are recomputed using Kentucky's racial demographics, we score statistically significantly lower than the nation in both fourth and eighth grade.

This is related to a well-known statistical issue known as Simpson's Paradox. Those who don't understand this statistical paradox can easily get fooled.