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Digest of Education Statistics
2002 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 124. Percent of students at or above selected mathematics proficiency levels, by sex, race/ethnicity, control of school, and age: 1978 to 1999

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  Sex,  |               9-year-olds\1\                 |          13-year-olds\2\                  |                 17-year-olds\2\
 race/  |______________________________________________|___________________________________________|______________________________________________
 ethni- |  Simple   |Beginning |Numerical |Moderately  |Beginning |Numerical |Moderately|Multi-step|Beginning  |Numerical  |Moderately |Multi-step
 city,  |  arith-   |  skills  |operations|complex     |  skills  |operations|complex   |problem   |skills     |operations |complex    |problem
  con-  |  metic    |  and     | and      |procedures  |  and     | and      |procedures|solving   | and       | and       |procedures |solving
 trol,  | facts\3\  |  under-  |beginning | and        |  under-  |beginning |   and    | and      |under-     |beginning  | and       | and
  and   |           |  stand-  |problem   |reasoning\6\|  stand-  |problem   | reason-  |algebra\7\|standing\4\|problem    | reason-   |algebra\7\
  year  |           |  ing\4\  |solving\5\|            |  ing\4\  |solving\5\|  ing\6\  |          |           |solving\5\ |  ing\6\   |
________|___________|__________|__________|____________|__________|__________|__________|__________|___________|___________|___________|__________
   1    |  2        |  3       |  4       |  5         |  6       |  7       |  8       |  9       |  10       |  11       | 12        | 13
________|___________|__________|__________|____________|__________|__________|__________|__________|___________|___________|___________|__________
 Total  |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
1978 ...| 96.7 (0.3)|70.4 (0.9)|19.6 (0.7)|  0.8  (0.1)|94.6 (0.5)|64.9 (1.2)|18.0 (0.7)| 1.0 (0.2)| 99.8 (0.1)| 92.0 (0.5)|51.5  (1.1)| 7.3 (0.4)
1982 ...| 97.1 (0.3)|71.4 (1.2)|18.8 (1.0)|  0.6  (0.1)|97.7 (0.4)|71.4 (1.2)|17.4 (0.9)| 0.5 (0.1)| 99.9 (0.0)| 93.0 (0.5)|48.5  (1.3)| 5.5 (0.4)
1986 ...| 97.9 (0.3)|74.1 (1.2)|20.7 (0.9)|  0.6  (0.2)|98.6 (0.2)|73.3 (1.6)|15.8 (1.0)| 0.4 (0.1)| 99.9  --- | 95.6 (0.5)|51.7  (1.4)| 6.5 (0.5)
1990 ...| 99.1 (0.2)|81.5 (1.0)|27.7 (0.9)|  1.2  (0.3)|98.5 (0.2)|74.7 (1.0)|17.3 (1.0)| 0.4 (0.1)|100.0  --- | 96.0 (0.5)|56.1  (1.4)| 7.2 (0.6)
1992 ...| 99.0 (0.2)|81.4 (0.8)|27.8 (0.9)|  1.2  (0.3)|98.7 (0.3)|77.9 (1.1)|18.9 (1.0)| 0.4 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 96.6 (0.5)|59.1  (1.3)| 7.2 (0.6)
1994 ...| 99.0 (0.2)|82.0 (0.7)|29.9 (1.1)|  1.3  (0.4)|98.5 (0.3)|78.1 (1.1)|21.3 (1.4)| 0.6 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 96.5 (0.5)|58.6  (1.4)| 7.4 (0.8)
1996 ...| 99.1 (0.2)|81.5 (0.8)|29.7 (1.0)|  1.6  (0.3)|98.8 (0.2)|78.6 (0.9)|20.6 (1.2)| 0.6 (0.1)|100.0  --- | 96.8 (0.4)|60.1  (1.7)| 7.4 (0.8)
1999 ...| 98.9 (0.2)|82.5 (0.8)|30.9 (1.1)|  1.7  (0.3)|98.7 (0.2)|78.8 (1.0)|23.2 (1.0)| 0.9 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 96.8 (0.5)|60.7  (1.6)| 8.4 (0.8)
        |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
  Male  |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
1978 ...| 96.2 (0.5)|68.9 (1.0)|19.2 (0.6)|  0.7  (0.2)|93.9 (0.5)|63.9 (1.3)|18.4 (0.9)| 1.1 (0.2)| 99.9 (0.1)| 93.0 (0.5)|55.1  (1.2)| 9.5 (0.6)
1982 ...| 96.5 (0.5)|68.8 (1.3)|18.1 (1.1)|  0.6  (0.1)|97.5 (0.6)|71.3 (1.4)|18.9 (1.2)| 0.7 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 93.9 (0.6)|51.9  (1.5)| 6.9 (0.7)
1986 ...| 98.0 (0.5)|74.0 (1.4)|20.9 (1.1)|  0.7  (0.3)|98.5 (0.3)|73.8 (1.8)|17.6 (1.1)| 0.5 (0.2)| 99.9  --- | 96.1 (0.6)|54.6  (1.8)| 8.4 (0.9)
1990 ...| 99.0 (0.3)|80.6 (1.0)|27.5 (1.0)|  1.3  (0.4)|98.2 (0.3)|75.1 (1.8)|19.0 (1.2)| 0.5 (0.2)| 99.9  --- | 95.8 (0.8)|57.6  (1.4)| 8.8 (0.8)
1992 ...| 99.0 (0.3)|81.9 (1.0)|29.4 (1.2)|  1.4  (0.3)|98.8 (0.4)|78.1 (1.6)|20.7 (1.1)| 0.5 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 96.9 (0.6)|60.5  (1.8)| 9.1 (0.7)
1994 ...| 99.1 (0.3)|82.3 (0.9)|31.5 (1.6)|  1.4  (0.4)|98.3 (0.4)|78.9 (1.5)|23.9 (1.6)| 0.8 (0.3)|100.0  --- | 97.3 (0.6)|60.2  (2.1)| 9.3 (1.0)
1996 ...| 99.1 (0.2)|82.5 (1.1)|32.7 (1.7)|  2.0  (0.5)|98.7 (0.3)|79.8 (1.4)|23.0 (1.6)| 0.8 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 97.0 (0.7)|62.7  (1.8)| 9.5 (1.3)
1999 ...| 98.8 (0.3)|82.6 (0.9)|32.4 (1.3)|  1.9  (0.4)|98.5 (0.3)|79.3 (1.1)|25.4 (1.2)| 1.2 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 96.5 (0.8)|63.1  (2.1)| 9.8 (1.1)
        |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
 Female |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
1978 ...| 97.2 (0.3)|72.0 (1.1)|19.9 (1.0)|  0.8  (0.2)|95.2 (0.5)|65.9 (1.2)|17.5 (0.7)| 0.9 (0.2)| 99.7 (0.1)| 91.0 (0.6)|48.2  (1.3)| 5.2 (0.7)
1982 ...| 97.6 (0.3)|74.0 (1.3)|19.6 (1.1)|  0.5  (0.1)|98.0 (0.3)|71.4 (1.3)|15.9 (1.0)| 0.4 (0.2)| 99.9 (0.0)| 92.1 (0.6)|45.3  (1.4)| 4.1 (0.4)
1986 ...| 97.8 (0.4)|74.3 (1.3)|20.6 (1.3)|  0.6  (0.3)|98.6 (0.3)|72.7 (1.9)|14.1 (1.3)| 0.3 (0.1)|100.0  --- | 95.1 (0.7)|48.9  (1.7)| 4.7 (0.6)
1990 ...| 99.1 (0.3)|82.3 (1.3)|27.9 (1.3)|  1.0  (0.3)|98.9 (0.2)|74.4 (1.3)|15.7 (1.0)| 0.2 (0.1)|100.0  --- | 96.2 (0.8)|54.7  (1.8)| 5.6 (0.8)
1992 ...| 99.0 (0.3)|80.9 (1.1)|26.3 (1.5)|  1.0  (0.4)|98.6 (0.2)|77.7 (1.1)|17.2 (1.4)| 0.3  --- |100.0  --- | 96.3 (0.8)|57.7  (1.6)| 5.2 (0.8)
1994 ...| 98.9 (0.3)|81.7 (0.9)|28.3 (1.3)|  1.1  (0.4)|98.7 (0.3)|77.3 (1.0)|18.7 (1.4)| 0.5 (0.3)|100.0  --- | 96.0 (0.6)|57.2  (1.4)| 5.5 (0.9)
1996 ...| 99.1 (0.4)|80.7 (0.9)|26.7 (1.1)|  1.2  (0.4)|98.8 (0.3)|77.4 (1.1)|18.4 (1.5)| 0.5 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 96.7 (0.6)|57.6  (2.2)| 5.3 (0.8)
1999 ...| 99.0 (0.2)|82.5 (1.2)|29.4 (1.4)|  1.6  (0.4)|99.0 (0.4)|78.4 (1.2)|21.0 (1.4)| 0.6 (0.3)|100.0  --- | 97.2 (0.4)|58.5  (1.9)| 7.1 (1.1)
        |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
 White, |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
non-His-|           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
 panic  |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
1978 ...| 98.3 (0.2)|76.3 (1.0)|22.9 (0.9)|  0.9  (0.2)|97.6 (0.3)|72.9 (0.9)|21.4 (0.7)| 1.2 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 95.6 (0.3)|57.6  (1.1)| 8.5 (0.5)
1982 ...| 98.5 (0.3)|76.8 (1.2)|21.8 (1.1)|  0.6  (0.1)|99.1 (0.1)|78.3 (0.9)|20.5 (1.0)| 0.6 (0.1)|100.0  --- | 96.2 (0.3)|54.7  (1.4)| 6.4 (0.5)
1986 ...| 98.8 (0.2)|79.6 (1.3)|24.6 (1.0)|  0.8  (0.3)|99.3 (0.3)|78.9 (1.7)|18.6 (1.2)| 0.4 (0.1)|100.0  --- | 98.0 (0.4)|59.1  (1.7)| 7.9 (0.7)
1990 ...| 99.6 (0.2)|86.9 (0.9)|32.7 (1.0)|  1.5  (0.4)|99.4 (0.1)|82.0 (1.0)|21.0 (1.2)| 0.4 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 97.6 (0.3)|63.2  (1.6)| 8.3 (0.7)
1992 ...| 99.6 (0.1)|86.9 (0.7)|32.4 (1.0)|  1.4  (0.3)|99.6 (0.2)|84.9 (1.1)|22.8 (1.3)| 0.4 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 98.3 (0.4)|66.4  (1.4)| 8.7 (0.9)
1994 ...| 99.6 (0.2)|87.0 (0.8)|35.3 (1.3)|  1.5  (0.4)|99.3 (0.2)|85.5 (0.9)|25.6 (1.6)| 0.7 (0.3)|100.0  --- | 98.4 (0.4)|67.0  (1.4)| 9.4 (1.1)
1996 ...| 99.6 (0.1)|86.6 (0.8)|35.7 (1.4)|  2.0  (0.4)|99.6 (0.2)|86.4 (1.0)|25.4 (1.5)| 0.8 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 98.7 (0.4)|68.7  (2.2)| 9.2 (1.0)
1999 ...| 99.6 (0.1)|88.6 (0.8)|37.1 (1.4)|  2.2  (0.4)|99.4 (0.3)|86.7 (0.9)|29.0 (1.3)| 1.2 (0.3)|100.0  --- | 98.7 (0.4)|69.9  (2.0)|10.4 (1.1)
        |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
 Black, |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
non-His-|           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
 panic  |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
1978 ...| 88.4 (1.0)|42.0 (1.4)| 4.1 (0.6)|  0.0   --- |79.7 (1.5)|28.7 (2.1)| 2.3 (0.5)| 0.0  --- | 98.8 (0.3)| 70.7 (1.7)|16.8  (1.6)| 0.5 (0.2)
1982 ...| 90.2 (1.0)|46.1 (2.4)| 4.4 (0.8)|  0.0   --- |90.2 (1.6)|37.9 (2.5)| 2.9 (1.0)| 0.0  --- | 99.7 (0.2)| 76.4 (1.5)|17.1  (1.5)| 0.5 (0.3)
1986 ...| 93.9 (1.4)|53.4 (2.5)| 5.6 (0.9)|  0.1   --- |95.4 (0.9)|49.0 (3.7)| 4.0 (1.4)| 0.1  --- |100.0  --- | 85.6 (2.5)|20.8  (2.8)| 0.2  ---
1990 ...| 96.9 (0.9)|60.0 (2.8)| 9.4 (1.7)|  0.1   --- |95.4 (1.1)|48.7 (3.6)| 3.9 (1.6)| 0.1  --- | 99.9  --- | 92.4 (2.2)|32.8  (4.5)| 2.0 (1.0)
1992 ...| 96.6 (1.1)|59.8 (2.8)| 9.6 (1.4)|  0.1   --- |95.0 (1.4)|51.0 (2.7)| 4.0 (0.7)| 0.1  --- |100.0  --- | 89.6 (2.5)|29.8  (3.9)| 0.9  ---
1994 ...| 97.4 (1.0)|65.9 (2.6)|11.1 (1.7)|  0.0   --- |95.6 (1.6)|51.0 (3.9)| 6.4 (2.4)| 0.3  --- |100.0  --- | 90.6 (1.8)|29.8  (3.4)| 0.4  ---
1996 ...| 97.3 (0.8)|65.3 (2.4)|10.0 (1.2)|  0.1   --- |96.2 (1.3)|53.7 (2.6)| 4.8 (1.1)| 0.1  --- |100.0  --- | 90.6 (1.3)|31.2  (2.5)| 0.9  ---
1999 ...| 96.4 (0.6)|63.3 (2.1)|12.3 (1.5)|  0.2   --- |96.5 (1.1)|50.8 (4.0)| 4.4 (1.4)| 0.0  --- | 99.9  --- | 88.6 (2.0)|26.6  (2.7)| 1.0  ---
        |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
Hispan- |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
   ic   |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
1978 ...| 93.0 (1.2)|54.2 (2.8)| 9.2 (2.5)|  0.2   --- |86.4 (0.9)|36.0 (2.9)| 4.0 (1.0)| 0.1  --- | 99.3 (0.4)| 78.3 (2.3)|23.4  (2.7)| 1.4 (0.6)
1982 ...| 94.3 (1.2)|55.7 (2.3)| 7.8 (1.7)|  0.0   --- |95.9 (0.9)|52.2 (2.5)| 6.3 (1.0)| 0.0  --- | 99.8  --- | 81.4 (1.9)|21.6  (2.2)| 0.7 (0.4)
1986 ...| 96.4 (1.3)|57.6 (2.9)| 7.3 (2.8)|  0.1   --- |96.9 (1.4)|56.0 (5.0)| 5.5 (1.1)| 0.2  --- | 99.4  --- | 89.3 (2.5)|26.5  (4.5)| 1.1  ---
1990 ...| 98.0 (0.8)|68.4 (3.0)|11.3 (3.5)|  0.2   --- |96.8 (1.1)|56.7 (3.3)| 6.4 (1.7)| 0.1  --- | 99.6  --- | 85.8 (4.2)|30.1  (3.1)| 1.9 (0.8)
1992 ...| 97.2 (1.3)|65.0 (2.9)|11.7 (2.5)|  0.1   --- |98.1 (0.7)|63.3 (2.7)| 7.0 (1.2)| 0.0  --- |100.0  --- | 94.1 (2.2)|39.2  (4.9)| 1.2  ---
1994 ...| 97.2 (1.2)|63.5 (3.1)| 9.7 (1.8)|  0.0   --- |97.1 (1.3)|59.2 (2.2)| 6.4 (1.8)| 0.0  --- |100.0  --- | 91.8 (3.6)|38.3  (5.5)| 1.4  ---
1996 ...| 98.1 (0.7)|67.1 (2.1)|13.8 (2.3)|  0.2   --- |96.2 (0.8)|58.3 (2.3)| 6.7 (1.2)| 0.0  --- | 99.9  --- | 92.2 (2.2)|40.1  (3.5)| 1.8  ---
1999 ...| 98.1 (0.7)|67.5 (2.5)|10.5 (1.6)|  0.1   --- |97.2 (0.6)|62.9 (2.5)| 8.2 (1.4)| 0.1  --- | 99.9  --- | 93.6 (2.2)|37.7  (4.1)| 3.1 (1.1)
        |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
 Public |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
1978 ...| 96.4 (0.3)|68.8 (0.9)|18.5 (0.7)|  0.7  (0.2)|94.1 (0.5)|63.3 (1.2)|17.0 (0.8)| 0.9 (0.2)| 99.8 (0.1)| 91.7 (0.5)|50.6  (1.2)| 7.0 (0.4)
1982 ...| 96.8 (0.4)|69.4 (1.2)|17.3 (0.9)|  0.5  (0.1)|97.5 (0.4)|69.7 (1.3)|16.4 (1.0)| 0.5 (0.1)| 99.9 (0.0)| 92.5 (0.6)|46.9  (1.3)| 5.2 (0.4)
1986 ...| 97.7 (0.3)|72.7 (1.4)|19.1 (1.1)|  0.6  (0.2)|98.5 (0.3)|72.9 (1.7)|15.6 (1.0)| 0.4 (0.1)| 99.9  --- | 95.5 (0.5)|50.7  (1.6)| 6.1 (0.5)
1990 ...| 99.0 (0.2)|80.5 (1.1)|26.8 (1.0)|  1.1  (0.3)|98.4 (0.2)|73.3 (1.2)|16.7 (1.1)| 0.3 (0.1)|100.0  --- | 95.8 (0.6)|55.0  (1.3)| 6.5 (0.5)
1992 ...| 98.8 (0.3)|79.7 (0.9)|26.1 (0.9)|  1.1  (0.3)|98.5 (0.3)|76.3 (1.2)|18.0 (1.0)| 0.3 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 96.3 (0.6)|56.9  (1.2)| 6.7 (0.7)
1994 ...| 98.9 (0.3)|80.6 (0.8)|27.9 (1.2)|  1.1  (0.4)|98.5 (0.3)|76.7 (1.2)|20.0 (1.4)| 0.6 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 96.2 (0.5)|56.2  (1.3)| 6.4 (0.7)
1996 ...| 99.0 (0.2)|80.7 (0.8)|28.3 (1.1)|  1.5  (0.3)|98.6 (0.2)|77.2 (0.9)|19.2 (1.3)| 0.6 (0.1)|100.0  --- | 96.7 (0.5)|59.0  (1.8)| 7.1 (0.7)
1999 ...| 98.8 (0.2)|81.4 (1.0)|29.4 (1.2)|  1.6  (0.3)|98.7 (0.2)|77.3 (1.3)|21.6 (1.3)| 0.8 (0.2)|100.0  --- | 96.4 (0.5)|58.6  (1.6)| 7.9 (0.7)
        |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
Private |           |          |          |            |          |          |          |          |           |           |           |
1978 ...| 99.0  --- |83.3 (1.9)|28.4 (2.0)|  1.2  (0.4)|99.0 (0.4)|80.8 (1.7)|26.9 (1.8)| 1.4 (0.4)|100.0  --- | 97.1 (0.6)|67.7  (3.3)|12.9 (2.7)
1982 ...| 99.0 (0.4)|84.3 (2.1)|28.6 (2.6)|  1.0  (0.6)|99.5 (0.3)|85.1 (1.6)|26.3 (3.1)| 1.0 (0.3)|100.0  --- | 98.1 (0.5)|66.3  (2.4)| 8.2 (1.4)
1986 ...| 98.7 (0.8)|81.8 (2.3)|28.9 (2.7)|  1.1  (0.6)|98.9 (0.6)|81.9 (3.3)|22.0 (6.8)| 0.1  --- |100.0  --- | 99.4  --- |75.1 (10.6)|16.3 (9.1)
1990 ...| 99.7  --- |89.3 (1.8)|35.2 (3.3)|  1.8  (1.2)|99.7  --- |87.0 (2.0)|23.2 (2.5)| 0.7 (0.4)|100.0  --- | 98.2 (1.2)|71.0  (7.9)|15.7 (5.3)
1992 ...| 99.8 (0.1)|92.2 (1.2)|38.6 (2.7)|  1.9  (0.7)|99.9  --- |89.7 (2.1)|25.9 (3.7)| 0.7 (0.4)|100.0  --- | 99.5  --- |79.5  (3.7)|12.2 (2.7)
1994 ...| 99.8  --- |92.3 (1.3)|44.4 (4.0)|  2.2  (0.8)|98.7  --- |88.5 (2.6)|30.7 (3.7)| 1.0  --- |100.0  --- | 98.8 (0.6)|75.7  (4.3)|14.5 (3.5)
1996 ...| 99.6  --- |87.1 (1.5)|38.7 (3.0)|  2.1  (1.1)|99.6  --- |89.3 (3.5)|31.6 (4.8)| 1.0 (0.6)|100.0  --- | 98.5 (0.8)|71.5  (6.4)|10.4 (4.0)
1999 ...| 99.8  --- |90.5 (1.6)|40.6 (2.9)|  2.6  (0.9)|99.2  --- |90.4 (2.6)|35.4 (3.1)| 1.9 (0.8)|100.0  --- | 99.7  --- |78.2  (6.1)|13.1 (4.6)
________|___________|__________|__________|____________|__________|__________|__________|__________|___________|___________|___________|__________

---Not available.
\1\Virtually no students were able to perform multistep problems and algebra.
\2\Virtually all students knew simple arithmetic facts. Data are only for students enrolled in school.
\3\Scale score of 150 or above.
\4\Scale score of 200 or above.
\5\Scale score of 250 or above.
\6\Scale score of 300 or above.
\7\Scale score of 350 or above.

NOTE: Mathematics proficiency levels measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Standard errors appear in parentheses.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Assessment of Educational Progress, NAEP Trends in Academic Progress, various years, by Educational Testing Service. (This table was prepared November 2001.)


2002 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest