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Digest of Education Statistics
2004 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 120. Average mathematics scale score, by age and selected student and school characteristics: Selected years, 1973 to 2004

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Selected student and         |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
school characteristic        |     1973 |     1978 |     1982 |     1986 |     1990 |     1992 |     1994 |     1996 |     1999 |     2004
_____________________________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________
1                            |        2 |        3 |        4 |        5 |        6 |        7 |        8 |        9 |       10 |       11
_____________________________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________
9-year-olds                  |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
   Total ....................|  219(0.8)|  219(0.8)|  219(1.1)|  222(1.0)|  230(0.8)|  230(0.8)|  231(0.8)|  231(0.8)|  232(0.8)|  241(0.9)
                             |__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________
Sex                          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
  Male ......................|  218(0.7)|  217(0.7)|  217(1.2)|  222(1.1)|  229(0.9)|  231(1.0)|  232(1.0)|  233(1.2)|  233(1.0)|  243(1.1)
  Female ....................|  220(1.1)|  220(1.0)|  221(1.2)|  222(1.2)|  230(1.1)|  228(1.0)|  230(0.9)|  229(0.7)|  231(0.9)|  240(1.1)
                             |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
Race/ethnicity               |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
  White, non-Hispanic .......|  225(1.0)|  224(0.9)|  224(1.1)|  227(1.1)|  235(0.8)|  235(0.8)|  237(1.0)|  237(1.0)|  239(0.9)|  247(0.9)
  Black, non-Hispanic .......|  190(1.8)|  192(1.1)|  195(1.6)|  202(1.6)|  208(2.2)|  208(2.0)|  212(1.6)|  212(1.4)|  211(1.6)|  224(2.1)
  Hispanic ..................|  202(2.4)|  203(2.2)|  204(1.3)|  205(2.1)|  214(2.1)|  212(2.3)|  210(2.3)|  215(1.7)|  213(1.9)|  230(2.0)
                             |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
Region                       |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
  Northeast .................|  227(1.9)|  227(1.9)|  226(1.8)|  226(2.7)|  236(2.1)|  235(1.9)|  238(2.2)|  236(2.0)|  242(1.7)|  245(2.0)
  Southeast .................|  208(1.3)|  209(1.2)|  210(2.5)|  218(2.5)|  224(2.4)|  221(1.7)|  229(1.4)|  227(2.0)|  227(2.6)|  240(2.2)
  Central ...................|  224(1.5)|  224(1.5)|  221(2.7)|  226(2.3)|  231(1.3)|  234(1.6)|  233(1.8)|  233(2.3)|  233(1.4)|  240(1.5)
  West ......................|  216(2.2)|  214(1.3)|  219(1.8)|  217(2.4)|  229(1.8)|  229(2.3)|  226(1.6)|  229(1.3)|  228(1.7)|  241(1.8)
                             |==========|==========|==========|==========|==========|==========|==========|==========|==========|==========
13-year-olds                 |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
   Total ....................|  266(1.1)|  264(1.1)|  269(1.1)|  269(1.2)|  270(0.9)|  273(0.9)|  274(1.0)|  274(0.8)|  276(0.8)|  281(1.0)
                             |__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________
Sex                          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
  Male ......................|  265(1.3)|  264(1.3)|  269(1.4)|  270(1.1)|  271(1.2)|  274(1.1)|  276(1.3)|  276(0.9)|  277(0.9)|  283(1.2)
  Female ....................|  267(1.1)|  265(1.1)|  268(1.1)|  268(1.5)|  270(0.9)|  272(1.0)|  273(1.0)|  272(1.0)|  275(1.1)|  279(1.0)
                             |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
Race/ethnicity               |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
  White, non-Hispanic .......|  274(0.9)|  272(0.8)|  274(1.0)|  274(1.3)|  276(1.1)|  279(0.9)|  281(0.9)|  281(0.9)|  283(0.8)|  288(0.9)
  Black, non-Hispanic .......|  228(1.9)|  230(1.9)|  240(1.6)|  249(2.3)|  249(2.3)|  250(1.9)|  252(3.5)|  252(1.3)|  251(2.6)|  262(1.6)
  Hispanic ..................|  239(2.2)|  238(2.0)|  252(1.7)|  254(2.9)|  255(1.8)|  259(1.8)|  256(1.9)|  256(1.6)|  259(1.7)|  265(2.0)
                             |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
Parents' highest level       |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
   of education              |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
  Not high school graduate ..|  --- (†) |  245(1.2)|  251(1.4)|  252(2.3)|  253(1.8)|  256(1.0)|  255(2.1)|  254(2.4)|  256(2.8)|  262(2.2)
  Graduated high school .....|  --- (†) |  263(1.0)|  263(0.8)|  263(1.2)|  263(1.2)|  263(1.2)|  266(1.1)|  267(1.1)|  264(1.1)|  271(1.7)
  Some education after       |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
     high school ............|  --- (†) |  273(1.2)|  275(0.9)|  274(0.8)|  277(1.0)|  278(1.0)|  277(1.6)|  278(1.4)|  279(0.9)|  283(1.0)
  Graduated college .........|  --- (†) |  284(1.2)|  282(1.5)|  280(1.4)|  280(1.0)|  283(1.0)|  285(1.2)|  283(1.2)|  286(1.0)|  292(0.9)
                             |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
Region                       |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
  Northeast .................|  275(2.4)|  273(2.4)|  277(2.0)|  277(2.2)|  275(2.3)|  274(2.2)|  284(1.5)|  275(2.1)|  279(2.7)|  284(2.1)
  Southeast .................|  255(3.2)|  253(3.3)|  258(2.2)|  264(1.4)|  266(1.9)|  271(2.5)|  269(2.0)|  270(1.8)|  270(2.3)|  278(2.1)
  Central ...................|  271(1.8)|  269(1.8)|  273(2.1)|  266(4.5)|  272(2.4)|  275(1.5)|  275(3.4)|  280(1.3)|  278(1.8)|  283(2.2)
  West ......................|  262(1.9)|  260(1.9)|  266(2.4)|  270(2.1)|  269(1.6)|  272(1.4)|  272(1.7)|  273(1.9)|  276(1.4)|  280(1.4)
                             |==========|==========|==========|==========|==========|==========|==========|==========|==========|==========
17-year-olds                 |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
   Total ....................|  304(1.1)|  300(1.0)|  299(0.9)|  302(0.9)|  305(0.9)|  307(0.9)|  306(1.0)|  307(1.2)|  308(1.0)|  307(0.8)
                             |__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________
Sex                          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
  Male ......................|  309(1.2)|  304(1.0)|  302(1.0)|  305(1.2)|  306(1.1)|  309(1.1)|  309(1.4)|  310(1.3)|  310(1.4)|  308(1.0)
  Female ....................|  301(1.1)|  297(1.0)|  296(1.0)|  299(1.0)|  303(1.1)|  305(1.1)|  304(1.1)|  305(1.4)|  307(1.0)|  305(0.9)
                             |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
Race/ethnicity               |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
  White, non-Hispanic .......|  310(1.1)|  306(0.9)|  304(0.9)|  308(1.0)|  310(1.0)|  312(0.8)|  312(1.1)|  313(1.4)|  315(1.1)|  313(0.7)
  Black, non-Hispanic .......|  270(1.3)|  268(1.3)|  272(1.2)|  279(2.1)|  289(2.8)|  286(2.2)|  286(1.8)|  286(1.7)|  283(1.5)|  285(1.6)
  Hispanic ..................|  277(2.2)|  276(2.3)|  277(1.8)|  283(2.9)|  284(2.9)|  292(2.6)|  291(3.7)|  292(2.1)|  293(2.5)|  289(1.8)
                             |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
Parents' highest level       |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
   of education              |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
  Not high school graduate ..|  --- (†) |  280(1.2)|  279(1.0)|  279(2.3)|  285(2.2)|  286(2.3)|  284(2.4)|  281(2.4)|  289(1.8)|  287(2.4)
  Graduated high school .....|  --- (†) |  294(0.8)|  293(0.8)|  293(1.0)|  294(0.9)|  298(1.7)|  295(1.1)|  297(2.4)|  299(1.6)|  295(1.1)
  Some education after       |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
     high school ............|  --- (†) |  305(0.9)|  304(0.9)|  305(1.2)|  308(1.0)|  308(1.1)|  305(1.3)|  307(1.5)|  308(1.6)|  306(1.1)
  Graduated college .........|  --- (†) |  317(1.0)|  312(1.0)|  314(1.4)|  316(1.3)|  316(1.0)|  318(1.4)|  317(1.3)|  317(1.2)|  317(0.9)
                             |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
Region                       |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |
  Northeast .................|  312(1.8)|  307(1.8)|  304(2.0)|  307(1.9)|  304(2.1)|  311(2.0)|  313(2.9)|  309(3.0)|  313(2.4)|  310(1.4)
  Southeast .................|  296(1.8)|  292(1.7)|  292(2.1)|  297(1.4)|  301(2.3)|  301(1.9)|  301(1.6)|  303(2.1)|  300(1.4)|  302(1.3)
  Central ...................|  306(1.8)|  305(1.9)|  302(1.4)|  304(1.9)|  311(2.1)|  312(2.0)|  307(2.2)|  314(2.0)|  310(2.0)|  313(1.0)
  West ......................|  303(2.0)|  296(1.8)|  294(1.9)|  299(2.7)|  302(1.5)|  303(1.5)|  305(2.4)|  304(2.3)|  310(2.0)|  303(1.9)
_____________________________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________

---Not available.
†Not applicable.

NOTE: Excludes persons not enrolled in school and those who were unable to be tested due to limited proficiency in English or due to a disability. Includes public and private schools. A score of 150 implies the knowledge of some basic addition and subtraction facts, and most can add 2-digit numbers without regrouping. They recognize simple situations in which addition and subtraction apply. A score of 200 implies considerable understanding of 2-digit numbers and knowledge of some basic multiplication and division facts. A score of 250 implies an initial understanding of the four basic operations. They can also compare information from graphs and charts, and are developing an ability to analyze simple logical relations. A score of 300 implies an ability to compute decimals, simple fractions and percents. They can identify geometric figures, measure lengths and angles, and calculate areas of rectangles. They are developing the skills to operate with signed numbers, exponents, and square roots. A score of 350 implies an ability to apply a range of reasoning skills to solve multistep problems. They can solve routine problems involving fractions and percents, recognize properties of basic geometric figures, and work with exponents and square roots. Scale ranges from 0 to 500. Totals include other racial/ethnic groups not shown separately. Standard errors appear in parentheses.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress, NAEP Trends in Academic Progress, various years. (This table was prepared July 2005.)