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 Average mathematics scale scores, grades 4 and 8: 1990–2003

* Significantly different from 2003.
NOTE: In addition to allowing for accommodations, the accommodations-permitted results (1996–2003) differ slightly from previous years' results and from previously reported results for 1996 and 2000, due to changes in sample weighting procedures.
Significance tests were performed using unrounded numbers. NAEP sample sizes have increased in 2003 compared to previous years, resulting in smaller detectable differences than in previous assessments.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2003 Mathematics Assessments. 

Major Finding

• Average mathematics scores were higher in 2003 than in all the previous assessment years at both grades 4 and 8.

See national achievement-level results for grade 4 and grade 8.

See information about the percentages of students excluded and assessed:

• accommodations not permitted (national); and
• accommodations permitted (national).

Explore national scale score results by percentiles for grade 4 and grade 8.

Return to main results.

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Last updated 20 October 2003 (SW)