NAEP Studies - Mathematics 2003 and 2005 Performance in Puerto Rico

The Nation's Report Card:
Mathematics 2003 and 2005 Performance in Puerto Rico—Highlights

March 2007

Authors: G.P. Baxter, M.M. Bleeker, T.L. Waits, and S. Salvucci

Download the complete report in a PDF file for viewing and printing. (1026K PDF)

Executive Summary

The NAEP mathematics assessment was administered to public school students in Puerto Rico for the first time in 2003. Although NAEP had previously administered some of the assessment in Spanish to students who required accommodations, this was the first time an entire NAEP administration was in a language other than English. The NAEP mathematics assessment was administered again to public school students in both fourth and eighth-grades in Puerto Rico in 2005. This report presents the results of the NAEP mathematics assessment for Puerto Rico for 2003 and 2005. Because of modifications to the 2005 Puerto Rico administration, results from 2003 should not be compared to results from 2005. Although parallel changes were not made in the nation in 2005, within year comparisons between Puerto Rico and the nation are valid.

2003 Findings

On average, fourth- and eighth-grade students in Puerto Rico scored lower than public school students in the nation.
At fourth-grade, 9 percent of students in Puerto Rico and 76 percent of students in the nation scored at or above Basic. At eighth-grade, 4 percent of students in Puerto Rico and 67 percent of students in the nation scored at or above Basic.
Fourth-grade female students in Puerto Rico scored significantly higher than male students in the geometry and spatial sense content area.

Figure A. Average fourth-grade NAEP mathematics scores in 2003, by content area

Line graph of average scale scores for Puerto Rico and the nation by grade in 2003: for grade 4; Puerto Rico was 179 and the nation was 234*: for grade 8; Puerto Rico was 212 and the nation was 276*, the asterisks indicates the score was significantly different than students in Puerto Rico.

* Significantly different (p < .05) from students in Puerto Rico.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2005 Mathematics Assessment.

2005 Findings

Overall, fourth- and eighth-grade students in Puerto Rico scored lower, on average, than public school students in the nation.
Twelve percent of students in Puerto Rico and 79 percent of students in the nation scored at or above Basic in grade 4. Six percent of students in Puerto Rico and 68 percent of students in the nation scored at or above Basic in grade 8.
Eighth-grade female students in Puerto Rico scored significantly higher than male students in the data analysis and probability content area.

Figure B. Average eighth-grade NAEP mathematics scores in 2005, by content area

Line graph of average scale scores for Puerto Rico and the nation by grade in 2005: for grade 4; Puerto Rico was 183 and the nation was 237*: for grade 8; Puerto Rico was 218 and the nation was 278*, the asterisks indicates the score was significantly different than students in Puerto Rico.

Download the complete report in a PDF file for viewing and printing. (1026K PDF)

NCES 2007-459 Ordering information

Suggested Citation
Baxter, G.P., Bleeker, M.M., Waits, T.L., Salvucci, S. The Nation’s Report Card: Mathematics 2003 and 2005 Performance in Puerto Rico—Highlights (NCES 2007–459). U.S. Department of Education,
National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

For more information, see the results of the 2005 Mathematics Performance in Puerto Rico on the Nation's Report Card website.

The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2003 and 2005 Performance in Puerto Rico—Highlights