Elementary and Secondary Education

Assessments

Table A-3-3. Average scores for selected language, literacy, mathematics, and motor skills, and percentage of children demonstrating proficiency in selected literacy, mathematics, and color identification skills at about 4 years old, by selected child and family characteristics: 2005–06

Characteristic	Language knowledge and skills		Literacy knowledge and skills				Mathematics knowledge and skills		Percent scoring 10 out of 10 in color knowledge⁴	Average fine motor skills score⁸
Characteristic	Average receptive vocabulary score¹	Average expressive vocabulary score²	Average overall literacy score³	Percent proficient at letter recognition⁴	Average phonological awareness score⁵	Average conventions of print score⁶	Average overall mathematics score⁷	Percent proficient in numbers and shapes⁴	Percent scoring 10 out of 10 in color knowledge⁴	Average fine motor skills score⁸
Total	8.6	2.4	13.2	32.7	3.3	2.5	22.8	65.4	63.6	3.4
Sex
Male	8.4	2.3	12.7	30.8	3.3	2.4	22.3	62.3	61.3	3.1
Female	8.8	2.6	13.7	34.8	3.4	2.6	23.3	68.7	66.1	3.7

Race/ethnicity⁹
White	9.2	2.6	14.2	36.8	3.5	2.7	24.2	73.1	71.0	3.5
Black	8.0	2.4	12.0	28.3	3.2	2.3	20.6	54.7	55.3	3.2
Hispanic	7.4	2.1	10.7	23.0	3.0	2.0	20.1	51.4	50.2	3.3
Asian	7.9	2.1	17.5	49.4	3.9	3.3	26.3	81.2	70.7	4.5
Pacific Islander	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡
American Indian/Alaska Native	7.9	2.1	9.6	18.8	2.9	1.8	17.6	39.9	43.9	3.0
More than one race	9.0	2.5	13.9	35.4	3.5	2.7	23.0	65.4	63.1	3.5

Primary type of care arrangement
No regular nonparental
arrangement	8.1	2.3	11.4	25.6	3.1	2.2	20.6	53.4	51.6	3.1
Home-based care
Relative care	8.3	2.3	11.4	25.8	3.1	2.2	20.9	55.4	53.4	3.2
Nonrelative care	8.6	2.5	12.8	31.5	3.3	2.4	23.2	67.6	63.8	3.3
Head Start	7.9	2.3	11.2	25.0	3.1	2.1	20.6	54.7	52.6	3.2
Other center-based care	9.0	2.6	14.9	39.5	3.6	2.8	24.6	75.0	73.5	3.6
Multiple arrangements	8.6	2.5	12.7	30.8	3.3	2.4	22.5	65.3	67.1	3.2

Parents’ highest level of education
Less than high school	7.1	1.9	8.9	16.0	2.7	1.7	17.9	39.5	36.9	3.1
High school diploma or equivalent	7.9	2.3	10.6	22.8	3.0	2.0	19.9	50.5	51.3	3.1
Some college	8.6	2.5	12.4	29.8	3.2	2.4	22.4	64.5	64.5	3.4
Bachelor’s degree	9.2	2.7	15.4	41.6	3.6	3.0	25.5	81.0	75.6	3.7
Any graduate education	9.7	2.7	18.1	51.9	4.0	3.5	27.4	86.0	81.0	3.9

Mother’s employment status
Full-time (35 hours or more)	8.6	2.5	13.4	33.6	3.4	2.6	23.3	68.3	67.5	3.5
Part-time (less than 35 hours)	8.8	2.5	13.7	34.6	3.4	2.6	23.4	69.0	63.5	3.5
Looking for work	7.9	2.2	10.7	23.2	3.0	2.0	19.7	47.5	47.1	3.0
Not in labor force	8.6	2.4	13.1	32.5	3.3	2.5	22.4	63.2	62.1	3.3
No mother in household	8.2	2.2	10.7	23.4	3.0	2.0	20.6	53.8	58.7	3.0

Poverty status
In poverty	7.7	2.1	9.9	20.1	2.9	1.9	18.9	44.8	46.8	3.1
At or above poverty	8.9	2.5	14.2	36.7	3.5	2.7	24.0	71.8	68.8	3.5

Socioeconomic status (SES)¹⁰
Lowest 20 percent	7.3	2.0	9.2	17.2	2.8	1.7	18.0	40.1	42.8	3.0
Middle 60 percent	8.6	2.5	12.7	30.8	3.3	2.4	22.6	65.3	63.5	3.4
Highest 20 percent	9.8	2.8	18.0	51.2	4.0	3.4	27.5	87.1	81.7	3.9
‡ Reporting standards not met.
¹ Potential score ranges from 0 to 15.
² Potential score ranges from 0 to 5.
³ Potential score ranges from 0 to 37.
⁴ Percentages reflect children who demonstrated mastery or “proficiency” within a subscale measuring specific skills.
⁵ Potential score ranges from 0 to 8.
⁶ Potential score ranges from 0 to 8.
⁷ Potential score ranges from 0 to 44.
⁸ Potential score ranges from 0 to 7.
⁹ Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.
¹⁰ Children are grouped into quintiles and classified into low, middle, and high SES based on a standardized composite index score of their parents’ education level, mother’s and father’s occupation, and family’s income. See glossary for a definition of socioeconomic status.
NOTE: The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) sampled children born in 2001. Estimates for 4-year-olds pertain to children assessed between 48 and 57 months old. For more information on race/ethnicity, parents’ education, SES, and poverty, see supplemental note 1. For more information on ECLS-B, see supplemental note 3. See glossary for definitions of cognitive development and motor development.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), Longitudinal 9-month–Preschool Restricted-Use Data File.

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