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Status and Trends in the Education of American Indians and Alaska Natives: 2008

NCES 2008-084
September 2008

Academics and Achievements

Indicator 4.1: Motor and Cognitive Skill Development
Indicator 4.2: Student Performance in Reading
Indicator 4.3: Student Performance in Mathematics
Indicator 4.4: Student Performance in Science
Indicator 4.5: Student Performance in U.S. History
Indicator 4.6: Core Academic Coursework
Indicator 4.7: Advanced Coursetaking in High School
Indicator 4.8: Advanced Placement Exams
Indicator 4.9: Student Performance on College Entrance Examinations

This section presents findings on early childhood, elementary, and secondary student achievement and other academic outcomes, and reports on improvements in American Indian/Alaska Native student performance and on closing achievement gaps.

Children enter school with varying levels of knowledge and skill. As students progress through school, it is important to measure their achievement to ensure that they are acquiring necessary skills and understanding challenging subject matter. Academic outcomes are measured as the change in performance over time and the percentage of students achieving predetermined standards of competence.