Youth Indicators 1996 / Indicator 35

Indicator 35. Mathematics Proficiency

Mathematics proficiency, by age and by selected characteristics of students: 1978, 1990 and 1992

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      Selected          9-year-olds          13-year-olds       17-year-olds1/
   characteristics    -------------------- -------------------- --------------------
     of students       1978   1990   1992   1978   1990   1992   1978   1990   1992
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      All students ...  219    230    230    264    270    273    300    305    307

Sex
  Male ...............  217    229    231    264    271    274    304    306    309
  Female .............  220    230    228    265    270    272    297    303    304

Race/ethnicity
  White ..............  224    235    235    272    276    279    306    310    312
  Black ..............  192    208    208    230    249    250    268    288    286
  Hispanic ...........  203    214    212    238    255    259    276    284    292

Television watched
 per day
  0 to 2 hours .......  ---    231    231    ---    277    280    305    312    314
  3 to 5 hours .......  ---    234    233    ---    271    273    296    300    300
  6 or more hours ....  ---    221    219    ---    258    255    278    287    285

Reading materials in
 the home2/
  0 to 2 items .......  202    217    216    240    255    257    277    289    291
  3 items ............  221    232    231    268    268    272    296    300    304
  4 items ............  231    241    240    276    278    281    308    311    313

Language other than
 English
  Often ..............  ---    209    212    ---    259    261    288    295    296
  Sometimes ..........  ---    231    232    ---    277    278    300    305    306
  Never ..............  ---    232    231    ---    270    273    303    306    308

Types of School
  Public .............  217    229    228    243    269    272    300    304    305
  Non-Public .........  231    238    242    279    280    283    314    318    320
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-Data not available.

/1/ All participants of this age group were in school.

/2/ The 4 items in the scale were: newspaper subscription; magazine subscription; more than 25 books in the home; and encyclopedia in the home.

NOTE: The NAEP scores range from 0 to 500, but have been evaluated at certain performance levels. Performers at the 150 level know some basic addition and subtraction facts, and most can add two-digit numbers without regrouping. They recognize simple situations in which addition and subtraction apply. Performers at the 200 level have considerable understanding of two-digit numbers and know some basic multiplication and division facts. Performers at the 250 level have 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. Performers at the 300 level can 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. Performers at the 350 level can apply a range of reasoning skills to solve multi-step problems. They can solve routine problems involving fractions and percents, recognize properties of basic geometric figures, and work with exponents and square roots.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress, NAEP 1992 Trends in Academic Progress, and unpublished data.

Indicator chart and text.

[Indicator 34. Writing Proficiency] [Indicator 36. Science Proficiency]