The Nation's Report Card: 
Trial Urban District Assessment Mathematics 2007

November 2007

Authors: Anthony D. Lutkus, Wendy S. Grigg, and Gloria S. Dion

Download sections of the report (or the complete report) in a PDF file for viewing and printing.

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Executive Summary

Changes in NAEP Mathematics Scores

Context for Urban District Results

Gains Made by Black, Hispanic, and Lower-Income Students

Lower-Income Students in Many Districts Outperform Peers in Nation

Half of Districts Perform Higher Than Large Central Cities

At both grades 4 and 8, most districts had higher percentages of students performing at or above Basic and Proficient in 2007 compared with 2003. In general, there was a reduction in percentages of students performing below Basic and an increase in percentages at or above Basic.

The results from the NAEP Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) make it possible to compare the performance of students in participating urban school districts to that of public school students in the nation, in large central cities (population over 250,000), and to each other.

About 38,000 fourth- and eighth-graders from 11 urban districts (Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, District of Columbia, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Diego) participated in the third TUDA in mathematics in 2007. Ten of the districts also have results for two previous assessments (2003 and 2005). Results for Austin are reported for one earlier assessment (2005).

At grade 4

• Eight districts showed increases compared with 2003, four districts had higher average scores compared with 2005, and one district had a lower average score in 2007 compared with 2005.
• All eight districts showing increases since 2003 also had higher percentages of students performing at or above Basic and at or above Proficient, and five had higher percentages of students at Advanced.

At grade 8

• Eight districts showed increases compared with 2003, and six districts had higher average scores than in 2005.
• Of the eight districts showing score increases since 2003, seven had higher percentages of students at or above Basic, six had higher percentages at or above Proficient, and four had higher percentages at Advanced.

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Changes in NAEP Mathematics Scores

District	Grade 4		Grade 8
	Since 2003	Since 2005	Since 2003	Since 2005
Atlanta
Austin
Boston
Charlotte
Chicago
Cleveland
District of Columbia
Houston
Los Angeles
New York City
San Diego

	Indicates the score was higher in 2007.
	Indicates the score was lower in 2007.
	Indicates there was no significant change in the score in 2007.
	District did not participate in 2003.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2007 Trial Urban District Mathematics Assessment.

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Context for Urban District Results It is important to examine the results for each of the districts by race/ethnicity and family income status. There is generally a higher concentration of minority (races other than White) and lower-income families in these urban districts than in the nation as a whole. For example, Black and Hispanic students made up about 38 percent of fourth-graders in the nation, but between 56 and 92 percent of the fourth-graders across the 11 districts. At grade 8, between 49 and 100 percent of students in each of the participating districts were eligible for the National School Lunch Program (an indicator of poverty) in 2007, compared to 41 percent of eighth-graders nationally. In many cases, when scores for only Black, Hispanic, or lower-income students in the districts are compared with their peers nationally, students in the districts score comparably or higher. Additionally, over time these student groups are making gains.

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Gains Made by Black, Hispanic, and Lower-Income Students

At grade 4, compared with 2003, scores were higher for

• White students in four districts, Black students in five districts, Hispanic students in six districts, lower-income students in eight districts, and
• all three racial/ethnic groups in two of the districts.

At grade 8, compared with 2003, scores were higher for

• White students in four districts, Black students in six districts, Hispanic students in four districts, lower-income students in eight districts, and
• all three racial/ethnic groups in two districts.

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Lower-Income Students in Many Districts Outperform Peers in Nation

When results for only lower-income students in 2007 were compared at grade 4

• five districts had higher average scores than the score for lower-income students in the nation, and

• six districts scored lower.

When only scores for lower-income students were compared at grade 8

• six districts had scores that were higher than or not significantly different from the score for lower-income students in the nation, and

• five districts scored lower.

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Half of Districts Perform Higher Than Large Central Cities

In 2007, fourth-graders in Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Houston, New York City, and San Diego scored higher on average than students in large central cities. Scores for fourth-graders in the other five districts were lower than the score for students in large central cities.

Eighth-graders in Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Houston, and San Diego scored higher, on average, than students in large central cities. Students in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, the District of Columbia, and Los Angeles scored lower on average, and the score for eighth-graders in New York City was not significantly different from the score for students in large central cities.

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Download sections of the report (or the complete report) in a PDF file for viewing and printing:

• PDF 1 of 3 contains:
  Table of Contents
  Executive Summary
  The Mathematics Trial Urban District Assessment
  Reporting NAEP Results
  4th Grade
  8th Grade
  -also includes front matter
  (803K PDF)
  
  
• PDF 2 of 3 contains:
  District Profiles
  (847K PDF)
  
  
• PDF 3 of 3 contains:
  District Profiles (continued)
  Technical Notes
  Appendix Tables
  (903K PDF)
  
  
• The complete The Nation’s Report Card: Trial Urban District Assessment Mathematics 2007 PDF (2416K PDF)

NCES 2008-452 Ordering information

Suggested Citation
Lutkus, A., Grigg, W., and Dion, G. (2007). The Nation’s Report Card: Trial Urban District Assessment Mathematics 2007 (NCES 2008-452). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.

For more information, see the results of the 2007 TUDA Mathematics results on the Nation's Report Card website.

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