Mathematics proficiency of 17-year-olds, by highest mathematics course taken, sex, and race/ethnicity: 1978, 1990, and 1992

Table 120.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
            |        |Average proficiency by highest mathematics course taken| Percent of students at or
   Year,    |Percent |_______________________________________________________|         above
  sex, and  |   of   |         |           |       |        |       |Precal- |
   race/    |students|   All   |Prealgebra |       |        |       | culus  |___________________________
 ethnicity  |        |  areas  |    or     |Algebra|Geometry|Algebra|   or   |Level |Level |Level |Level
            |        |         |  general  |   I   |        |  II   |calculus|200\1\|250\2\|300\3\|350\4\
            |        |         |mathematics|       |        |       |        |      |      |      |
____________|________|_________|___________|_______|________|_______|________|______|______|______|______
     1      |   2    |    3    |     4     |   5   |   6    |   7   |   8    |  9   |  10  |  11  |  12
____________|________|_________|___________|_______|________|_______|________|______|______|______|______
    1978    |        |         |           |       |        |       |        |      |      |      |
            |        |         |           |       |        |       |        |      |      |      |
Total ......|  100.0 |   300.4 |       267 |   286 |    307 |   321 |    334 | 99.8 | 92.0 | 51.5 |  7.3
  Male .....|   48.7 |   303.8 |       269 |   289 |    310 |   325 |    337 | 99.9 | 93.0 | 55.1 |  9.5
  Female ...|   51.3 |   297.1 |       264 |   284 |    304 |   318 |    329 | 99.7 | 91.0 | 48.2 |  5.2
            |        |         |           |       |        |       |        |      |      |      |
  White ....|   83.1 |   305.9 |       272 |   291 |    310 |   325 |    338 |100.0 | 95.6 | 57.6 |  8.5
  Black ....|   11.8 |   268.4 |       247 |   264 |    281 |   292 |    297 | 98.8 | 70.7 | 16.8 |  0.5
  Hispanic .|    4.0 |   276.3 |       256 |   273 |    294 |   303 |    306 | 99.3 | 78.3 | 23.4 |  1.4
  Other\5\..|    1.1 |   312.9 |       --- |   --- |    --- |   --- |    --- |100.0 | 94.5 | 64.7 | 15.4
            |        |         |           |       |        |       |        |      |      |      |
    1990    |        |         |           |       |        |       |        |      |      |      |
            |        |         |           |       |        |       |        |      |      |      |
Total ......|  100.0 |   304.6 |       273 |   288 |    299 |   319 |    344 |100.0 | 96.0 | 56.1 |  7.2
  Male .....|   48.6 |   306.3 |       274 |   291 |    302 |   323 |    347 | 99.9 | 95.8 | 57.6 |  8.8
  Female ...|   51.4 |   302.9 |       271 |   285 |    296 |   316 |    341 |100.0 | 96.2 | 54.7 |  5.6
            |        |         |           |       |        |       |        |      |      |      |
  White ....|   73.3 |   309.5 |       277 |   292 |    304 |   323 |    347 |100.0 | 97.6 | 63.2 |  8.3
  Black ....|   15.6 |   288.5 |       264 |   278 |    285 |   302 |    329 | 99.9 | 92.4 | 32.8 |  2.0
  Hispanic .|    6.9 |   283.5 |       259 |   278 |    286 |   306 |    323 | 99.6 | 85.8 | 30.1 |  1.9
  Other\5\..|    4.2 |   312.5 |       --- |   --- |    --- |   --- |    --- |100.0 | 97.9 | 61.6 | 15.9
            |        |         |           |       |        |       |        |      |      |      |
    1992    |        |         |           |       |        |       |        |      |      |      |
            |        |         |           |       |        |       |        |      |      |      |
Total ......|  100.0 |   306.7 |       271 |   289 |    302 |   320 |    343 |100.0 | 96.6 | 59.1 |  7.2
  Male .....|   50.7 |   308.9 |       275 |   291 |    306 |   323 |    344 |100.0 | 96.9 | 60.5 |  9.1
  Female ...|   49.3 |   304.5 |       267 |   287 |    297 |   317 |    341 |100.0 | 96.3 | 57.7 |  5.2
            |        |         |           |       |        |       |        |      |      |      |
  White ....|   74.7 |   311.9 |       276 |   293 |    306 |   323 |    347 |100.0 | 98.3 | 66.4 |  8.7
  Black ....|   14.8 |   285.8 |       256 |   279 |    283 |   301 |    313 |100.0 | 89.6 | 29.8 |  0.9
  Hispanic .|    7.4 |   292.2 |       269 |   285 |    297 |   312 |    320 |100.0 | 94.1 | 39.2 |  1.2
  Other\5\..|    3.1 |   317.1 |       --- |   --- |    --- |   --- |    --- |100.0 | 96.5 | 69.8 | 16.9
____________|________|_________|___________|_______|________|_______|________|______|______|______|______

\1\Indicates ability to perform simple additive reasoning and problem solving.
\2\Indicates ability to perform simple multiplicative reasoning and 2-step problem solving.
\3\Indicates ability to perform reasoning and problem solving involving fractions, decimals, percents, elementary geometry, and simple algebra.
\4\Indicates ability to perform reasoning and problem solving involving geometry, algebra, and beginning statistics and probability.
\5\Includes Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indians/Alaskan Natives.
---Data not available.

NOTE.--These test scores are from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Scale ranges from 0 to 500.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Trends in Academic Progress and NAEP 1992 Trends in Academic Progress, prepared by Educational Testing Service. (This table was prepared May 1994.)

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