Youth Indicators, 2005: Trends in the Well-Being of American Youth

Indicator 15: Mathematics Proficiency

Table 15. National Assessment of Educational Process (NAEP) mathematics scores, by age and selected student characteristics: Various years, 1973 to 2004
	13-year-olds¹							17-year-olds¹
Student characteristic	1973	1978	1986	1990	1994	1999	2004	1973	1978	1986	1990	1994	1999	2004
Total	266	264	269	270	274	276	281	304	300	302	305	306	308	307
Sex
Male	265	264	270	271	276	277	283	309	304	305	306	309	310	308
Female	267	265	268	270	273	274	279	301	297	299	303	304	307	305
Race/ethnicity
White, non-Hispanic	274	272	274	276	281	283	288	310	306	308	309	312	315	313
Black, non-Hispanic	228	230	249	249	252	251	262	270	268	279	289	286	283	285
Hispanic	239	238	254	255	256	259	265	277	276	283	284	291	293	289
Highest level of parental education²
Less than high school	—	245	252	253	255	256	262	—	280	279	285	284	289	287
Graduated high school	—	263	263	263	266	264	271	—	294	293	294	295	299	295
Some education after high school	—	273	274	277	277	279	283	—	305	305	308	305	308	306
Graduated college	—	284	280	280	285	286	292	—	317	314	316	318	317	317
Amount of daily television watching
6 hours or more	—	—	255	258	257	260	264	—	279	282	287	286	289	286
3–5 hours	—	—	271	271	274	274	279	—	296	299	300	301	302	300
0–2 hours	—	—	276	277	282	283	288	—	305	310	312	314	315	313
— Not available.
¹All participants of this age were in school.
²As reported by students.
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 multistep problems. They can solve routine problems involving fractions and percents, recognize properties of basic geometric figures, and work with exponents and square roots. Excludes persons not enrolled in school and those who were unable to be tested due to limited proficiency in English or due to a disability. Includes students in public and private schools.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), NAEP 1999 Long-Term Trend Mathematics Summary Data Tables for Age 13 Student Data, 1999 Long-Term Trend Mathematics Summary Data Tables for Age 17 Student Data, and 2004 Trends in Academic Progress, Three Decades of Student Performance in Reading and Mathematics, 2005.

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