Hispanic students had higher NAEP mathematics scores in 1999 than in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the gaps between Hispanic and White students' NAEP scores have decreased at two age levels.

Hispanic students' mathematics scores at all three age levels (9, 13, and 17 years old) were higher in 1999 than they were in 1973, 1978, and 1982. Seventeen-year-old Hispanic students' NAEP scores were higher in 1999 compared to 1986 and 1990 as well.

Hispanic students' performance was lower than that of White students in mathematics at all three age levels in 1999, but Hispanic 13- and 17-year-olds scored higher than Black 13- and 17-year-olds. The gap between Hispanic and White 13- and 17-year-old students' mathematics scores has decreased between 1973 and 1999. However, among 9-year-olds, the gap between Hispanics and Whites has increased since 1982. Though there were statistically significant changes, no clear trend is apparent in the gap sizes of any of these age groups (supplemental table 4.3a).

When student performance is broken out by parental education attainment categories, differences persist, except in the case of scores between Hispanics and Whites whose parents did not finish high school. In 2000, there was a 16-point gap between the scores of Hispanics and Whites whose parents graduated from high school, an 18-point gap for those whose parents had some education after high school, and a 24-point gap for those whose parents graduated from college (supplemental table 4.3b).