October 15, 2009

District of Columbia Schools Achieve Outstanding Increases in 2009 Mathematics National Assessment of Educational Progress 

Contact: Jennifer Calloway | (202) 535-1096

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WASHINGTON, DC – Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, joined by Deputy Mayor for Education Victor Reinoso, Chancellor of Schools Michelle Rhee, and State Superintendent of Education Kerri Briggs, announced today that District schools achieved remarkable progress on the 2009 Mathematics National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). While scores nationwide stagnated, District 4th and 8th grade students achieved significant increases, affirming the District’s ongoing education reform efforts.

“The District’s increasing NAEP scores provide strong feedback on our work to build a world-class education system,” said Mayor Fenty. “While we still have a long way to go, these results show that we are making steady progress. I commend the students, teachers and administrators whose excellent work brings us closer to our goal.”

Rising NAEP scores indicate the positive effects of District-wide school reforms initiated in 2007. The District was the only jurisdiction where 4th grade scores rose from 2007 to 2009 across all student demographic groups. DC is one of five states where both 4th and 8th grade math achievement increased from 2007 to 2009. In 4th grade math, DC led the nation with a 5 point gain from 2007 to 2009. DC’s 8th grade scores improved 6 points, while the national average rose 2 points. NAEP results corroborate mathematics gains on the 2008-2009 DC CAS test, which indicated a 6 point gain at the elementary and secondary levels. In addition, more students performed at or above "basic" levels than at any time since the NAEP was first administered in the District in 1992.

“These NAEP scores show further and clear evidence that our students, teachers, school leaders and parents are working hard to change expectations and the definition of excellence in our schools,” said DCPS Chancellor Rhee. “The data demonstrates not only that it is possible, but that with the right direction and support from adults, student academic growth in DC can outpace the nation.”

The NAEP, known as the Nation’s Report Card, is the only nationally representative, longitudinal tool for comparing student achievement across the country. The NAEP was administered to a representative sample of 168,800 4th grade students and 161,700 8th grade students from 16,540 schools nationwide throughout early 2009. In the District, approximately 1,700 students in the 4th and 8th grades, or about 37 percent of DC students in each of the two grades, took the NAEP mathematics test.

The assessment is administered every two years in reading and mathematics to 4th and 8th grade students. NAEP assessments use the same sets of test booklets across the nation, and therefore provide a common metric for comparison across all states and selected urban districts. Results are citywide and represent both DCPS schools and District charter schools. Results from the 2009 Reading NAEP will be released in early 2010.

“This is truly exciting news for the District. The NAEP assessment is the gold standard by which achievement is measured across the nation,” said State Superintendent Briggs. “The increases on NAEP validate the rigor of our standards, the strength of the DC CAS, and the tremendous amount of work by students, teachers and parents across the city.”

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