APS students show continued improvement on national math test

APS students demonstrated steady improvement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for the 2008-2009 school year, based on the scores released today. Since 2003, APS students have demonstrated improvements every year the test has been administered.

NAEP, also referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, is a uniform assessment of student performance administered across the nation by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES). The standards upon which the NAEP is developed are more rigorous than the current Georgia state standards upon which the state’s CRCT is based.

“The performance of APS students on the NAEP mirrors and validates what we have experienced on the CRCT in recent years,” said APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall. “The results of both the national and state tests reflect similar progress in learning gains for our students.”

* Since 2003, the percentage of APS fourth- and eighth- graders performing at or above basic levels has steadily increased. In the fourth grade, the increase was 13 percentage points, and in the eighth grade it was 16 percentage points.

* There were also improvements in the percentage of students scoring at the basic level or above from 2007 to 2009. APS fourth grade students increased by two percentage points and the increase in the eighth grade was five percentage points.

Dr. Hall attributed the steady increase in NAEP math scores to the development of a common curriculum and professional development for teachers. “Benchmark assessments, enhanced scope and sequence of math courses and the alignment of math curriculum, teaching practices and resources contributed to the performance improvement by our students on the NAEP math tests over the past six years,” said Hall.

About TUDA

Atlanta Public Schools is one of 18 urban school districts that voluntarily participates in the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) and has its NAEP results individually reported. Other districts participating are Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, District of Columbia, Detroit, Fresno, Houston, Jefferson County, Los Angeles, Miami-Dade, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia and San Diego. Other school systems take the NAEP, but their scores are included in their state’s overall NAEP results. National and state NAEP scores were released in September.