Reading and Math Trends

This study used growth curve modeling to investigate trends in reading and math proficiency in each state over a four- to six-year period for grades 3–8. It found that:

-       The school-level percentage of students who scored proficient in reading and math increased in Florida, Mississippi, and North Carolina; the percentage also increased for most racial/ethnic and economic subgroups.

-       Achievement gaps decreased for most racial/ethnic and economic subgroups across grades, subjects, and states.

-       Proficiency achievement gaps remained large across grades, subjects, and states despite significant decreases.

Herrera, S., Zhou, C., & Petscher, Y. (2017). Examining school-level reading and math proficiency trends and changes in achievement gaps for grades 3–8 in Florida, Mississippi, and North Carolina. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=465

Graduation Rates – A Deeper Analysis

According to the new data from the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. students are graduating at record numbers for the fifth year in a row, with improvements for students of different racial and language backgrounds, as well as those in poverty or with disabilities.

The graduation rate for the high school class of 2015-16 is nearly a whole point higher than the one for the previous year’s class. The rate measures the proportion of each freshman class that earns a diploma four years later. While graduation rates for many groups rose, significant gaps remain for historically underserved communities. The report states that media investigations have found that some schools improve their graduation numbers by not counting some low-performing students in their graduating classes. Others try to get rid of students who are at risk of dropping out by encouraging them to transfer to alternative schools or by using credit-recovery programs that critics say are less rigorous than the standard course.

Education Week (2017). Data: U.S. graduation rates by state and student demographics. Editorial Bethesda, MD: Projects in Education. https://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/data-us-graduation-rates-by-state-and.html