Jack BuckleyJack BuckleyCommissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

December 7, 2011

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• Collaboration among National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment Governing Board, and Council of the Great City Schools

• Voluntary participation by selected districts varying in location and demographic makeup

• Common yardstick to compare district performance

Background

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Representative district samples of• Public school students at grades 4 and 8• 900 to 2,700 students per grade in each district

Performance reported as• Average scale scores (0–500 scale)• Achievement levels (Basic, Proficient, and Advanced)

District results compared to public school students in• The nation• Large cities of 250,000 or more

Trend comparisons for 18 districts

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Urban districts have a wide range of student demographics

– Black students

– Hispanic students

– English language learners

– Students from lower-income families

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How average mathematics scores in the districts compare to large cities in 2011

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• Four districts score higher than in 2009

• Nine districts score higher than in 2003

How performance of districts has changed over time

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Percentages at or above Basic range from 34 to 88 percent

# Rounds to zero.NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

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Students moving from below Basic and into higher achievement levels in most districts

In comparison to 2003, percentages of students

•below Basic lower in nine districts

• at Basic higher in three districts and lower in one district

• at Proficient higher in eight districts

• at Advanced higher in eight districts

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Teacher education and experience vary across districts

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Grade 4 Number Properties and Operations Question

• More than 70% correct in– Albuquerque, Austin,

Charlotte, Dallas, Fresno, Hillsborough County, and Houston

• Between 60% and 70% correct in– Atlanta, Baltimore City, Los Angeles,

Miami-Dade, New York City, Philadelphia, and San Diego

• Less than 60% correct in– Boston, Chicago, Cleveland,

Detroit, the District of Columbia, Jefferson County, and Milwaukee

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How average mathematics scores in the districts compare to large cities in 2011

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• Six districts score higher than in 2009

• Nine districts score higher than in 2003

How performance of districts has changed over time

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Percentages at or above Basic range from 29 to 74 percent

# Rounds to zero.NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

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Coursetaking patterns vary across districts

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Grade 8 Algebra Question

• 30% or more correct in– Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Charlotte,

Fresno, Hillsborough County, Jefferson County, Los Angeles, Miami-Dade, and San Diego

• 29% or less correct in– Albuquerque, Baltimore City,

Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, the District of Columbia, Houston, Milwaukee, New York City, and Philadelphia

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How average reading scores in the districts compare to large cities in 2011

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• No districts score higher than in 2009

• All six districts score higher than in 2002

How performance of districts has changed over time

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Percentages at or above Basic range from 31 to 77 percent

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

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Integrate and Interpret Question

• More than 60% of answers rated “Acceptable” in– Austin, Charlotte,

Hillsborough County, Jefferson County, New York City, and San Diego

• 55% to 60% of answers rated “Acceptable” in– Atlanta, Baltimore City,

Boston, Chicago, the District of Columbia, Miami-Dade, and Philadelphia

• Less than 55% of answers rated “Acceptable” in– Albuquerque, Cleveland,

Dallas, Detroit, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, and Milwaukee

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How average reading scores in the districts compare to large cities in 2011

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• One district scores higher than in 2009

• Three districts score higher than in 2002

How performance of districts has changed over time

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Percentages at or above Basic range from 43 to 75 percent

# Rounds to zero.NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

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Less than one-fifth of students in districts report reading for fun almost every day

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Grade 8 Integrate and Interpret Question

• More than 60% correct in– Austin, Charlotte,

Miami-Dade, and New York City

• Between 50% and 60% correct in– Albuquerque, Atlanta,

Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Hillsborough County, Houston, Jefferson County, Philadelphia, and San Diego

• Less than 50% correct in– Baltimore City,

Cleveland, Detroit, the District of Columbia, Fresno, Los Angeles, and Milwaukee

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For more information

http://nationsreportcard.gov