National Report Card Time: Virginia Kids Rank Higher Than National Averages

by Todd Richissin

Virginia students rank high among their peers across the country in reading and math skills but have shown no significant progress in two years. White students from financially stable homes continue to score significantly higher than those who are Black, Hispanic or poor.

The results are from the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress, and measured skills in eighth-grade reading, fourth-grade math and eighth-grade math.

Also known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” the NAEP test is an ongoing, nationally representative assessment designed to evaluate what American students in grades four and eight know and can do in a variety of subjects, including reading and science. It was established by Congress in 1969.

In eighth-grade math, the test showed:

• In 2013, the average score of eighth-grade students in Virginia was 288. This was higher than the average score of 284 for public school students in the nation.
• The average score (288) for students in Virginia in 2013 was not significantly different from their average score (289) in 2011 and was higher than their average score (264) in 1990. 
• The score gap between higher performing students in Virginia (those at the 75th percentile) and lower performing students (those at the 25th percentile) was 47 points in 2013. This performance gap was not significantly different from that in 1990 (51 points). 
• The percentage of students in Virginia who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 38 percent in 2013. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2011 (40 percent) and was greater than that in 1990 (17 percent). 
• The percentage of students in Virginia who performed at or above  the NAEP Basic level was 77 percent in 2013. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2011 (78 percent) and was greater than that in 1990 (52 percent).

In reading, 43 percent of Virginia fourth-graders scored at or above the level considered proficient, compared to 34 percent of students in the country as a whole.
 
That number dips to 36 percent for eighth graders compared to 34 percent nationally.

Overall, the news was not as good for poor and minority students, with no closing of the gap with their White, financially stable peers in more than a decade.

• In 2013, Black students had an average score that was 29 points lower than White students. This performance gap was not significantly different from that in 1990 (29 points). 
• „In 2013, Hispanic students had an average score that was 17 points lower than White students. Data are not reported for Hispanic students in 1990, because reporting standards were not met. 
• In 2013, male students in Virginia had an average score that was not significantly different from female students. 
• „In 2013, students who were eligible for free/reduced-price school lunch, an indicator of low family income, had an average score that was 28 points lower than students who were not eligible for free/reduced-price school lunch.