More LTT Results

Mathematics Classroom Context: Coursetaking in Mathematics

Use the tabs to view student performance by gender, race/ethnicity, and grade level.
Use the drop down menu when viewing student group performance to see data for different assessment years.
See the data displayed in other chart formats by clicking on the "chart options" button below each figure.
Click on the link to the NAEP Data Explorer under each table to conduct a significance test, which is used to determine whether the changes or differences between two result numbers are statistically significant.

As part of the 2012 long-term trend assessment, 13-year-old students were asked about the mathematics courses they were taking this year. The full text of the question is below.

What kind of mathematics are you taking this year?

A. I am not taking mathematics this year
B. Regular mathematics
C. Pre-algebra
D. Algebra
E. Other

As part of the 2012 long-term trend assessment, 17-year-old students were asked about the mathematics courses they have taken. The full text of the question is below.

Counting what you are taking now, have you ever taken any of the following mathematics courses?

A. General, business, or consumer mathematics
B. Pre-algebra or introduction to algebra
C. First-year algebra
D. Second-year algebra
E. Geometry
F. Trigonometry
G. Pre-calculus or calculus

Age 13Age 17

All StudentsGenderRace/EthnicityGrade Level

34 percent of 13-year-olds in the nation reported taking algebra in 2012, which is 18 points higher than in 1986.

Figure
Table

There were no significant differences between the percentages of male and female 13-year-olds within each coursetaking category in 2012.

Figure
Table

Compared to 1986, higher percentages of White, Black, and Hispanic 13-year-olds reported taking algebra in 2012.

Figure
Table

“Other” includes American Indian/Alaska Native, two or more races, and unclassified.

Approximately 48 percent of 13-year-olds in the 8th grade reported taking algebra in 2012, which is higher than the 12 percent of 13-year-olds in the 7th grade or below.

Figure
Table