NAEP - 2008 Long-Term Trend: Mathematics Overall Results

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Students' understanding of basic mathematics operations improves since 1978

Trend in NAEP mathematics performance-level results for 17-year-old students

Key. Original assessment format. Top bar percent at level 350. Middle bar percent at level 300 or above. Bottom bar percent at level 250 or above. Revised assessment format. Top bar percent at level 350. Middle bar percent at level 300 or above. Bottom bar percent at level 250 or above.

Findings

Ninety-six percent of 17-year-olds in 2008 demonstrated an initial understanding of the numerical operations and beginning problem solving described for performance level 250.
Compared to 2004, there was no significant difference in the percentage of 17-year-olds who demonstrated the skills associated with multi-step problem solving and algebra described for performance level 300.

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2008.
NOTE: View complete data with standard errors.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 1978–2008 Long-Term Trend Mathematics Assessments.

Learn more about the mathematics performance levels.

To read more details on comparisons across years, see About the Long-Term Trend Assessment.

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2008 Long-Term Trend Report Card