The NAEP long-term trend assessments have monitored student progress in reading and mathematics for nationally representative samples of
9-, 13-, and 17-year-olds since the early 1970s. Results from the 2012 assessments show the following:
- Compared to the first assessment in 1971 for reading and in 1973 for mathematics, scores were higher in 2012 for 9- and 13-year-olds and not significantly different for 17-year-olds.
- In both reading and mathematics at all three ages, Black students made larger gains from the early 1970s than White students.
- Hispanic students made larger gains from the 1970s than White students in reading at all three ages and in mathematics at ages 13 and 17.
- Female students have consistently outscored male students in reading at all three ages, but the gender gap narrowed from 1971 to 2012 at age 9.
- At ages 9 and 13, the scores of male and female students were not significantly different in mathematics, but the gender gap in mathematics for 17-year-olds narrowed in comparison to 1973.
Explore the following slides to take a closer look at the gains made by male and female students in reading and mathematics, and how performance gaps have narrowed for some age groups.
* Score change was statistically significant (p < .05).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1971, 1973, and 2012 Long-Term Trend Reading and Mathematics Assessments.
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