The percentages of Hispanic eighth-graders performing at or above Basic and at or above Proficient in 2011 were higher than in any of the previous assessment years. The percentages of White, Black, and Asian/Pacific Islander eighth-graders performing at or above Basic and at or above Proficient in 2011 were higher than in 1990, but not significantly different
from 2009.
Beginning in 2011, additional information on students’ race/ethnicity was collected from schools so that results could be reported separately for Asian students, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students, and students categorized as being two or more races (multiracial). These categorizations are consistent with guidelines from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. In order to allow comparisons of 2011 results for racial/ethnic groups to previous assessments, the Asian and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students are combined into a single Asian/Pacific Islander category. Read more about this change.