• First NAEP computer-based assessment in writing
• About 27 percent of students perform at or above the Proficient level at both grades
• About 80 percent of students perform at or above the Basic level at both grades

• Female students score higher than male students at both grades

Results from the new writing assessment provided information on eighth- and twelfth-graders’ ability to write on the computer for specific purposes and audiences, and on the extent to which they engaged in certain word processing actions when composing their writing.

The most common action a writer engages in is key presses. On the NAEP assessment, the number of key presses is the average number of key strokes that students made while completing their responses to the two writing prompts (including backspace and delete). It is not the number of words students wrote or the length of their responses. It is reasonable, however, to assume some relationship between the number of key presses and the length of the response. Number of key presses and length of response were not criteria used in evaluating students’ responses.

Female students outscored their male counterparts in writing across a variety of factors: explore the gender gap in the slides that follow.

SLIDE 1

Gender Gap: Average Scores

Female students outscore male students in writing at both grades. The performance gap is 19 points at grade 8 and 14 points at grade 12.

Average scores in eighth- and twelfth-grade NAEP writing, by gender: 2011

Grade 8: Male – 140;  Female – 160

Grade 12: Male: – 143;  Female – 157

SLIDE 2

Gender Gap: Percentiles

Examining performance at selected percentiles can indicate whether the overall picture diverges by lower-, middle-, or higher-scoring students. In writing, the gender gap holds across all five selected percentiles at both grades.

For example, the highest performing female students (those at the 90th percentile) score higher than their male counterparts at the 90th percentile.

Average scores in eighth- and twelfth-grade NAEP writing at selected percentiles, by gender: 2011

Grade 8, Male

10th percentile: 96
25th percentile: 118
50th percentile: 141
75th percentile: 164
90th percentile: 184

Grade 8, Female

10th percentile: 117
25th percentile: 138
50th percentile: 162
75th percentile: 183
90th percentile: 201

Grade 12, Male

10th percentile: 96
25th percentile: 119
50th percentile: 144
75th percentile: 168
90th percentile: 189

Grade 8, Female

10th percentile: 114
25th percentile: 136
50th percentile: 159
75th percentile: 180
90th percentile: 197

SLIDE 3

Gender Gap: Race/ethnicity

Regardless of race/ethnicity, female students outscore their male counterparts in writing. The gender gap ranged from 18 to 20 points at grade 8 and from 12 to 16 points at grade 12.

Average scores and score gaps in eighth-and twelfth-grade NAEP writing for female and male students, by selected racial/ethnic groups: 2011

Grade 8

Overall average score
Female: 160, Male: 140. The score gap is 19.

White average score
Female: 168, Male: 148. The score gap is 20.

Black average score
Female: 141, Male: 123. The score gap is 18.

Hispanic average score
Female: 145, Male: 127. The score gap is 18.

Asian average score
Female: 174, Male: 155. The score gap is 19.

Grade 12

Overall average score
Female: 157, Male: 143. The score gap is 14.

White average score
Female: 167, Male: 151. The score gap is 16.

Black average score
Female: 137, Male: 124. The score gap is 13.

Hispanic average score
Female: 140, Male: 128. The score gap is 12.

Asian average score
Female: 165, Male: 152. The score gap is 12.

See additional results for the gender gap by other NAEP student groups.

NOTE: Black includes African American, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. Score gaps are calculated based on the differences between unrounded average scores.

SLIDE 4

Gender Gap: Writing as a Favorite Activity

Higher percentages of female than male students agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “writing is one of my favorite activities.”

Percentage of eighth- and twelfth-grade students in NAEP writing, by student-reported level of agreement with the statement, “writing is one of my favorite activities” and gender: 2011

Grade 8

Strongly Agree: Male, 5 and Female, 16
Agree: Male, 26 and Female, 41
Disagree: Male, 44 and Female, 32
Strongly Disagree: Male, 25 and Female, 11

Grade 12

Strongly Agree: Male, 8 and Female, 14
Agree: Male, 27 and Female, 39
Disagree: Male, 42 and Female, 36
Strongly Disagree: Male, 23 and Female, 12

NOTE: Detail may not sum to total because of rounding.

SLIDE 5

Gender Gap: Number of Key Presses

Students with more key presses in their responses scored higher on average than students who had fewer key presses.  At both grades, higher percentages of female students than male students made more than 3000 key presses.

Percentage of students in eighth- and twelfth-grade NAEP writing, by the number of key presses students used during the assessment and gender: 2011

Grade 8

Greater than 4,000 key strokes: Male, 3 and Female, 9
3,001 – 4,000 key strokes: Male, 10 and Female, 22
2,001 – 3,000 key strokes: Male, 32 and Female, 40
1,001 – 2,000 key strokes: Male, 45 and Female, 26
0 – 1,000 key strokes: Male, 11 and Female, 3

Grade 12

Greater than 4,000 key strokes: Male, 13 and Female, 24
3,001 – 4,000 key strokes: Male, 24 and Female, 33
2,001 – 3,000 key strokes: Male, 36 and Female, 32
1,001 – 2,000 key strokes: Male, 23 and Female, 10
0 – 1,000 key strokes: Male, 4 and Female, 1

NOTE: Detail may not sum to total because of rounding.