NAEP MATHEMATICS
Hawaii Shows Significant Improvement

By Paul Dumas

For the first time since 1990, Hawaii 4th graders have shown a significant increase in National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics scores. When the 2003 NAEP results were released recently, they revealed that average scores rose from 216 to 227 on a scale of 0-500. This means that 23% of Hawaii 4th graders achieved at or higher than the proficient level, compared to 14% in 2000. The increase in Hawaii’s scores was among the highest in the country, with only seven states showing greater improvement. It is important to note, however, that Hawaii remains in the lower third of participating states and that continued improvement is necessary.

Meanwhile, Hawaii’s 8th graders continued the slow but generally steady progress begun in 1992. The 2003 average score of 266 is 15 points higher than the 1992 score. The percentage of students achieving at the proficient level did not change significantly, but there was a considerable drop in the percentage of students scoring below the basic level. This change was most pronounced among Asian/Pacific Islanders and economically disadvantaged students. But although there are signs of improvement, Hawaii’s 8th grade performance remains disappointing.

The Role of NAEP
NAEP, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), has gathered information about student achievement in mathematics since 1973. NAEP serves as a nationally representative assessment that measures what students know and are able to do in mathematics. The nine administrations of NAEP mathematics have between 1973 and 2000 documented overall gains in mathematics achievement at the 4th, 8th, and 12th grade levels.

Interest in the NAEP mathematics assessment increased dramatically with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). NCLB required states receiving Title I funds to participate in biennial state-level NAEP assessments in mathematics at grades 4 and 8 beginning in spring 2003. While standardized tests (like the SAT9) and criterion-referenced tests (like the Hawaii State Assessment) are used by schools, districts, and states to determine adequate yearly progress, NAEP provides a common tool to look at progress across the nation.

The Structure of the NAEP Mathematics Assessment
The NAEP assessment measures student understanding in five areas. These are number sense, properties, and operations; measurement; geometry and spatial sense; data analysis, statistics, and probability; and algebra and functions. The table below shows by grade level the approximate percentage of items in each area on the 2003 exam. NAEP measures procedural knowledge, conceptual understanding, and problem solving in each of the five content areas.

The assessment framework is designed throughout to draw on students’ abilities to reason, communicate, and make connections. Students are assessed using multiple-choice and constructedresponse questions, and the examination time is divided almost equally between both. Multiple-choice questions are used to determine students’ mathematical knowledge and skills. The constructed-response items include both short- and extended response questions designed to measure understanding, reasoning, and problem-solving ability.

Students may be called upon to use manipulatives to show their understanding and tools to solve problems. The use of calculators is permitted for about one-third of the questions on the test at all grade levels. Grade 4 students are provided with basic 4-function calculators. Students in grades 8 and 12 are allowed to use higher-powered calculators.

NCES chooses schools to participate in NAEP in order to obtain a representative sample from each state. National results are obtained by re-combining results in a manner that yields a representative sampling. Students with disabilities (SD) and those with limited English proficiency (LEP) must be part of any representative sample. Since 1996, the assessment process has provided means of accommodation for both SD and LEP students, and criteria have been developed for these test takers. In 2000, half of the schools involved in the NAEP process offered accommodations of one kind or another.

Looking Forward to NAEP 2005
The next NAEP mathematics assessment, which will include grades 4, 8, and 12, will occur early in 2005. Hawaii will again participate, as will American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. Although test preparation is not a recommended practice, familiarity with the structure of the assessment – the content framework, types of questions, and test setting – provides obvious advantages.

After careful consideration and extensive input from stakeholders, including educators, researchers, and community members, the National Assessment Governing Board has decided to update the existing NAEP Mathematics Framework rather than develop a new framework for 2005. The revised framework has clearer grade-specific outcomes and, to the extent possible, is intended to better reflect state standards.

In 2005, the type and distribution of items in grade 4 will remain largely the same, but there will be significant changes at grades 8 and 12. The 8th grade assessment will see a decrease in items testing knowledge of number properties and operation and a corresponding increase in questions linked to algebraic concepts. In the 12th grade assessment, 35% of the items will focus on knowledge and understanding of algebraic concepts, with a similar percentage of questions assessing geometry and geometric applications of measurement. There will also be a slightly increased emphasis on data analysis and probability. The increases mentioned above will be offset by cutting in half the items related to number properties and operation.

Calculators will be allowed for about one-third of the assessment, and 4th grade students will continue to be supplied with 4-function calculators. It is proposed that 8th and 12th grade students be allowed to bring graphing or other calculators they students’ constructedresponse ordinarily use. Students who do not have a calculator for the assessment will be provided with either a scientific calculator (for 8th and 12th graders) or a graphing calculator (for 12th graders only). For further information, consult the online NAEP resources listed below.