Nation's Report Card Shows Florida Student Progress
DOE Press Office 850-245-0413
Nation's Report Card Shows Florida Student Progress
~ State's fourth graders continue to outperform the nation in reading ~Tallahassee, Fla., November 7, 2013 - Florida's results on the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released today show that the state's 4th grade students continue to outpace the national average in reading, with a score of 227 compared to 221 nationwide. Also in 4th grade reading, all Florida subgroups outperformed their national counterparts in the percentage of students scoring at or above Basic. Additionally, nearly all Florida subgroups outperformed the nation in the percentage of students scoring at or above Proficient.
"Under Governor Scott's leadership, Florida students continue to make outstanding academic progress and is an example of what can be accomplished when we focus on what is important," said Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart. "Our teachers have done a tremendous job helping their students achieve at higher levels and deserve to be rewarded for their hard work. The Governor's commitment for every teacher to get a pay raise is an investment in our continued success. The Sunshine State remains committed to higher standards and ensuring all students receive the best education in the country."
Highlights of the 2013 NAEP reading and mathematics results include:
- Florida was among the top scoring states in the nation in 4th grade reading.
- Florida is the only state to have narrowed the achievement gap between White and African American students at both grades 4 and 8 in both reading and mathematics.
- The percentage of Florida's Hispanic and African-American 4th and 8th grade students scoring at or above Basic in reading is significantly higher than the nation. This is also true for Florida's grade 4 mathematics Hispanic and African-American students.
- The percentage of grade 4 and 8 students with disabilities scoring at or above Basic is higher than that of their national peers in both reading and math. Also, Florida's grade 4 and 8 students with disabilities scoring at or above Proficient in reading scored higher than their national counterparts.
Over the past 10 years, Florida has improved its average scale scores in both reading and math at both grade 4 and grade 8. In reading, 4th grade scores increased from 218 in 2003 to 227 in 2013, and 8th grade scores improved from 257 to 265 over the same time period.
In mathematics, 4th grade scores went from 234 in 2003 to 242 in 2013, and 8th grade scores increased from 271 to 281. Florida's NAEP 2013 grade 4 and 8 reading and grade 4 mathematics average scores were higher than or not significantly different from the nation's. Also, Florida improved more than the nation in reading at both grades 4 and 8 between 2003 and 2013.
| 2003 Florida | 2003 U.S. | 2013 Florida | 2013 U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 4 Reading | 218 | 216 | 227 | 221 |
| Grade 8 Reading | 257 | 261 | 266 | 266 |
| Grade 4 Math | 234 | 234 | 242 | 241 |
| Grade 8 Math | 271 | 276 | 281 | 284 |
Additional highlights of this year's NAEP results are below.
Reading
- Only three states had significantly higher average reading scale scores than Florida 4th grade students.
- With an average scale score of 212, no other states had significantly higher scores than Florida's African American 4th grade students.
- Florida was one of only nine states to have a significant increase in their grade 8 reading average scale scores between 2011 and 2013.
- No other states had significantly higher average reading scale scores than Florida's Hispanic and African American 8th grade students.
Mathematics
- In grade 4 mathematics, Florida's Hispanic students' average scale score of 230 was among the highest in the nation.
- Only one other state had a significantly higher mathematics average scale score than Florida's grade 4 African American students and only three states had higher mathematics scores at grade 8.
- Florida was one of only three states to have a significant increase in their grade 8 mathematics average scale scores between 2011 and 2013.
A significantly higher percentage of Florida's 4th grade students scored at or above Basic in reading compared to 2011. Also, a significantly higher percentage of Florida's 8th grade students performed at or above Proficient in mathematics compared to 2011.
2013 NAEP Reading
| 2011 Percentage at or Above Basic | 2013 Percentage at or Above Basic | 2011 Percentage at or Above Proficient | 2013 Percentage at or Above Proficient | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 4 | 71% | **75% | 35% | 39% |
| Grade 8 | 73% | 77% | 30% | 33% |
2013 NAEP Mathematics
| 2011 Percentage at or Above Basic | 2013 Percentage at or Above Basic | 2011 Percentage at or Above Proficient | 2013 Percentage at or Above Proficient | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 4 | 84% | 84% | 37% | 41% |
| Grade 8 | 68% | 70% | 28% | *31% |
In grade 4 reading, all subgroups significantly outperformed their national peers in the percentage of students scoring at or above Basic, and nearly all grade 4 subgroups outpaced the nation in the percentage of students scoring at or above Proficient.
2013 NAEP Reading at or Above Basic
| 2011 Grade 4 | 2013 Grade 4 | 2011 Grade 8 | 2013 Grade 8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Students | **71% | **75% | 73% | 77% |
| White | **83% | **85% | 82% | 84% |
| African American | 54% | **57% | 57% | **66% |
| Hispanic | **67% | **73% | **71% | **73% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 88% | **92% | 84% | 84% |
| Male | **67% | **72% | 69% | 71% |
| Female | **75% | **78% | 78% | 82% |
| Eligible for School Lunch | **62% | **66% | 65% | **70% |
| Not Eligible for School Lunch | **86% | **89% | 83% | 86% |
| Students with Disabilities | **44% | **47% | 42% | **50% |
| English Language Learners | 35% | **41% | 28% | 30% |
2013 NAEP Reading at or Above Proficient
| 2011 Grade 4 | 2013 Grade 4 | 2011 Grade 8 | 2013 Grade 8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Students | **35% | **39% | 30% | 33% |
| White | **48% | **49% | 38% | 42% |
| African American | 17% | 20% | 14% | 19% |
| Hispanic | **30% | **36% | **27% | **27% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 57% | **68% | 48% | 52% |
| Male | 32% | **35% | 25% | 27% |
| Female | 39% | **43% | 34% | 40% |
| Eligible for School Lunch | **24% | **27% | 20% | 23% |
| Not Eligible for School Lunch | **53% | **58% | 41% | 47% |
| Students with Disabilities | 15% | **20% | 9% | **13% |
| English Language Learners | 7% | 10% | 4% | 3% |
**Significantly higher than the Nation
About NAEP
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a congressionally-authorized project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. NAEP results serve as a common metric for all states and selected urban districts and permit a clear picture of student academic progress over time.For more information about Florida's 2013 NAEP reading and math performance, visit The Nation's Report Card.