Washington, DC, September 26, 2007 – The Nation's Report Card ™, a national assessment of educational progress, was released yesterday. This unique source of data reports on national and state student achievement and is administered to 4th and 8th graders. The results of the assessment are detailed in two reports, one for math and one for reading.
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) notes gains made by lower income, African American, and Hispanic students, and believes that the results reflect the continued efforts of the nation’s educators to improve student achievement. The report also highlights data that show 4th grade math and reading scores are higher than in previous assessments. Eighth grade results show a higher score in math than in all previous assessments and a slight increase in scores for reading since 2005.
CCSSO Executive Director Gene Wilhoit responds, “Overall, student performance continues to improve at a steady pace, and performance in almost every racial/ethnic group is increasing. However, the data also show us the historic achievement gaps are not decreasing consistently.” Wilhoit continues, “Another issue to watch is the small number of students testing at the ‘advanced’ level. Both of these issues are of great concern to chief state school officers, and we will continue to address them.”
The National Assessment of Education Progress is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. It is authorized by Congress and overseen by the National Assessment Governing Board.
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks members’ consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public.
