One of the few ways to determine how U.S. students are faring as a whole is through a federally administrated test known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, often referred to as the Nation’s Report Card.
The release today of 12th grade math and reading scores suggests we aren’t doing well. Given to a representative sample of 32,000 12th graders, NAEP found only 37 percent are prepared for college-level coursework in math and reading.
NAEP asks student about their courses and their habits. On the math NAEP test, scores increased when students took higher-level math courses. In reading, students who read for fun every day or almost every day scored higher.
“We must examine how we’re preparing students for life after high school, whether offering more students advanced math coursework, for example, or placing greater emphasis on reading for pleasure and for school. This is a crucial time in education, and there are many things each of us can do to help ensure every student succeeds,” said NAEP Governing Board Chair Terry Mazany in a statement.
To learn more about how 12th graders performed, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.
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