Assessment Report Roundup

Test Scores in Big-City Schools Seen to Be on Upswing

By Lesli A. Maxwell — April 29, 2008 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

“Beating the Odds: An Analysis of Student Performance and Achievement Gaps on State Assessments”

The nation’s urban students posted gains on their states’ reading and mathematics exams in 2007 to continue a trend of improving achievement in the largest public school districts, a report released last week concludes.

The report by the Council of the Great City Schools found that 63 percent of 4th grade students in big-city school districts scored at or above proficiency in math on state tests last year, an increase of 14 percentage points from 2003, when proficiency levels were at 49 percent. For 8th graders, math proficiency in 2007 reached 55 percent, up from 42 percent in 2003.

See Also

For more stories on this topic see Testing and Accountability.

In reading, gains were more modest, with 60 percent of 4th graders at or above proficiency in 2007, up from 51 percent in 2003. For 8th graders, 51 percent reached proficiency or higher in reading last year, an increase of 8 percentage points since 2003.

This is the eighth annual report on the progress of urban students from the council, a Washington-based advocacy group for 66 of the nation’s largest school districts. The study also includes data from urban districts where students participated in the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, a series of exams generally considered to be more rigorous than state tests.

Though proficiency levels on the NAEP, also known as the “nation’s report card,” were not as strong as on state exams, urban students continued to show improvement in reading and math as well.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the April 30, 2008 edition of Education Week

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Assessment NAEP Results Are Often Politicized. Could Rescheduling It Help?
Administering NAEP in non-election years will shield it from further politicization, the board that oversees it said.
3 min read
Image of a clock, calendar, and a pencil.
Tatomm/iStock/Getty
Assessment Opinion The Nation's Report Card Could Be Education's Data Gold Mine
Better support for educators, higher student achievement, improved tests are among the outcomes when researchers have access to NAEP data.
Mark Schneider & John Whitmer
5 min read
Abstract illustration of big data technology and artificial intelligence
Nicolas Herrbach/iStock/Getty Images
Assessment Opinion Can State Tests Be Useful for Instruction and Accountability?
An assessment company is aiming to eliminate the gap between what local assessments and the respective state test is delivering.
7 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Assessment Letter to the Editor State Exams Offer Pathways for Some—Not All—Learners
A parent writes a letter to the editor detailing her child's experience with state exams in New York.
1 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week