~ National report ranks Florida’s reading proficiency standards higher than the majority of other states ~

TALLAHASSEE – A new report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) indicates that Florida has some of the strongest reading standards in the country. The Mapping State Proficiency Standards onto the NAEP Scales report compares each state’s reading and mathematics proficiency standards against national proficiency standards to see how closely they match up. According to the report, Florida’s eighth grade reading proficiency standards are the second highest in the nation, and only 12 states have higher proficiency standards in fourth grade.

“Florida set a high bar for reading very early on and this latest NAEP report helps to reflect the positive impact of that decision,” said Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson. “With our Next Generation reading standards now firmly in place we should expect even greater things in the years ahead.”

The report uses a method called “mapping” to take each state’s proficiency standards and place them on a common scale so they can be accurately compared. The common scale in this report is the NAEP reading and mathematics proficiency standards, widely considered the gold standard for the nation.

Florida experienced more moderate rankings in mathematics, primarily due to newly updated mathematics standards not being fully captured in this NAEP report. In fourth grade, Florida’s mathematics proficiency standards were ranked 15th in the nation, and its eighth grade ranking was 26th.

Florida continues to be a national leader in setting high standards for student achievement. Over the past several years the state has been involved in developing, adopting and implementing Next Generation curriculum standards designed to prepare students for college and career. Florida’s commitment to higher standards and increased expectations for students has resulted in significant academic progress as measured by both state and national assessments.

According to results released today by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Florida’s fourth and eighth grade students have maintained long-term academic gains in math achievement. The results indicate that since 2003, Florida’s fourth and eighth grade students have increased their overall math scores by eight points each compared to a five point gain for the nation’s fourth-graders and six points for eighth-graders. The results also show that Florida’s fourth grade minority students and students with disabilities continue to outpace their national counterparts.

“Our teachers and students have worked hard to maintain the tremendous academic progress our state has achieved over the last decade and although there is still much work to be done, these results show that their efforts are paying off,” said Education Commissioner Dr. Eric J. Smith. “I’m particularly excited to see such strong performance in our minority students and students with disabilities, who continue to score well above national averages.”

2003 marks the first year in which every state in the nation participated in NAEP and serves as the most accurate benchmark for determining long-term performance trends. Highlights of Florida’s 2009 NAEP math results include:
Fourth grade students maintained the previous year’s average math score of 242. This is three points higher than the national average of 239 and represents an eight point increase for the state since 2003.
The percentage of Florida fourth-graders performing at or above Basic is greater than the national average for every student group tested in the state. Scoring at or above Basic on NAEP is comparable to scoring at or above Achievement Level 3 on the Math Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).
The percentage of Florida eighth-graders performing at or above Basic is equal to or greater than the national average for every student group tested in the state.
Since 2003, Florida’s African-American fourth-graders have narrowed the math achievement gap with White students by 6 points, compared to minimal reductions by the nation.
Since 2003, Florida’s African-American eighth-graders have narrowed the math achievement gap with White students by 12 points, compared to the nation’s three point narrowing.
Fourth grade students with disabilities increased their average math score to 230 this year, a seven point increase since 2007 and a 16 point increase since 2003. This year’s average score is 10 points above the national average of 220.

Known as the “nation’s report card,” the NAEP is a congressionally mandated project overseen by the National Center for Education Statistics to continuously monitor the knowledge, skills and performance of the nation’s children and youth. Since 1969, NAEP has measured and reported on the knowledge and abilities of America’s fourth, eighth and 12th grade students, providing data about students’ performance in a variety of subject areas at national, regional and state levels.