October 19, 2005
ROMNEY LAUDS NATION-TOPPING PERFORMANCE BY MASSACHUSETTS STUDENTS
Massachusetts leads the nation in math and reading exams
BOSTON - Governor Mitt Romney today joined Education Commissioner
David Driscoll to announce that Massachusetts outscored the nation
the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and
mathematics exams in 2005.
The Commonwealth's fourth and eighth grade students ranked first
in reading and tied for first in mathematics, by far surpassing the
national average and improving on the state's own 2003 results. This
marks the first year that one state has placed first or tied for
first on four exams in one year.
"We're making progress, there's no doubt about it, but we have
more work to do," Romney said. "These test scores reflect
the hard work and creativity of our students, teachers and schools,
but they also reveal that some are still struggling. It is increasingly
critical that we advance bold reforms to ensure greater accountability
and performance in every classroom."
Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll said, "This
recognition is a great tribute to the hard work our students and
teachers have
done in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, while we are leading the nation
as a state, we are still facing an unacceptable achievement gap between
our white and minority students. We still have an enormous amount
of work left to do to get every student in this Commonwealth to Proficient."
Final 2005 results show that fourth graders led the nation in reading,
with an average of 44 percent scoring at Proficient or above and
tied for first with Minnesota, New Hampshire and Kansas in math,
with an average of 49 percent scoring at Proficient or above. Eighth
graders were first in the nation in reading with an average of 44
percent scoring at Proficient or above and tied for first with Minnesota
in math, with an average of 43 percent scoring at Proficient or above.
Because Boston is one of 11 urban districts nationwide participating
in NAEP's Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA), it will be the
only district in the Commonwealth to receive district results next
month.
"
The NAEP exams are widely respected as a tough and accurate measure
of student performance," said Boston Superintendent Tom Payzant. "We
plan to use our local results to help further guide our reform efforts
to accelerate the rate of improvement and help all students reach
proficiency."
Overall state results show that while some gains were made by minority
students, a clear performance gap still exists between white students
and black and Hispanic students:
Grade four: In reading, 20 percent of black
students and 11 percent of Hispanic students scored at Proficient
or above, as
compared to 51 percent of white students. In math, 18 percent
of black students and 14 percent of Hispanic students scored at
Proficient or above, as compared to 57 percent of white students.
Grade eight: In reading, 18 percent of black
students and 15 percent of Hispanic students scored at Proficient
or above, as
compared to 50 percent of white students. In math, 15 percent
of blacks and 15 percent of Hispanics scored at the top two categories,
as compared to 49 percent of white students.
"As a state, closing this gap is our biggest challenge and
one of our most pressing priorities," Driscoll said. "It
is critical that all of our students are given the tools, the
assistance and the guidance they need to achieve at higher levels."
The NAEP exam, known as "the Nation's Report Card," is
the only national, continuing assessment of what American students
know and can do in various subject areas. NAEP is mandated by
the U.S. Congress and is administered by the National Center
for Education
Statistics (NCES) at the U.S. Department of Education.
For more information on the state's results and to view the full
Massachusetts report, look online at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas.
Boston Globe article: http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/
