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OCTOBER 15, 2009

U.S. Math Scores Hit a Wall
National Test Shows No Gains for Fourth-Graders, Slight Rise for Eighth-Graders
By ROBERT TOMSHO

Fewer than four of 10 fourth- and eighth-graders are proficient in mathematics, according to a highly
regarded federal test given in early 2009, adding to recent evidence that the U.S. drive to become more
economically competitive by overhauling public education may be falling short.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress -- often called the "nation's report card" -- found
fourth-graders had made no learning gains since the last time the NAEP math test was given, in 2007.
Previously, fourth-graders had made scoring gains on every NAEP math test given since 1990.
Significant scoring gaps between white students and their Hispanic and African-American peers also
haven't changed much in recent years, the test results showed.
Policy makers and business leaders long have complained that too many U.S. students graduate without
the math skills necessary to compete in an international economy that increasingly revolves aroundtechnology.
Last year, a national mathematics advisory panel appointed by President George W. Bush issued a reportsaying the nation's system of math education "is broken and must be fixed." In December, the U.S. andother nations released results of an international test, the Trends in International Mathematics andScience Study, indicating that U.S. math students have made gains in recent years but still trail theirpeers in places such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.
Earlier this year, a report by ACT, the testing service, found that only about 42% of the U.S. high-school
graduates it tested were ready for college-level math. The most recent results from the SAT collegeentrance exam also showed no improvement in math.
While some educators cautioned against reading too much into a single round of NAEP testing, others
said the latest results indicate a need for more drastic changes than those prompted by the federal No
Child Left Behind Law and various state initiatives.
In a statement, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan called the NAEP results "unacceptable," and said
they underscore the need for "reforms that will accelerate student achievement." While not focused
specifically on math, the Obama administration's education strategy calls for adopting tougher measures,such as opening more charter schools and linking teacher pay to performance.
David Driscoll, chairman of the board that oversees the NAEP, said that while eighth-grade scores roseslightly, "the improvement is so modest that it just isn't going to do what our kids need." A former
education commissioner for Massachusetts, Mr. Driscoll said the U.S. needs to extend the school year

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and put more emphasis on training math teachers, many of whom aren't experts in the subject. "We haveto take a leap," he said.
Overseen by the Department of Education, NAEP tests in math, reading and other subjects are given
periodically to nationwide samplings of students. NAEP tests are widely seen as more demanding thanannual state achievement tests.
The latest NAEP math tests were given to about 330,000 students during the first three months of thisyear.
On a zero-to-500 point scale, fourth-graders scored an average of 240 points, unchanged from the 2007
math test. Educators were uncertain how to explain the flat results, and some said they don't point to atrend.
"I would be cautious not to make too much of it," said Kichoon Yang, executive director of the National
Council of Teachers of Mathematics, a professional group.
The 240-point average would put most fourth-graders in NAEP's "basic" scoring range, meaning they
probably could subtract a two-digit number from a three-digit number but not identify parallel andperpendicular lines in a geometry problem.
Eighth-graders, meanwhile, scored an average of 283 points, up two points from the 2007 test. Thatwould also put most of them in the "basic" category, signifying that they likely would be able to read
information from a graph but probably wouldn't be able to set up and solve an algebraic equation.
WritetoRobert
Tomshoatrob.tomsho@wsj.com
Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page A3

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