A bad report card for nation and Connecticut

Nationwide, in fourth-grade reading, 36 percent of students scored at or above Proficient (no significant change from 2013, and an eight percentage point increase since 1992). Nationwide, in fourth-grade reading, 36 percent of students scored at or above Proficient (no significant change from 2013, and an eight percentage point increase since 1992). Photo: Scott Mullin Photo: Scott Mullin Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close A bad report card for nation and Connecticut 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

The “Nation’s Report Card” is out, and its generally not good news for the nation or Connecticut.

Math scores across the nation were down for both fourth- and eighth-graders who took the National Assessment of Educational Progress test in 2015 compared to 2013. Meanwhile in reading, eighth-grade scores were down and fourth-grade scores were flat.

The NAEP is given to a representative sample of students across the country. In Connecticut, that amounted to about 9,300 students.

Nationwide, in fourth-grade reading, 36 percent of students scored at or above proficient (no significant change from 2013, and an 8 percentage point increase since 1992).

In eighth-grade reading, 34 percent of students scored at or above proficient (a 2 percentage point decline from 2013, and a 5 percentage point increase since 1992).

In fourth-grade math, 40 percent of students scored at or above proficient (a 2 percentage point decline from 2013, and a 27 percentage point increase since 1990).

In eighth-grade math, 33 percent of students scored at or above proficient (a 2 percentage point decline from 2013, and an 18 percentage point increase since 1990).

Connecticut’s fourth-grade math scores — traditionally higher than those of the nation at the whole —- slipped to the national average. On a 0-to-500 scale, fourth-graders in Connecticut and the nation as a whole scored an average of 240.

The percentage of Connecticut fourth-graders performing at the proficient level or above was 41 percent, smaller than the 45 percent posted in 2013. Also, nearly one-quarter of Connecticut fourth-graders who took the test scored “below basic,” compared to just 17 percent two years ago.

In the eighth grade, 36 percent of Connecticut students were proficient or better, but 30 percent of student who took the test scored in the below basic range — more than the 26 percent posted two years ago.

In reading, 43 percent of Connecticut fourth-graders and 43 percent of eighth-graders were proficient or better, statistically the same as two years ago.

In both grades and both subjects, the achievement gap between white students and students of color remain wide but had narrowed, not because minority students are gaining ground but generally because white students lost ground.

In fourth-grade math, black students scored 35 points lower on average than white students in 2015. In eighth-grade reading, the average score difference between black and white students was 31 points.