Kentucky Department of Education

News Release 03-036 -- June 19, 2003

            (FRANKFORT, Ky.) -- The results of the 2002 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading show that Kentucky's 4^th- and 8^th-graders continue to make gains, the Kentucky Department of Education announced today.

            The scale score for 4^th-graders was 219, a gain of one point since the 1998 administration of the test. Eighth-graders' scale score was 265, a gain of three points since 1998. In 2002, 3,555 Kentucky 4^th-graders and 2,651 8^th-graders participated in the NAEP reading assessment.

            Kentucky students also outperformed the nation at both grade levels -- by two points at both 4^th  and 8^th grade.

4^TH GRADE SCALE SCORES -  KENTUCKY (NATION)

1992         213 (215)

1994         212 (212)

1998**      218 (213)               

2002**      219 (217)

              

8^TH GRADE SCALE SCORES - KENTUCKY (NATION)*

1998**      262 (261)

2002**      265 (263)

* NAEP began assessing 8^th-grade reading in 1998.

** Accommodations permitted by NAEP.

            When comparing 2002 scale scores among jurisdictions, Kentucky ranks near the middle for both 4^th and 8^th grade. In 4^th grade, Kentucky's scale score was higher than those in 17 jurisdictions, lower than those in 13 and not significantly different from those in 17. In 8^th grade, Kentucky's scale score was higher than those in 19 jurisdictions, lower than those in 10 and not significantly different from those in 17.

            Among southeastern states, only North Carolina and Virginia had higher 4^th-grade scale scores than Kentucky. At the 8^th grade level, only Virginia's scale score was higher than Kentucky's.

            Kentucky's 4^th- and 8^th-graders performed similarly to the nation at the basic, proficient and advanced levels.

 4^TH GRADE ACHIEVEMENT LEVEL - KENTUCKY (NATION)

Percent at or above basic:

1992 - 58 (60) 

1994 - 56 (59)

1998 - 63 (61) 

1998* - 62 (58)

2002* - 64 (62)               

Percent at or above proficient:

1992 - 23 (27) 

1994 - 26 (28)

1998 - 29 (29)

1998* - 29 (28)

2002* - 30 (29)

Percent at or above advanced:

1992 - 3 (6)

1994 - 6 (7) 

1998 - 6 (6) 

1998* -  6 (6) 

2002* -  6 (6) 

 

 8^TH GRADE ACHIEVEMENT LEVEL - KENTUCKY (NATION)

Percent at or above basic:

1998 - 74 (72) 

1998* - 74 (71)

2002* - 77 (74)                

Percent at or above proficient: 

1998 - 29 (31)

1998* - 30 (30)

2002* - 31 (31)

Percent at or above advanced: 

1998 - 2 (2)

1998* - 2 (2)

2002* - 2 (2) 

* Accommodations permitted by NAEP

            Fourth-grade girls in Kentucky tend to have higher scale scores than fourth-grade boys, and Kentucky's fourth-grade girls also outperform the nation. And, even though black 4^th-graders in Kentucky have higher scale scores than those nationally, the data show that performance gaps still exist.

4^TH-GRADE READING SCALE SCORES BY GENDER AND RACE

MALES - KENTUCKY (NATION) 

1992      209 (211)    

1994      206 (207)    

1998      216 (212)

1998*     216 (210)

2002*     215 (214)

           

FEMALES - KENTUCKY (NATION)

 1992      216 (219)    

1994      217 (218)    

1998      220 (218)    

1998*     219 (215)    

2002*     224 (220)     

           

WHITES - KENTUCKY (NATION) 

1992     214 (223)    

1994     214 (222)    

1998     220 (223)    

1998*    220 (223)    

2002*    222 (227)    

           

BLACKS - KENTUCKY (NATION)

1992     196 (191)

1994     190 (184)

1998     197 (192)

1998*    199 (192)

2002*    199 (198)

* Accommodations permitted by NAEP

            For 8^th-graders, the data show similar results.

8^TH-GRADE READING SCALE SCORES BY GENDER AND RACE

MALES - KENTUCKY (NATION)

1998      255 (255)

1998*     256 (253)

2002*     261 (258)

 

FEMALES - KENTUCKY (NATION)

1998      269 (268)     

1998*     269 (269)     

2002*     270 (267) 

 

WHITES - KENTUCKY (NATION)

1998     264 (269)

1998*    264 (268)

2002*    267 (271)

 

BLACKS - KENTUCKY (NATION)

1998      242 (241)

1998*     246 (242)

2002*     248 (244)

* Accommodations permitted by NAEP

For more than thirty years, NAEP has been the country's only nationally representative and continuing survey of students' educational achievement.  Because the national NAEP samples were not designed to support the reporting of state-level results, state NAEP was introduced in 1990 to provide participating states reliable data concerning the achievement of their students. The assessment is authorized by Congress, directed by NCES and developed by Educational Testing Service of Princeton, New Jersey. Westat, Inc. of Rockville, Maryland,  conducts sample selection and data collection.

NAEP protects the confidentiality of students, teachers and schools that participate by not reporting individual student, teacher or school data. NAEP provides results for major demographic groups, and states that meet NAEP reporting criteria are able to compare their results with both national results and the results of other states.

INFORMATION ABOUT EXCLUSION RATES

            NAEP reports data based on whether accommodations were allowed in the testing process, meaning that students with disabilities and those considered to have limited English proficiency (LEP) can have special assistance in order to complete the test. Certain students may be excluded from the test, based on teacher recommendations using students' Individual Education Plans (IEPs).

            In general, more students nationwide are being excluded from the NAEP samples. This may be due in large part to the diligence of states implementing Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provisions in their own statewide assessments. Local school district officials, accustomed to providing specific accommodations in their state testing programs, may find that NAEP excludes these students.

            Until recently, Kentucky was one of the few states that included students with disabilities in statewide assessments. Since 1990, Kentucky has tested nearly every public school student in the state, regardless of disability. Under newly-required federal regulations, other states are just beginning to add students with disabilities to their statewide testing rosters.

             In 2002, eight percent of Kentucky's participating 4^th-grade students were excluded from the NAEP reading test in which accommodations were permitted. (In 1998, 7.3 percent were excluded.) Thirty-one states, along with Department of Defense schools, Guam and the Virgin Islands, had lower rates of exclusion. Thirteen states had equal or higher rates. The range was from 2.5 percent (Guam) to 11.9 percent (North Carolina). The average nationwide was 6.8 percent.

            At the 8^th-grade level, 6.7 percent of Kentucky's participating students were excluded from the test in which accommodations were permitted. (In 1998, 3.2 percent were excluded.) Thirty-one states, along with Guam and Department of Defense schools, had lower rates. Twelve states, along with American Samoa, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia, had equal or higher rates. The range was from 1.7 percent (Department of Defense schools) to 9.8 percent (Louisiana). The average nationwide was 5.8 percent.

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