Urban school districts making progress

The study analyzes reading and math data for fourth and eighth graders in 11 urban  school districts on the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP). TUDA is a joint effort of the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), the National Center for Education Statistics, and the Council of the Great City Schools.

The participating districts are Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Cleveland; the District of Columbia; Houston; Los Angeles; New York City; and San Diego.

Overall, average scores in both subjects for students in both grades remained below the national averages.

But many of the urban districts showed greater numerical increases in math for both grades 4 and 8 than the average gains posted across the country.

Since 2003, nearly all of the urban districts also showed average score increases in grade 4 reading that were, in absolute terms, greater than or equal to the overall increases throughout the United States.

However, following trends in national and state-level data released earlier this year, eighth grade reading scores in the urban districts were unchanged or declined.

“Urban education is simply a condition of residence, rather than a reason for poor performance,” says Darvin M. Winick, chair of NAGB, which sets policy for NAEP. “While also showing room for growth, these results demonstrate that students in some of our nation’s largest cities are keeping pace with -- and in many cases, outperforming -- their peers nationwide.”

• Average reading scores for fourth graders increased between 2002 and 2005 in Atlanta and New York City.

• Average scores for each participating district were lower than the national average, except in Charlotte, where the average was higher, and Austin, where the average score was not significantly different.

• Compared with student performance in large central city public schools nationwide, students in Austin, Charlotte, Houston, and New York City scored higher, on average, while average scores in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, the District of Columbia, and Los Angeles were lower.

• Black students in Charlotte, Houston, and New York City had higher average scores than black students in large central cities nationwide.

White students in Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, the District of Columbia, and Houston and Hispanic students in Austin, Charlotte, and New York City had higher average scores than their peers in the same racial/ ethnic group in large central cities nationwide.

• The average reading scores for eighth graders in Austin and Charlotte were not significantly different from the national average. But average scores for eighth graders in the other urban districts in the study were lower than the national average.

• The percentage of students performing at or above the basic level in Charlotte was higher than that in large central cities nationwide. The percentage of students performing at or above the proficient level was higher in Austin, Boston, and Charlotte than in large central cities.

• The average score in Atlanta in eighth-grade reading increased between 2003 and 2005. The average score in Los Angeles increased between 2002 and 2005.

• Between 2003 and 2005, the gap in average scores between white and black students in Houston increased and the gap between white and Hispanic students in Los Angeles decreased.

• In 2005, public school students in Austin and Charlotte had higher average scores than students nationally. Average scores in the other districts were lower than the national average.

• Compared with students in large central city public schools nationwide, students in Austin, Charlotte, Houston, New York City, and San Diego had higher average scores and higher percentages performing at or above the basic level.

• Compared to students of the same race/ethnicity in large central city schools, black students in Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Houston, and New York City had higher percentages performing at or above the basic level. Black students in Chicago, the District of Columbia, and Los Angeles school districts had lower average scores and lower percentages performing at or above basic.

• Hispanic students in Austin, Charlotte, Houston, and New York City had higher average scores and higher percentages performing at or above basic, compared to Hispanic students in large central city schools.

• Between 2003 and 2005, both the average scores and the percentages performing at or above basic increased in Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, the District of Columbia, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, City, and San Diego.

• In 2005, average scores for students in Austin and Charlotte were higher than the average score for public school students in the nation. Average scores for the other districts were lower.

• Compared with students in large central cities, students in Austin, Boston, Charlotte, and San Diego had higher average scores and higher percentages performing at or above basic. Austin, Boston, and Charlotte also had higher percentages performing at or above proficient.

• Between 2003 and 2005, the average scores and the percentages of students performing at or above basic and at or above proficient increased in Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

NCES Associate Commissioner Peggy Carr says the study shows “progress being made by some districts that represents larger gains than seen for the states or for the nation -- and some student groups surpassing the performance of their peers nationally.”

“Without a doubt, there are some positive highlights in this year’s TUDA results, and the gains should be applauded,” says John Q. Easton, a member of NAGB and executive director of the consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago.