Alabama students rank at bottom nationally in math test
By Mike Cason | mcason@al.com AL.com
series /series Aka Story Package gallery-preview /gallery-preview Aka Secondary Package Alabama students ranked at the bottom nationally in math test results released last month by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Fourth-graders and eighth-graders in randomly selected schools take the NAEP tests every two years.
Alabama students scored better in reading than in math.
Low rankings for Alabama on NAEP tests are not new. Alabama has raised its scores over the past decade but has not closed the gap on the national average.
Officials with two education organizations said the rankings show that the state set its standards too low for years. But they say that's changed and the results should improve.
"We're not where we need to be, but we're doing what we need to do to get there," Sally Smith, executive director of the Alabama Association of School Boards, said.
On this year's NAEP tests, Alabama fourth-graders had an average score of 231, tying New Mexico and the District of Columbia for last place. The national average was 240.
For Alabama eighth-graders, the average math score ranked 50th among states, ahead of only the District of Columbia. Alabama's average was 267, while the national average was 281.
In reading, Alabama fourth-graders ranked 40th with an average score of 217. The national average was 221.
Eighth-graders tied for 43rd in reading with an average score of 259. The national average was 264.
About 4,200 Alabama fourth-graders and 4,200 eighth-graders took the test, according to the state Department of Education. They were from 275 randomly selected schools across the state.
The NAEP tests are separate from the ACT Aspire tests, which Alabama students in grades 3 through 8 took for the second time in spring 2015.
The state Department of Education released the results of the Aspire tests last week.
[How were your school's ACT Aspire results? Search the database.]
Thomas Rains, vice president of operations and policy for the A+ Education Partnership, said Alabama teachers and students are still adjusting to changes adopted a few years ago.
"For a long time, until the last few years, we haven't held our students to a high enough bar," Rains said.
Alabama adopted the Common Core standards used by most states and incorporated those into the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards.
"It raises the bar and encourages students to learn on a much deeper level," Rains said.
The ACT Aspire tests are aligned with the College and Career Ready Standards.
On this year's Aspire tests, math scores improved in most grades, while reading results stayed about the same as 2014.
Overall, roughly one-third to one-half of students tested as "proficient" on the Aspire tests, which means at or above grade level. Rains said that's too low, but that it provides an accurate assessment on which to build.
"We're actually giving parents and students honest feedback on where they stand," Rains said.
As for the NAEP tests, Rains said he expects Alabama's scores to improve during the next round.
"I think by 2017 we'll see some good progress for Alabama," Rains said.
AASB Executive Director Smith said the adoption of the College and Career Ready Standards and the Aspire tests are fundamental changes that have the state on the right track.
"We will do better," Smith said. "But I'm not terribly surprised by the results because this is a process."
State Superintendent Tommy Bice said the Aspire tests, taken by about 330,000 students this year, are a more valuable gauge of learning than the NAEP scores because the Aspire tests measure progress toward college readiness.
"That has far greater impact on the future of kids than a NAEP score does."