Fourth- and eighth-grade students attending Department of Defense Education Activity schools led the nation in scoring on the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress reading assessment and fourth-grade mathematics assessment, according to a report released today.
DODEA students ranked second in the 2019 NAEP eighth-grade mathematics assessment. This year's fourth- and eighth-grade student performance builds on DODEA's significant showing in 2017 on the NAEP reading and mathematics assessments, officials said.
The report is available at https://www.dodea.edu/.
DODEA students' average scale scores ranged from 10 to 18 percentage points higher than corresponding national average scores, and mostly increased while national average scores mostly decreased, the report showed.
"I am extremely proud of our students' performance on the 2019 NAEP reading and mathematics assessments," said DODEA Director Thomas M. Brady. "The dedication and hard work of our teachers and administrators, along with the implementation of a rigorous College and Career Ready Curriculum improved on the already impressive performance by DODEA students on the 2017 NAEP."
Brady added that in 2019, DODEA had the highest performance among black and Hispanic students of any state or jurisdiction.
"This resulted in us having the smallest statistical gaps in average score between white and black or white and Hispanic students on the NAEP," he said.
Given this continuing success, Brady added, DODEA believes its commitment to providing a world-class education to military-connected students, along with the Defense Department's commitment to families," will allow continued focus on emphasizing equity in its strategic plan and eventually eliminating achievement gaps in its system."
The National Assessment of Educational Progress is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas, DODEA officials said. Assessments are conducted periodically in mathematics, reading, science, writing, the arts, civics, economics, geography and U.S. history.
NAEP does not provide scores for individual students or schools. Instead, it offers results regarding subject-matter achievement, instructional experiences and school environment for populations of students, such as fourth graders and groups within those populations, such as Hispanic students. NAEP results are based on a sample of student populations of interest, officials said.
(From a Department of Defense Education Activity news release.)