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Indiana students surpass national average in writing
Indiana's eighth-grade students exceeded the national average in writing performance according to the latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Known as the Nation’s Report Card, NAEP is the only national, continuing assessment that shows what U.S. students know and are able to do in various subject areas over time. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Suellen Reed attributed the progress to a number of writing initiatives at the state and local levels, including expanded writing practice across subject areas, the increasing role of literacy coaches and a greater focus on writing instruction in school improvement plans. “Quality writing doesn’t just take place in English class,” said Reed. “We’ve seen a conscious effort by our schools to integrate writing across the curriculum. The latest Nation’s Report Card shows these efforts are producing results.” Indiana students scored a five-point increase since the last NAEP writing exam in 2002 for an average score of 155, moving the state above the national average (154). In addition to overall gains, Indiana saw increases across nearly all student demographic groups. The state’s largest gains were made by black students whose average score increased by 15 points since 2002 (from 125 to 140). Nationally, average scores among black students increased by six points. Average scores for Indiana’s white students also improved by five points (from 153 to 158), while scores for this group nationally increased by three points. Indiana’s results mirror a widespread trend; average writing scores increased for 19 states and the Department of Defense schools, while scores decreased for only one state (North Carolina). Indiana scored significantly higher than 13 states and jurisdictions, comparably with 21 states and jurisdictions and lower than 11 states and jurisdictions. Overall achievement on NAEP is categorized in four ways: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient and Advanced. Indiana remains at or above the national average across all performance categories. The percentage of students scoring Below Basic has decreased while the percentage of students scoring at Proficient or Advanced has had no significant change compared to 2002. Approximately 140,000 students in more than 6,300 schools across the U.S. participated in the NAEP writing exam in the spring of 2007. Indiana’s representative sample included nearly 2,600 eighth-grade students from more than 100 schools across the state. For more information about NAEP, see the attached document and visit www.nationsreportcard.gov. Attachment:
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Indiana Department of Education |
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