Preparation: Improvements, Declines, and Gaps in Performance*
Since the early 1990s, most states have improved in many areas of preparing students for college, including increasing the percentage of eighth graders scoring well on national math, science, and writing exams. However, not all states have improved on these national exams, and many states have declined on the national reading tests. In addition, improvement has not occurred in other important areas, such as the percentage of young adults graduating from high school within four years. The nation continues to experience disparities in educational performance by race/ethnicity and by state of residence.
Key Indicator: Percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds with a high school credential
 |
|
34 states improved or stayed the same on the key indicator |
 |
|
16 states declined on the key indicator |
Other Improvements
9th to 12th graders taking at least one upper-level science course
| Texas |
20% to 56% |
| West Virginia |
24% to 46% |
| South Carolina |
21% to 36% |
| Iowa |
28% to 47% |
8th graders scoring at or above “proficient” on the national assessment in math
| North Carolina |
12% to 34% |
| Louisiana |
7% to 19% |
| Arkansas |
10% to 24% |
| Mississippi |
6% to 14% |
| Massachusetts |
23% to 51% |
| South Carolina |
15% to 32% |
8th graders scoring at or above “proficient” on the national assessment in science
| Louisiana |
13% to 19% |
| Delaware |
21% to 29% |
| South Carolina |
17% to 23% |
| Kentucky |
23% to 31% |
Low-income 8th graders scoring at or above “proficient” on the national assessment in math
| Georgia |
3% to 12% |
| Kentucky |
4% to 15% |
| Louisiana |
3% to 11% |
| South Carolina |
5% to 18% |
| Massachusetts |
7% to 25% |
| Mississippi |
2% to 7% |
| Texas |
6% to 21% |
Number of scores in the top 20% nationally on SAT/ACT college entrance exams per 1,000 high school graduates
| South Carolina |
67 to 152 |
| Massachusetts |
138 to 263 |
| Vermont |
114 to 216 |
| Georgia |
94 to 177 |
| West Virginia |
84 to 157 |
Number of scores that are 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement subject test per 1,000 high school juniors and seniors
| South Dakota |
14 to 108 |
| Arkansas |
18 to 99 |
| North Dakota |
14 to 72 |
| Minnesota |
31 to 137 |
| Wisconsin |
42 to 164 |
Declines
8th graders scoring at or above “proficient” on the national assessment in reading
| New Mexico |
24% to 17% |
| West Virginia |
27% to 23% |
| Arizona |
28% to 24% |
| Connecticut |
42% to 37% |
| Maine |
42% to 37% |
Gaps
18- to 24-year-olds with a high school credential
| |
Whites |
Blacks |
| Illinois |
95% |
82% |
| Kansas |
93% |
79% |
| Michigan |
91% |
80% |
| New York |
95% |
85% |
| |
|
|
| |
Whites |
Hispanics |
| Arizona |
93% |
69% |
| California |
95% |
75% |
| North Carolina |
92% |
56% |
| Texas |
93% |
74% |
* These indicators enable states to compare their current
performance with past performance.
