by Alicia Freese vtdigger.org Vermont students show little change in the latest nationwide reading and math test results. As in past years, the state’s fourth- and eighth-graders rank among the highest in the nation on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
Overall, Vermont was fifth overall in 4th grade math (New Hampshire was tied for first with Minnesota and Massachusetts); fourth in 8th grade math (Massachusetts one, New Jersey two, New Hampshire three); in 4th grade reading, Vermont was seventh (Massachusetts one, New Hampshire three); and Vermont was fourth in 8th grade reading (Massachusetts one, New Hampshire five).
The NAEP, which assesses states rather than individual schools, has been administered every two years since 1990. Results were released nationally last week. The Vermont Agency of Education did not publicize the state’s scores.
Average math scores for fourth- and eighth-graders increased by one point. Average reading scores increased by one point for fourth-graders and remained level for eighth-graders.
Those average scores, however, mask the achievement gap between low-income students and their peers.
For instance, among fourth-graders eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch ‘ a proxy marker for low-income students ‘ math scores actually dropped by one point.
Among eighth-graders, there’s a 26-point difference in the 2013 math scores between students eligible for the lunch program and their peers. The gap in Vermont is only slightly narrower than the national average, which shows a 27-point difference.
Tom Alderman, director of integrated support for learning at the Agency of Education, noted the achievement gap when reacting to the results.
‘While they provide evidence that Vermont is doing good work and moving in the right direction, they also demonstrate room for improvement,’ he said. ‘This is true overall, but especially when we compare overall results and sub-group results, where we see a persistent achievement gap.’
Vermont’s scores, Alderman said, have gradually increased since 1990.
‘
Average scores in NAEP mathematics for fourth-grade public and nonpublic school students, by state/jurisdiction: Various years, 1992’2013
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
Accommodations not permitted
Accommodations permitted
State/jurisdiction
1992
‘
1996
‘
2000
‘
2000
‘
2003
‘
2005
‘
2007
‘
2009
‘
2011
‘
2013
Nation
220
*
224
*
228
*
226
*
235
*
238
*
240
*
240
*
241
*
242
Nation (public)
219
*
222
*
226
*
224
*
234
*
237
*
239
*
239
*
240
*
241
Minnesota
228
*
232
*
235
*
234
*
242
*
246
*
247
*
249
*
249
*
253
Massachusetts
227
*
229
*
235
*
233
*
242
*
247
*
252
‘
252
‘
253
‘
253
New Hampshire
230
*
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
243
*
246
*
249
*
251
‘
252
‘
253
Indiana
221
*
229
*
234
*
233
*
238
*
240
*
245
*
243
*
244
*
249
Vermont
‘
‘
225
*
232
*
232
*
242
*
244
*
246
‘
248
‘
247
‘
248
Colorado
221
*
226
*
‘
‘
‘
‘
235
*
239
*
240
*
243
*
244
*
247
New Jersey
227
*
227
*
‘
‘
‘
‘
239
*
244
‘
249
‘
247
‘
248
‘
247
Wyoming
225
*
223
*
229
*
229
*
241
*
243
*
244
*
242
*
244
*
247
North Dakota
229
*
231
*
231
*
230
*
238
*
243
*
245
‘
245
‘
245
*
246
Washington
‘
‘
225
*
‘
‘
‘
‘
238
*
242
*
243
*
242
*
243
*
246
Kansas
‘
‘
‘
‘
232
*
232
*
242
*
246
‘
248
‘
245
‘
246
‘
246
Virginia
221
*
223
*
230
*
230
*
239
*
240
*
244
‘
243
*
245
‘
246
Maine
232
*
232
*
231
*
230
*
238
*
241
*
242
*
244
‘
244
‘
246
Iowa
230
*
229
*
233
*
231
*
238
*
240
*
243
*
243
*
243
*
246
Ohio
219
*
‘
‘
231
*
230
*
238
*
242
*
245
‘
244
‘
244
‘
246
Maryland
217
*
221
*
222
*
222
*
233
*
238
*
240
*
244
‘
247
‘
245
North Carolina
213
*
224
*
232
*
230
*
242
*
241
*
242
*
244
‘
245
‘
245
Wisconsin
229
*
231
*
‘
‘
‘
‘
237
*
241
*
244
‘
244
‘
245
‘
245
Pennsylvania
224
*
226
*
‘
‘
‘
‘
236
*
241
*
244
‘
244
‘
246
‘
244
Montana
‘
‘
228
*
230
*
228
*
236
*
241
*
244
‘
244
‘
244
‘
244
Connecticut
227
*
232
*
234
*
234
*
241
*
242
‘
243
‘
245
‘
242
‘
243
Hawaii
214
*
215
*
216
*
216
*
227
*
230
*
234
*
236
*
239
*
243
Nebraska
225
*
228
*
226
*
225
*
236
*
238
*
238
*
239
*
240
*
243
Delaware
218
*
215
*
‘
‘
‘
‘
236
*
240
*
242
‘
239
*
240
*
243
Utah
224
*
227
*
227
*
227
*
235
*
239
*
239
*
240
‘
243
‘
243
Texas
218
*
229
*
233
*
231
*
237
*
242
‘
242
‘
240
‘
241
‘
242
Florida
214
*
216
*
‘
‘
‘
‘
234
*
239
*
242
‘
242
‘
240
‘
242
Kentucky
215
*
220
*
221
*
219
*
229
*
231
*
235
*
239
‘
241
‘
241
Rhode Island
215
*
220
*
225
*
224
*
230
*
233
*
236
*
239
*
242
‘
241
South Dakota
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
237
*
242
‘
241
‘
242
‘
241
‘
241
Idaho
222
*
‘
‘
227
*
224
*
235
*
242
‘
241
‘
241
‘
240
‘
241
New York
218
*
223
*
227
*
225
*
236
*
238
‘
243
‘
241
‘
238
*
240
Arizona
215
*
218
*
219
*
219
*
229
*
230
*
232
*
230
*
235
*
240
Oregon
‘
‘
223
*
227
*
224
*
236
*
238
‘
236
*
238
‘
237
‘
240
Georgia
216
*
215
*
220
*
219
*
230
*
234
*
235
*
236
*
238
‘
240
Arkansas
210
*
216
*
217
*
216
*
229
*
236
*
238
‘
238
‘
238
‘
240
Tennessee
211
*
219
*
220
*
220
*
228
*
232
*
233
*
232
*
233
*
240
Missouri
222
*
225
*
229
*
228
*
235
*
235
*
239
‘
241
‘
240
‘
240
Illinois
‘
‘
‘
‘
225
*
223
*
233
*
233
*
237
‘
238
‘
239
‘
239
Oklahoma
220
*
‘
‘
225
*
224
*
229
*
234
*
237
*
237
‘
237
‘
239
West Virginia
215
*
223
*
225
*
223
*
231
*
231
*
236
‘
233
*
235
*
237
Michigan
220
*
226
*
231
*
229
*
236
‘
238
‘
238
‘
236
‘
236
‘
237
South Carolina
212
*
213
*
220
*
220
*
236
‘
238
‘
237
‘
236
‘
237
‘
237
Nevada
‘
‘
218
*
220
*
220
*
228
*
230
*
232
*
235
‘
237
‘
236
Alaska
‘
‘
224
*
‘
‘
‘
‘
233
*
236
‘
237
‘
237
‘
236
‘
236
California
208
*
209
*
214
*
213
*
227
*
230
*
230
*
232
‘
234
‘
234
Alabama
208
*
212
*
218
*
217
*
223
*
225
*
229
*
228
*
231
‘
233
New Mexico
213
*
214
*
214
*
213
*
223
*
224
*
228
*
230
*
233
‘
233
Louisiana
204
*
209
*
218
*
218
*
226
*
230
‘
230
‘
229
‘
231
‘
231
Mississippi
202
*
208
*
211
*
211
*
223
*
227
*
228
*
227
*
230
‘
231
Other jurisdictions
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
District of Columbia
193
*
187
*
193
*
192
*
205
*
211
*
214
*
219
*
222
*
229
DoDEA1
‘
‘
224
*
228
*
227
*
237
*
239
*
240
*
240
*
241
*
245
‘ Not available. The state/jurisdiction did not participate or did not meet the minimum participation guidelines for reporting.
* Significantly different (p .05) from 2013 when only one state/jurisdiction or the nation is being examined.
1 Department of Defense Education Activity (overseas and domestic schools).’
NOTE: The overall national results include both public and nonpublic school students. The national (public) and state/jurisdiction results include public school students only. Data for DoDEA schools are included in the overall national results, but not in the national (public) results.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 1992’2013 Mathematics Assessments.
Full results and state-by-state comparisons can be seen here.