Boston’s 4th and 8th graders outperforming urban peers in Reading according to “The Nation’s Report Card”

BOSTON – New data released today shows students in the Boston Public Schools (BPS) are outperforming their urban peers in Reading. The data was released by the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as “The Nation’s Report Card.”

Among 18 urban school districts participating in the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA), Boston was one of only five cities to score significantly higher than large cities nationwide in both the grade 4 and grade 8 reading assessments. Boston’s average scores in both grades 4 and 8 have continued to increase each year since the district first participated in the NAEP/TUDA in 2003.

“Once again the Boston Public Schools are showing growth we can all be proud of,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “Our students are on the right track and are outperforming their peers across the country, proving that Boston remains a shining example of how urban public education can work for all students.”

Superintendent Carol R. Johnson was pleased with the results and emphasized that BPS will continue to accelerate efforts to ensure that all children are performing at high levels.“This latest data shows we are making progress every day,” said Dr. Johnson. “We continue to see the average reading scores for students increase, particularly in relation to other larger cities, and we remain committed to seeing the numbers climb higher.”

Just this school year BPS implemented a new district-wide elementary reading curriculum. Dr. Johnson stressed that the new curriculum allows students who transfer between schools in the district to remain on track.

In 2003, Boston was one of the first districts that volunteered to participate in the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA), which now includes 18 cities: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Washington D.C., Fresno, Houston, Jefferson County (KY), Los Angeles, Miami-Dade, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia and San Diego.

From 2003 to 2009, students in every racial and ethnic group demonstrated improvement in both grades 4 and 8 reading.  This year, Boston’s Black students in particular outperformed their peers across the nation: Black 4th graders in Boston had an average scaled score of 212, compared to the national average of 204 and the large cities average of 201. In fact, Boston’s Black 4th graders had the highest scaled scores of all TUDA districts.  

NAEP/TUDA data in Mathematics assessment released in December showed Boston’s gains exceed the national average for all public schools, including suburban districts.