Boston students outperform urban peers on Nation’s Report Card

Boston Public Schools (BPS) students are outperforming their urban peers in mathematics and reading, according to results released today by the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as “the Nation’s Report Card.”

4^th grade students in Boston tied with Washington, D.C. for the largest scale score increases in mathematics since 2003 (17 points). 8^th grade students came in just behind Atlanta Public Schools students with a 20-point gain in Mathematics since 2003.

4^th grade students have also made significant gains in reading since 2003, with an 11-point gain, more than double the national average. 8^th grade reading scores were on par with the national average.

“This data reinforces that what we are doing is working for our students,” said Superintendent Carol R. Johnson. “We are making gains that are in most cases surpassing our urban peers and in some cases matching even suburban districts. This is certainly an opportunity to congratulate all of our teachers and school staff who are proving that urban education is working.”

Since the 2009 administration, 4^th grade students gained 2-points in reading, narrowing the gap with the national average. Students in 4^th and 8^th grade also made some gains in Mathematics since 2009, significantly outperforming large cities nationwide (with populations greater than 250,000).

Despite continued achievement gaps between students of different ethnic backgrounds, Boston’s African American and Hispanic students outperformed their peers across the nation and in large cities in 4^th grade reading, as well as in 4^th and 8^th grade Mathematics.

Other notable results include the performance of English Language Learners in 4^th and 8^th grade Mathematics and in 4^th grade reading, where Boston’s average scores were significantly higher than both the nation and large cities.

Students with Disabilities in Boston outperformed their peers in large cities in 4^th and 8^th grade Mathematics, and in 4^th grade reading.    

Boston was one of 21 urban school districts to participate in the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA). In 2003, Boston was one of only ten districts that volunteered to participate in TUDA, which now includes 21 cities: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore City, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Washington D.C., Fresno, Hillsborough County (FL), Houston, Jefferson County (KY), Los Angeles, Miami-Dade, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia and San Diego.

To read the entire Boston analysis click here.