Science Education Reform for All (SERA)

Executive Summary

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Table 2: Gaps in Mathematics Performance between White and Minority Students
Grade 4 -- Mathematics Disparities (in percentage points) between White and minority students who met the Goals Panel's performance standard in mathematics   1990 1996 Change American Indian/Alaskan Native 11 20 +9 Black 15 23 +8 Hispanic 11 20 +9 Disparities (in percentage points) between males and females   1990 1996 Change Females < males 1 5 +4 ns Grade 8 -- Mathematics Disparities (in percentage points) between White and minority students who met the Goals Panel's performance standard in mathematics   1990 1996 Change American Indian/Alaskan Native 13 1 18 1 +5 ns Black 14 27 +13 Hispanic 14 22 +8	Disparities (in percentage points) between males and females   1990 1996 Change Females < males 3 2 -1 ns Grade 12 -- Mathematics Disparities (in percentage points) between White and minority students who met the Goals Panel's performance standard in mathematics   1990 1996 Change American Indian/Alaskan Native -- 2 17 1 -- Black 12 16 +4 ns Hispanic 10 14 +4 ns Disparities (in percentage points) between males and females   1990 1996 Change Females < males 6 4 -2 ns
ns Interpret with caution. Change from the baseline was not statistically significant. 1 Statistical tests involving this value should be interpreted with caution. Standard error estimates may not be accurately determined and/or the sampling distribution of the statistic does not match statistical test assumptions. 2 Sample size is insufficient to permit a reliable estimate. This table updates information presented in the 1996 Goals Report. Between 1990 and 1996, the gaps in mathematics performance widened between Hispanic and White students and between Black and White students in Grades 4 and 8. For example, in 1990, the gap between Black and White 8th graders who met the standard in mathematics was 14 percentage points. The gap had widened to a 27-percentage-point difference by 1996. Source: National Educational Goals Panel: The National Education Goals Report: Building a Nation of Learners 1997. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, p. 44.

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[ I. Introduction | II. Lessons Learned | III. Conclusion ]