In September, the National Center for Education Statistics released a report of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showing that Catholic school students again have achieved significantly higher proficiency scores in reading and math than their public school counterparts.
The 2007 report, mirroring results from previous testing years, found that 80 percent of Catholic school students in grade four achieved basic mastery of fundamental reading skills, or above, compared with 65 percent of public school students. By grade eight, the gap grew even wider, with 91 percent of Catholic students achieving basic mastery or above, compared with 72 percent of public school students.
For math, Catholic students again achieved higher proficiency rates. 90 percent of Catholic school fourth graders achieved basic mastery or above, compared to 81 percent of public school students. Like the scores for reading, by grade eight, the gap was wider again, with 83 percent of Catholic school students achieving basic mastery of math skills, versus 70 percent of public school students.
The report follows a May 2007 NAEP report showing fourth grade Catholic school students achieving higher proficiency in civics, with 97 percent of Catholic school students achieving basic proficiency or higher, versus 72 percent of public school students. In eighth grade, 90 percent of Catholic school students achieved proficiency, versus 68 percent of public school students.
About 700,000 students from all 50 states participated in the Math and Reading assessments.
The NAEP assessments have been conducted periodically over the last three decades in reading, mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, geography, and other subjects. NAEP is a congressionally authorized project of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education.