Indicator: Math and reading proficiency in grade 8 Breadcrumb Home Indicators Math and Reading Proficiency In Grade 8 Definition Students demonstrate proficiency in math and reading/English language arts according to high-quality state standards. Recommended Metric(s) Percentage of students in grade 8 who meet grade-level standards in reading/English language arts and math as measured by state standardized testsView CEDS ConnectionPercentage of students in grade 8 who meet grade-level standards in reading/English language arts and math as measured by state standardized testsCEDS Connections offer guidance, including data elements and step-by-step analysis recommendations, for how to calculate select metrics. Type(s) of Data Needed Assessments Why it matters Math and reading proficiency are highly predictive of later outcomes, including high school graduation and college enrollment.1, 2, 3 Reflecting disparities in certain populations’ access to strong systems and supports for learning, there are large and persistent gaps between the test scores of students who are Black, Latino, and from low-income households and their White, Asian, and more economically advantaged counterparts.4, 5, 6 For example, among 8th graders, 44 percent of White students were proficient on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 2019, compared to 14 percent of Black students and 20 percent of Latino students.7 What to know about measurement Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), schools must collect and report test scores for students in grades 3–8, making data for this indicator broadly available. However, states use different assessments that vary in both content and proficiency standards, as shown by analyses that map proficiency cut scores on state tests to NAEP-equivalent scores.8 As a result, proficiency rates should not be compared across states, except when using NAEP data, which are available for grades 4, 8, and 12.This indicator may also measure students’ writing proficiency in states where a writing component is included within the English language arts assessment. As of 2019, one-third of states use either the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)9 or Smarter Balanced tests,10 both of which include a writing component.11We acknowledge limitations of test-based measures of proficiency, such as the potential for unintended consequences when used for accountability purposes (for example, teaching to the test, incentives for cheating) and limited accessibility of non-English testing for emerging multilingual students.12, 13, 14 Evidence also shows that when students are encouraged to perform better on standardized tests through a financial reward, their performance improves, sometimes substantially, suggesting that test scores may not fully capture students’ true academic proficiency.15, 16 Despite these concerns, we recommend these indicators because of the demonstrated predictive value of measures of math and reading proficiency, and their potential to be used for intervention purposes. E-W Case Studies Image California's Cradle-to-Career Data System California is developing a data system that brings together data from early learning programs, schools, colleges, financial aid providers, employers, workforce training programs, and social services. View Case Study Source frameworks This indicator appeared in 12 source frameworks reviewed for this report. For example, our definition aligns with the CORE Districts’ definition of academic performance in grades 3–8. References 8Bandeira de Mello, V., Rahman, T., Fox, M. A., & Ji, C. S. (2019). Mapping state proficiency standards onto NAEP scales: Results from the 2017 NAEP reading and mathematics assessments (NCES 2019-040). U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/studies/2019040.aspx9Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). (2012). PARCC model content frameworks: English language arts/literacy, grades 3-11. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED582077 10Smarter Balanced. (2022). Smarter content explorer. The Regents of the University of California. https://contentexplorer.smarterbalanced.org/ 11Gewertz, C. (2019). Which states are using PARCC or Smarter Balanced? An interactive breakdown of states’ 2016-17 testing plans. EducationWeek. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/which-states-are-using-parcc-or-smarter-balanced#:~:text=Only%20ONE%2DTHIRD%20of%20the,tests%20they%20designed%20or%20bought 12Tabaku, L., Carbuccia-Abbott, M., Saavedra, E. (2018). State assessments in languages other than English. American Institutes for Research. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED590178.pdf13Helms, J. E. (2006). Fairness is not validity or cultural bias in racial-group assessment: A quantitative perspective. American Psychologist, 61(8), 845–859. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.61.8.845 14Jacob, B.A. (2016). Student test scores: How the sausage is made and why you should care. Brookings Institute. https://www.brookings.edu/research/student-test-scores-how-the-sausage-is-made-and-why-you-should-care/ 15Gneezy, U., List, J. A., Livingston, J. A., Sadoff, S., Qin, X., & Xu, Y. (2017). Measuring success in education: The role of effort on the test itself. American Economic Review: Insights, 1(3), 291-308. https://doi.org/10.1257/aeri.20180633 See Helms (2006).16Brown, S.L. (2015). Motivating high school students to score proficient on state tests. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v3i3.700 1Hernandez, D. J. (2012). Double jeopardy: How third-grade reading skills and poverty influence high school graduation. Annie E. Casey Foundation. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED518818 2Lesnick, J., George, R., Smithgall, C., & Gwynne, J. (2010). Reading on grade level in third grade: How is it related to high school performance and college enrollment? A longitudinal analysis of third-grade students in Chicago in 1996-97 and their educational outcomes. A report to the Anne E. Casey Foundation. Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED517805 3Cumpton, G., Schexnayder, D., King, C. T., & Stolp, C. (2012). Factors associated with education and work after high school for the classes of 2008 and 2009: A research report of the Central Texas Student Futures project. Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resources, University of Texas at Austin. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/204104Child Trends Data Bank. (2019). Reading proficiency. https://www.childtrends.org/indicators/reading-proficiency 5The Nation’s Report Card. (2019b). NAEP report card: Mathematics. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/highlights/mathematics/2019/ 6The Nation’s Report Card. (2019c). NAEP report card: Reading. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/highlights/reading/2019/7The Nation’s Report Card (2019d). National achievement-level results: mathematics. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/mathematics/nation/achievement?grade=8