| Title: | Vocabulary Results from the 2009 and 2011 NAEP Reading Assessments |
| Description: | This report presents results focusing on the vocabulary component of the 2009 and 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessments. Examples of vocabulary questions at grades 4, 8, and 12 are presented in the report along with the percentages of students who responded correctly. Students’ overall performance on the vocabulary questions is reported as average scores on the NAEP vocabulary scale. Results are provided for fourth- and eighth-graders in the nation, the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Department of Defense schools. At grade 12, results are reported for the nation and 11 states that volunteered to participate in the 2009 state pilot program (the NAEP reading assessment was not administered in 2011 at grade 12). Results for student groups based on race/ethnicity, gender, and indicators of family income are also included. The Technical Notes provide information on the vocabulary assessment design, and appendix tables present data supporting results highlighted in the body of the report. At all three grades, students who scored higher on vocabulary questions also scored higher in reading comprehension. For example, in 2011, fourth-grade students performing above the 75th percentile in reading comprehension also had the highest average vocabulary score; and lower-performing fourth-graders at or below the 25th percentile in reading comprehension had the lowest average vocabulary score. For each of the three grades, average vocabulary scores for White and Asian/Pacific Islander students were higher than the scores for Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native students. Female students scored higher on average than male students at grades 4 and 8 in 2011; however, no gender gap was observed in the performance of male and female twelfth-graders in 2009. Vocabulary scores in 2011 for both fourth- and eighth-graders in 17 states and the Department of Defense schools were higher than the national averages. |
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| Cover Date: | December 2012 |
| Web Release: | December 6, 2012 |
| Print Release: | December 6, 2012 |
| Publication #: | NCES 2013452 General Ordering Information |
| Center/Program: | NCES |
| Authors: | NCES |
| Type of Product: | Statistical Analysis Report |
| Survey/Program Areas: |
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) |
| Keywords: | |
| Questions: |
For questions about the content of this Statistical Analysis Report, please contact: NCES WebMaster. |