This short report summarizes the key findings of the NAEP 2004 Long Term Trend results in reading and mathematics that are described in the full report: NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress (NCES 2005-464). The findings provide a look at the performance of America's students at ages 9, 13, and 17 over a period of 33 years, beginning in 1971 for reading and 1973 for mathematics. The report summarizes trends in average scale scores for all students and for groups of students defined by gender and race/ethnicity. One additional variable for each age is also presented. For age 9, scores are broken out by percentiles; for age 13, scores are shown for students whose parents attained various levels of education; and for age 17, coursetaking patterns are highlighted. The average reading score at age 9 was higher in 2004 than in any previous assessment year. The average reading score at age 13 was not significantly different in 2004 from the average score in 1999 (the most recent previous assessment), although it was higher than the average score in 1971. At age 17, there was no statistically significant difference between the average score in 2004 and the average score in 19971 or 1999. The average mathematics scores for 9- and 13-year-olds were higher in 2004 than in any previous assessment year. For 17-year-olds, there were no significant differences between the average score in 2004 and the average scores in 1973 or 1999.
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