This report presents results of the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading and mathematics at grade 12. Assessment results based on a nationally representative sample of twelfth-graders assessed in each subject are reported as average scores and as the percentages of students performing at or above three achievement levels: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. Scores are also reported at different percentiles (showing performance for lower-, middle-, and higher-performing students) and by subject subscales (showing performance in specific content areas). Results for groups of students defined by various background characteristics (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, and highest level of parental education) are included as well. Students' performance in the 2005 reading assessment is compared to students' performance in previous assessment years and shows a decline in the average score in 2005 in comparison to 1992, and no significant change in comparison to 2002. Results from the 2005 mathematics assessment could not be compared to those from previous years because of changes in the assessment content and administration. In 2005, 61 percent of twelfth-graders performed at or above the Basic level in mathematics and 73 percent performed at or above Basic in reading. The report also includes sample assessment questions in reading and mathematics, and a page of technical notes provides information about sampling, use of accommodations, school and student participation, and statistical significance.
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