Zero gains in city math and reading scores

CITY SCHOOLS have again failed to make progress in reading and math, according to national test results released Tuesday. The 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress showed city kids’ reading and math scores were basically unchanged compared with 2015, when the tests were la st administered. The assessment is considered the gold standard of standardized tests and a top measure of how students are performing across the country. Fourth-grade reading scores in the city stayed flat, with an average score of 214 on a 500-point scale. Average fourth-grade math scores fell slightly, from 231 to 229. As in previous years, economically disadvantaged students and black and Hispanic students were behind their peers. Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said the scores show a need for improvement. “We are not where we need to be on math education,” Carranza said. “We are immediately increasing professional development supports for elementary math.” The national average score for fourth-grade math was 239 in 2017, the same score as the average for the rest of New York State, excluding the city. The national average score for fourth-grade reading was 221 in 2017 and the average for the rest of New York State, excluding the city, was 226.