John Huppenthal
In November the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Reading and Mathematics assessments were released. I was very happy with Arizona’s progress. The 2011 results show that Arizona Grade 4 and Grade 8 students continue to show an upward trend in NAEP scores for Mathematics and Reading – with fourth-grade students showing the greatest growth in the nation (up 5 scale score points) on NAEP Mathematics since 2009.
I want to applaud your outstanding efforts in improving student achievement. We remain committed to providing the assistance and resources necessary so that you as teachers and administrators can help ensure that all students are college and career ready by the time they graduate high school.
Arizona raised its mathematics standards in 2008. These results show that we are on the right track. Higher standards plus higher expectations lead to higher academic results.
Here are some highlights from the 2011 NAEP examinations:
Mathematics
- Arizona Grade 4 students showed greater growth since 2009 (i.e., 5 scale score points) than their peers in any other state – Arizona students scored significantly higher in 2011 (235) than in 2009 (230).
- Arizona Hispanic students showed a 7-point increase (227) in NAEP mathematics scores from 2009 (220).
- Arizona Grade 4 students showed an increase in percentage of students who are “At or Above Basic” (77%) and “At or Above Proficient” (34%) since 2009 (71% and 28%, respectively).
- Arizona Grade 8 students scored significantly higher in 2011 (279) than in 2007 (276) and continue to show a steady upward trend since 2000.
- Arizona Grade 8 students showed an increase in percentage of students who are “At or Above Proficient” (31%) and “At or Above Advanced” (7%) since 2009 (26% and 5%, respectively).
Reading
- Arizona Grade 4 students scored higher in 2011 (212) than in 2005 (207).
- Arizona Grade 4 students showed an increase in percentage of students who are “At or Above Basic” (58%) since 2005 (52%).
- Arizona Grade 8 students scored significantly higher in 2011 (260) than in 2007 (255).
- Arizona Hispanic students showed a significant increase (251) in NAEP Reading scores since 2007 (241).
- Arizona Grade 8 students showed an increase in percentage of students who are “At or Above Basic” (71%) since 2005 (65%).
I am encouraged by the academic growth of our fourth-grade students in mathematics, especially our Hispanic students. While we have seen slow but steady progress since the passage of No Child Left Behind, we know we need to do more. We need to find where schools are doing an excellent job of educating students and look to replicate their successes in order to create rapid academic growth for all of Arizona’s students.
New Superintendent’s Initiative to Promote Civic Literacy for Arizona Students
On December 7th, the 70th anniversary of the attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, I announced a new Arizona Department of Education Initiative designed to help Arizona’s children learn about their rights, roles, and responsibilities as American citizens. This new “American Heritage – Arizona Centennial Initiative” will help strengthen our students’ civic literacy as American citizens and learn about Arizona’s unique heritage and the important role that our veterans have played in securing our precious freedoms.
As Americans, we enjoy our freedom and the rule of law through the visionary documents that our Founding Fathers created. As educators, we play a special role in helping our children learn about their rights, roles, and responsibilities as American citizens. This is critical to helping each generation sustain and strengthen th0se values that define the United States.
This new initiative of the Superintendent’s Office will launch in 2012 in conjunction with Arizona’s Centennial. It will bring tools and resources together for our state’s teachers and schools to highlight important historical and civic concepts during their normal course lessons and will help bring the unique perspectives of our nation’s veterans into the classroom.
In support of the Superintendent’s “American Heritage – Arizona Centennial Initiative,” the Arizona Department of Education will:
- Create a dedicated page on its website to host partner information and resources that schools can use for lesson plans, curriculum, and veteran classroom or assembly visits
- Design and distribute via electronic media materials for schools to use in conjunction with the Centennial celebration
- Produce and host on the website video messages from the Superintendent, veterans, and historians that can be shown in schools and classrooms
- Identify opportunities for veterans to be brought into schools and classrooms to speak to students
Opportunities to participate in the American Heritage – Arizona Centennial Initiative appear below:
- February 14 – Arizona’s Centennial
- February 20 – Presidents Day
- May 1 – Loyalty Day
- May 28 – Memorial Day
- September 17 – Constitution Day
- November 11 – Veterans Day
- December 7 – Pearl Harbor Day
- December 15 – Bill of Rights Day
I strongly encourage all Arizona schools to view 2012, and those days identified, as an opportunity for their students to learn more about our country’s great heritage, Arizona’s wonderful history, and the brave legacy of the men and women who have served in our military.
John Huppenthal is the Arizona Department of Education schools superintendent.
