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8/22/2001 5:48:15 AM
Military Brats Score Well Nationally by Nathan Tsoi, militarylifestyle.com staff writer
Aug. 22, 2001 -- "Lynn had only quarters, dimes, and nickels to buy her lunch. She spent all of the money and received no change. Could she have spent $1.98? Give a reason for your answer."
If your eighth-grader answered that question, don't be surprised. According to a nationally administered mathematics assessment, fourth- and eighth-grade students in the Department of Defense Educational Activity (DoDEA) once again consistently rank relatively high compared with other students across the country. The newly released results for fourth- and eighth-graders in 2000 show DoDEA students continuing a trend of steady improvement.
The annual examination of selected fourth-, eighth-, and 12th-graders (state-by-state results for 12th-graders were unavailable at press time), which is overseen by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), ranked domestic (DDESS) and overseas (DoDDS) fourth-graders above the national average. DoDEA fourth-graders scored an average of 228 out of a possible 500; the national average is 226. Compared with state scores, DDESS and DoDDS students both ranked eighth out of the 47 states and jurisdictions that participated in the assessment.
DDESS and DoDDS eighth-graders also fared better, although not to an appreciable degree. DDESS students scored an average of 277 out of a possible 500; DoDDS eighth-graders' average was one point higher at 278. With the national average for eighth-graders at 274, DoDDS and DDESS eighth-graders rank eighth and ninth, respectively, out of the participating 47 states and jurisdictions.
Even more impressive are DoDEA student scores in a particularly key area -- specific student ethnicity. DoDEA students have excelled when measured against non-DoDEA students of identical ethnicity, particularly ethnic minorities (black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific islander, and American Indian/Alaskan native). For example, with an average score of 218, black fourth-grade DDESS students ranked second among the 47 participating states and jurisdictions; black fourth-grade DoDDS students ranked fourth overall, scoring an average of 214. Eighth-grade Hispanic students in DDESS schools ranked fourth compared with other eighth-grade Hispanic students in other states; their DoDDS counterparts ranked second. Asian and Native American students in DoD schools commonly ranked in the middle tier of states; however, many states have Asian and Native American populations so low as to negate meaningful statistical evaluation.
To date, DoDEA students have kept up with the NAEP math assessment's increasing average. The fourth-grade national average in 1996 was 222 out of a possible 500, with DDESS fourth-graders scoring 224 and their DoDDS counterparts 223. Eighth-graders also have made significant gains in four years. In 1996, when the national average was 271, DDESS eighth-graders averaged 269, while the average score of DoDDS students was 275.
All in all, when the numbers wash away, the DoDEA school system appears firmly committed to seeing its students achieve. Indeed, its math standards reflect a curriculum designed to address all facets of comprehension and mastery. Students who think they can meet DoDEA's exacting measures merely by memorizing multiplication tables or reciting formulas better think again.
According to the DoDEA website: "The [math] standards require students to demonstrate understanding of a mathematical concept by using it to solve problems, representing it in multiple ways (through numbers, graphs, symbols, diagrams, or words), and explaining it to someone else.... Student work must show how the concepts or skills are used, show its use in multiple ways, and explain the process used in writing or orally."
One of the math questions on the 2000 NAEP eighth-grade math assessment mirrors the DoDEA standards perfectly: "Lynn had only quarters, dimes, and nickels to buy her lunch. She spent all of the money and received no change. Could she have spent $1.98? Give a reason for your answer."
Can you do the numbers? Click here for the answer.
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