Jack Buckley Commissioner National Center for Education Statistics December 6, 2012

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National samples 10 – Reading was not assessed at grade 12 in 2011.

11 Results reported as Percentages of students who correctly answered vocabulary questions Average scores on a 0–500 vocabulary scale Nation at grades 4, 8, and states, the District of Columbia, and Department of Defense Schools at grades 4 and 8 11 states at grade 12 Results available for

Vocabulary questions appeared in two different types of sections 12

13 Words selected for vocabulary questions are Characteristic of written language as opposed to everyday speech Used across a variety of content areas rather than technical or specialized language Generally familiar concepts, feelings, or actions Necessary for understanding all or part of the passage

15 Higher-performing students score lower on vocabulary in 2011 * Significantly different (p <.05) from 2011.

16 Students who score higher in reading comprehension also score higher on vocabulary questions

17 No significant change in White – Black vocabulary score gap NOTE: Score gaps are calculated based on differences between unrounded average scores.

18 White – Hispanic vocabulary score gap narrows at grade 8 * Significantly different (p <.05) from NOTE: Score gaps are calculated based on differences between unrounded average scores.

19 No White – Asian/Pacific Islander vocabulary score gap at grade 4 and 5-point gap at grade 8 NOTE: Score gaps are calculated based on differences between unrounded average scores.

20 White twelfth-graders score higher than Black and Hispanic students, and not significantly different from Asian/Pacific Islander students

21 Female students score higher than male students at grades 4 and 8 * Significantly different (p <.05) from the score for male students.

23 1 Department of Defense Education Activity (overseas and domestic schools). Vocabulary scores for 20 states/jurisdictions higher than the nation in 2011

24 1 Department of Defense Education Activity (overseas and domestic schools). Vocabulary scores for 23 states/jurisdictions higher than the nation in 2011

25 Three of the 11 states that participated had higher vocabulary scores than the nation in 2009

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29 Students with an average score of 216 were likely to understand the use of these words in context.

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Photo Credits: © Datacraft/Getty Images # © Andrzej Tokarski # Copyright © 2005 Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio. Photo credits for "Ducklings": p. 10: Jonathan Sachs; p. 10 inset: Courtesy of Nancy Schön. Courtesy Culver Pictures Inc. © By permission of the author, Naomi Shihab Nye, From: THE SPEED OF THOUGHT by Bill Gates. Copyright © 1999 by William H. Gates, III. By permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved. © Mario Tama/Getty Images # © IMAGEMORE Co, Ltd./Getty Images # © Scott Quinn Photography LLC # © Aldo Murillo #