Below is an analysis of 8th grade math proficiency for 2007 for the 50 states and how it interacts with other important education indicators such as funding, demographics, and achievement.

8th grade math proficiency varies by region.

On average, 8th graders in the Northeast and the Midwest perform better on NAEP math tests than 8th graders in the South and the West. In the Northeastern states, approximately 36 percent of 8th graders are reading at the proficient level, while in the Southern states, only 26 percent are reading at the proficient level. The 10 lowest-performing states in the country are located in the South or the West, while all of the 10 highest-performing states are located in the Northeast or Midwest. 1

Massachusetts ranks first in the country with 51 percent of its 8th graders testing proficient in math. Compare this to low-performing, similar-sized (and also much poorer) Tennessee, where only 23 percent of 8th graders are proficient in math. This means that Massachusetts has approximately 20,400 more 8th graders proficient in math than Tennessee—around 28 percent of each state’s 4th grade population.

8th grade math proficiency is roughly correlated with student poverty and statewide per-pupil expenditure levels.

In general, states that perform better in 8th grade math proficiency have lower student poverty rates. Research by the RAND Corporation has found that NAEP performance is linked to student background and family characteristics. 2 In the states that rank in the bottom 10 in 8th grade math proficiency, 20.4 percent are living in poverty, in comparison to the states that rank in the top 10, where 12.2 percent of students are living in poverty.

The four lowest-performing states in 8th grade math proficiency—Mississippi, New Mexico, Alabama, and West Virginia—rank 1st, 4th, 5th, and 8th in student poverty respectively. The correlation on the high-performing end is not quite as strong, but still predictive: the top four states—Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont, and North Dakota—rank 37th, 43rd, 45th, and 40th in student poverty respectively.

In addition, there is a relationship between 8th grade math proficiency and statewide per-pupil expenditure. While this correlation is not as strong as the correlation with student poverty, states that have more math-proficient 8th graders generally spend more on education. This relationship could also be a reflection of student demographics and relative state poverty. The states that rank in the bottom 10 in 8th grade math proficiency spend, on average, $8,016 per-pupil, while the states that rank in the top 10 spend $10,473 per-pupil.

8th grade math proficiency has been on the rise over the past decade but leveled off in recent years.

Between 1992 and 2007, 8th grade math proficiency on NAEP tests increased 11 percentage points, from 21 percent to 32 percent. The majority of gains, however, occurred between 1992 and 2003.

The achievement gap among 8th graders in math has been closing since 1992, but remains significant.

Math proficiency has increased by nine percentage points for 8th grade black students (2 percent to 11 percent proficient). Hispanic students are also performing much better on 8th grade math tests—their proficiency increased eight percentage points (7 percent to 15 percent proficient). White students’ proficiency increased as well (26 percent to 32 percent proficient) but at a slower rate, and the scale score gap between white and minority students, while still significant) is in decline.

1. 1. Regions. Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont. Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin. South: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
2. 2. David W. Grissmer, Ann Flanagan, Jennifer H. Kawata, & Stephanie Williamson, RAND Corporation, Improving Student Achievement: What State NAEP Test Scores Tell Us