Classroom Instruction in Mathematics, Reading, and Science

Emphasis on certain content areas in mathematics, reading, and science instruction has changed over time in 4th, 8th, and 12th grades. Overall, results indicate that the level of emphasis teachers report placing on certain types of content and instructional activities varies by student performance. On July 30, the National Center for Education Statistics released a new report titled, 2015 Survey Questionnaires Results: Classroom Instruction for Mathematics, Reading, and Science. This report is the third and final in a series of reports that examine 2015 survey questionnaire and achievement data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The report takes an in-depth look at the content, activities, and skills that grade 4 and 8 teachers emphasize in their classroom instruction, as well as the classroom activities and courses that grade 12 students report participating in for these subjects. Associations between students’ engagement in specific types of classroom instruction and student performance on the 2015 NAEP assessments are examined at the national level, across states and jurisdictions, and across large urban districts. Key findings from the report include: Heavy emphasis on algebra content has increased at grades 4 and 8. Low performing 8th-graders generally engaged less often in certain reading comprehension activities, such as identifying main themes and critiquing an author’s craft or technique, compared to their higher-performing peers. A higher percentage of students who reported acceptance into a four-year college reported taking biology, chemistry, and physics compared to students who did not report acceptance into a four-year college.