Education

Academic Performance: 5th Grade Math

  1. Home ›
  2. Education ›
  3. Academic Performance: 5th Grade Math

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE CONTINUES RECENT GAINS 

In today’s knowledge- and tech-driven workplace, math skills are rapidly increasing in demand, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting math-related jobs growing more than five times faster than the average for all occupations between 2021 and 2031.[1]  Further, with 94% of all jobs requiring some math skills, providing students with the math education they need can help them succeed in the workplace and life. This indicator measures fifth grade scores for mathematics using the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress assessment (CAASPP) results. The CAASPP assessment is a computer-adaptive, end-of-year academic performance test that is aligned with California’s Common Core State Standards.  

TREND

In 2023/24, 25% of fifth graders in the county met or exceeded standards for mathematics, which is lower than the 10-year high in 2018/19, when 29% met or exceeded standards.  However, the trend reflects an overall increase, from 21% in 2014/15. San Bernardino County’s fifth grade performance in 2023/24 is lower than the California average (35% of students met or exceeded math standards) and all counties compared, including Orange (48%) San Diego (41%), Los Angeles (37%), and Riverside (28%). 

INCREASE IN PERCENT OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIFTH GRADERS MEETING OR EXCEEDING MATHEMATICS STANDARDS
Percentage of Fifth Graders Meeting or Exceeding Mathematics Standards in San Bernardino County and California, 2014/15 – 2023/24

*No data available for the 2019/20 school year due to factors surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Testing participation in 2020/21 varied, thus care should be used when interpreting results. 

Source: California Department of Education, DataQuest; Data is for all schools (charter and non-charter) 

RACE/ETHNICITY DETAIL

In 2023/24, 56% of student meeting or exceeding the fifth-grade math assessment identified as Hispanic or Latino, 19% identified as White, and 13% identified as Asian. In the accompanying chart, the race and ethnic distribution of San Bernardino County fifth-grade students that took the assessment is provided for context. 

RATE OF STUDENTS MEETING OR EXCEEDING FIFTH GRADE MATH STANDARDS BY RACE/ETHNICITY VARIES COMPARED TO DISTRIBUTION OF STUDENTS TAKING THE TEST
Distribution of Fifth Graders Meeting or Exceeding Math Standards Compared to Distribution of All Fifth Graders Taking the Math Assessment in San Bernardino County, 2023/24

Note: To understand the progress of students from different racial or ethnic groups, the chart displays the number of students from each racial or ethnic group that met or exceeded the fifth grade Math standard as a percentage of all the students who met or exceeded the assessment, compared to each race and ethnic group’s percentage of the population of students taking the test. For example, if 100 students met or exceeded the standard, and 19 of the students that met or exceeded the standard identify as White, 19% of the students meeting or exceeding the math standard identify as White.  This can be compared to White student’s share of the population of students taking the test.  For example, if 19% of the students who met or exceeded the standard identify as White, and 13% of the all the students who took the assessment identify as White, students who identify as White are slightly overrepresented among students who meet or exceed the standard. 

Source: California Department of Education, DataQuest; Data are for all schools (charter and non-charter) 

SOCIOECONOMIC DETAIL 

Almost three quarters (74%) of fifth-grade students in San Bernardino County are identified as socioeconomically disadvantaged, and these students are less likely to meet or exceed math standards.  Socioeconomically disadvantaged students include students eligible for the free and reduced-priced meal program, foster youth, homeless students, migrant students, and/or students for whom neither parent is a high school graduate. Less than one-fifth (19.1%) of socioeconomically disadvantaged students met or exceeded math standards, compared with 42.9% of those who are not socioeconomically disadvantaged. For children whose parents were not high school graduates, 12.9% met or exceeded standards. Only 7.4% of students who are classified as English Learners met or exceeded math standards. This is compared with 25.5% of children who speak English only. 

ACADEMIC PERFORMACE FOR FIFTH GRADE MATHEMATICS VARIES BY DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
Percentage of Fifth Graders Meeting Mathematics Standards by Socioeconomic Characteristics in San Bernardino County, 2023/24

Introduction to “Distance From Standard” Performance Data

In addition to measuring students who have met or exceeded subject standards, educators are increasingly assessing students’ Difference From Standard (DFS) as a means of tracking progress. The California School Dashboard (Dashboard) is an online tool designed to communicate student progress using the DFS methodology. This method calculates the distance between student performance on standardized statewide assessments and the lowest expected standard of achievement, averaged across all students assessed at the school. For example, a third-grade student receives an ELA score of 2420. The student has a DFS of -12 because their score is 12 points below the lowest possible score for Standard Met level (Level 3), which is 2432. The average DFS for a school or district is calculated using all students’ DFS values. This information is compared between the current year and the prior year to determine if a school or district made improvement. One of five performance levels is determined for each school or district: Blue (highest performance), Green, Yellow, Orange, or Red (lowest performance). More information about local school and district DFS results can be found here: https://caschooldashboard.org/

Source: California Department of Education, DataQuest; Data is for all schools (charter and non-charter) 

[1] Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov/ooh/math/home.htm);

Luminary Labs, The Math Gap

(https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/Advancing_Math_Market_Scan_1.pdf)

1Child Trends. (2012). Mathematics proficiency (http://www.childtrends.org/?indicators=mathematics-proficiency)     2Economically disadvantaged students include students eligible for the free and reduced priced meal program, foster youth, homeless students, migrant students, and students for whom neither parent is a high school graduate.