NAEP 2006 12th Grade

Economics Assessment
National Assessment of
Educational Progress 2006
Economics Assessment
► First NAEP assessment of economics
► Content areas: market economy, national
economy, and international economy
► Administered to a national sample of
11,500 twelfth-graders from 590 schools
Reporting Results
► Scores on 0–300 scale
► Percents by achievement levels
– Basic
– Proficient
– Advanced
► Comparisons among student groups
– Gender
– Race/ethnicity
– School location
– Parental education
Scale Score Results
► Average score in
the Basic range
► Lowest-performing
students below
Basic
► Highest-performing
students in the
Proficient range

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of

Education Sciences, National Center for Education
Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP), 2006 Economics Assessment.
 Achievement-Level Results
► 79 percent at or above
Basic
► 42 percent at or above
Proficient
► 3 percent at Advanced

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP), 2006 Economics Assessment.
 Results by Gender
► Male students
scored 4 points
higher than
female students

► Greater
percentages of
male students
than female
students scored
at or above
Proficient and at
Advanced
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP), 2006 Economics Assessment.
Score Results by Race/Ethnicity
► White and Asian/Pacific
Islander students scored
higher than their peers

NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific
Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin.
Detail may not sum to totals because results are not shown for the
“unclassified” race/ethnicity category.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences,
National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP), 2006 Economics Assessment.
 Achievement-Level Results by
Race/Ethnicity
► 87 percent of White students and 80
percent of Asian/Pacific Islander students
scored at or above Basic
► 57 percent of Black students and 64
percent of Hispanic students scored at or
above Basic

# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin.
Detail may not sum to totals because results are not shown for the “unclassified” race/ethnicity category.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP), 2006 Economics Assessment.
Score Results by School Location
► Students in large city schools scored
lower than students elsewhere

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences,
National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP), 2006 Economics Assessment.
Score Results by Level of Parental
Education
► Students whose parents had higher levels
of education scored higher

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because results are not shown for
students who reported that they did not know the highest education level
for either of their parents.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences,
National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP), 2006 Economics Assessment.
1
Market Economy
► Traditionally described as
microeconomics
► Covers how individuals,
businesses, and institutions make
decisions about
allocating resources in
the marketplace

1
What Students Know About
Market Economy
► 72 percent described a benefit and a risk of
leaving a full-time job to further one’s
education

► 46 percent interpreted a supply and demand

graph to determine the effect of establishing
a price control

► 36 percent used marginal analysis to

determine how a business could maximize
its profits
1
Sample Market Economy
Question
► 52 percent knew
how banks use
customers’ deposits
in checking
accounts

1
National Economy
► Traditionally described as macroeconomics
► Encompasses the sum of economic decisions
made by individuals, businesses,
and government

1
What Students Know About
National Economy
► 60 percent identified factors that lead to an
increase in the national debt

► 36 percent identified the federal

government’s primary source of revenue

► 11 percent analyzed how a change in the

unemployment rate affects income,
spending, and production

1
Sample National Economy
Question
► 33 percent gave
correct answers,
and 24 percent
gave partially
correct answers to
this question about
real interest rates

1
International Economy
► Concentrates on international trade
► Focuses on how individuals,
businesses, and governments
interact with international markets

1
What Students Know About
International Economy
► 63 percent determined the impact of a
decrease in oil production on oil-importing
countries

► 40 percent determined why industries can

successfully lobby for tariff protection

► 32 percent identified how investment in

education can impact economic growth

1
Sample International Economy
Question
► 51 percent
determined a
result of
removing trade
barriers
between two
countries

1
More Information:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportc
ard/