NOTES ABOUT THE 1999 FINDINGS: PUERTO RICO

These pages present highlights for your state from the 1999 National Education Goals Report and the companion 1999 Data Volume. The annual Goals Report uses 27 national and 34 state-level indicators to measure progress made toward the eight National Education Goals since 1990, when the Goals were established.

This fact sheet summarizes your state’s progress in key educational areas during the 1990s. Please note the following points:

  1. Data sources: The sources of the national and state data are large-scale data collections, research studies, and assessments conducted by universities, education organizations, and federal agencies such as the National Center for Education Statistics and the National Center for Health Statistics.
  2. Data comparability: Only comparable state data are included in the annual Goals Reports to ensure that state comparisons are fair.
  3. Recency of data: The Goals Panel is committed to providing the most recent data available in its annual reports. Some of the data sets used to monitor state and national progress are updated annually, but most are updated every two, three, or four years. In a few cases, the most recent data available were collected during the early or mid-1990s. For example, the most recent adult literacy data (Goal 6), were collected in 1992; they will be updated in 2002. The most recent national data on history achievement and geography achievement (Goal 3) were collected in 1994; they will be updated in 2001. International mathematics and science data for the nation (Goal 5) were last collected in 1995; they are being updated during 1999. The most recent data on teacher education and professional development (Goal 4), parental participation (Goal 8), and teacher victimization and class disruptions (Goal 7) were collected in 1994; they will be updated in 2000. The remaining data presented in the Goals Report were collected within the last three years.
  4. Measuring improvement: This fact sheet and the annual Goals Reports highlight progress made toward the National Education Goals since 1990, when the Goals were adopted. Changes in state performance during the 1990s – that is, between 1990 and the most recent year that data were collected – determine whether a state is improving or declining in performance. Improvement is not based on year-to-year changes.
  5. New state data: The following state data appear in this year’s Goals Report for the very first time:

Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship
  1. Updated state data: In addition, the following indicators of state progress have been updated with more recent data since last year’s report:

Goal 1: Ready to Learn

Goal 2: School Completion

Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship

Goal 5: Mathematics and Science

7. Types of information presented: Four categories of information are provided for your state:

a. Highest-Performing States are states that have performed well in comparison to others. This does not mean that the Goals Panel considers performance in these states to be as high as it should be in order to meet the Goal. It is simply a means of recognizing those states that are doing particularly well relative to others, and that are closest to achieving the Goal by this measure of progress.

b. Most-Improved States are those that made the greatest improvements over time. These states may not yet be among the highest-performing states in the nation, but they were the most successful at pushing their performance in the right direction. "Most-improved" does not necessarily mean that the Goals Panel considers the amount of progress made to be sufficient. It is simply a means of recognizing those states that have made the greatest progress toward the Goal by this measure.

c. Areas of Improvement lists each area in which your state’s performance has improved, compared to where it stood at the beginning of the decade.

d. Areas of Decline lists each area in which your state’s performance has declined, compared to where it stood at the beginning of the decade.

Copies of both reports are available on the Goals Panel’s Web site, at www.negp.gov

PUERTO RICO – Data Highlights

1999 National Education Goals Report

I. HIGHEST-PERFORMING

Puerto Rico did not place among the highest-performing states in the nation on any measure of progress.

II. MOST-IMPROVED

Puerto Rico placed among the most-improved states in the nation on one measure of progress during the 1990s:

Goal 2: School Completion

1. decreasing the dropout rate in Grades 9-12.

III. AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT

Puerto Rico improved on 5 measures of progress toward the Goals during the 1990s:

Goal 1: Ready to Learn

  1. Puerto Rico increased the percentage of mothers who received early prenatal care (from 71% in 1990, to 78% in 1997).

    2. Goal 2: School Completion

  2. Puerto Rico reduced the percentage of dropouts in Grades 9-12 (from 2.2% in 1995, to 1.5% in 1996).

Goal 5: Mathematics and Science

3. Puerto Rico increased the proportion of degrees earned by all students that were awarded in mathematics and science (from 31% in 1991, to 34% in 1996).

4. Puerto Rico increased the proportion of degrees earned by minority students that were awarded in mathematics and science (from 31% in 1991, to 34% in 1996).

5. Puerto Rico increased the proportion of degrees earned by female students that were awarded in mathematics and science (from 29% in 1991, to 30% in 1996).

IV. AREAS OF DECLINE

There are 2 measures of progress where Puerto Rico’s performance has declined during the 1990s:

Goal 1: Ready to Learn

1. The percentage of infants born at low birthweight in Puerto Rico rose from 9% in 1990, to 10% in 1997.

Goal 7: Safe, Disciplined, and Alcohol- and Drug-free Schools

2. The percentage of public high school students who reported using marijuana increased from 4% in 1991, to 7% in 1995.

This information may be viewed on-line: www.negp.gov/issues/publication/99statefact/pr.htm