NOTES ABOUT THE 1999 FINDINGS: UTAH
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:
Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship
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
UTAH – Data Highlights
1999 National Education Goals Report
I. HIGHEST-PERFORMING
Utah placed among the highest-performing states in the nation on 9 measures of progress during the 1990s:
Goal 1: Ready to Learn
1. the percentage of infants born with one or more of four health risks (28%);
Goal 2: School Completion
2. the high school completion rate among 18- to 24-year-olds (91%);
Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship
3. the number of Advanced Placement examinations that received grades high enough to qualify students for college credit (144 Advanced Placement exams per 1,000 Utah 11th and 12th graders received grades of 3 or higher);
Goal 4: Teacher Education and Professional Development
4. the percentage of public secondary school teachers who hold a teaching certificate in their main teaching assignment (97%);
5. the percentage of public school teachers who report that they received support from a master or mentor teacher during their first year of teaching (40%);
Goal 5: Mathematics and Science
6. the state’s international standing in 8th grade science achievement (only Singapore would be expected to outperform Utah);
7. the percentage of public school 8th graders whose mathematics teachers report that they address algebra and functions a lot (71%);
Goal 7: Safe, Disciplined, and Alcohol- and Drug-free Schools
8. the percentage of public high school students who reported using marijuana (12%); and
9. the percentage of public high school students who reported having five or more drinks in a row (17%).
II. MOST-IMPROVED
Utah placed among the most-improved states in the nation on 1 measure of progress during the 1990s:
Goal 8: Parental Participation
III. AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT
Utah improved on 6 measures of progress toward the Goals during the 1990s:
Goal 1: Ready to Learn
3- to 5-year-olds in 1998).
Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship
2. Utah increased the numbers of Advanced Placement examinations receiving grades high enough to qualify students for college credit. (The number of AP exams receiving a grade of 3 or higher increased from 132 per 1,000 11th and 12th graders in 1991, to 144 per 1,000 11th and 12th graders in 1999.)
Goal 4: Teacher Education and Professional Development
3. Utah increased the percentage of public school teachers who received support from a master or mentor teacher during their first year of teaching (from 32% in 1991, to 40% in 1994).
Goal 5: Mathematics and Science
4. Utah increased the proportion of degrees earned by all students that were awarded in mathematics and science (from 41% in 1991, to 43% in 1996).
5. Utah increased the proportion of degrees earned by female students that were awarded in mathematics and science (from 32% in 1991, to 34% in 1996).
Goal 8: Parental Participation
6. Utah increased the percentage of public school principals reporting that the parent associations in their schools have influence on school policy (from 17% in 1991, to 33% in 1994).
IV. AREAS OF DECLINE
There are 8 measures of progress where Utah’s performance has declined during the 1990s:
Goal 1: Ready to Learn
Goal 2: School Completion
Goal 4: Teacher Education and Professional Development
3. The percentage of public secondary school teachers who held a degree in their main teaching assignment decreased from 68% in 1991, to 62% in 1994.
4. The percentage of public secondary school teachers who held a teaching certificate in their main teaching assignment decreased from 99% in 1991, to 97% in 1994.
Goal 5: Mathematics and Science
5. The proportion of degrees earned by minority students that were awarded in mathematics and science decreased from 47% in 1991, to 46% in 1996.
Goal 6: Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning
6. The percentage of high school graduates who immediately enrolled in college in any state decreased from 51.47% in 1992, to 50.8% in 1996.
Goal 7: Safe, Disciplined, and Alcohol- and Drug-free Schools
7. The percentage of public high school students who reported that someone offered, sold, or gave them an illegal drug on school property increased from 19% in 1993, to 27% in 1997.
8. The percentage of public secondary teachers who reported that student disruptions interfered with their teaching increased from 33% in 1991, to 54% in 1994.
This information may be viewed on-line: www.negp.gov/issues/publication/99statefact/ut.htm