Explore the Data

Eighth Grade Math Proficiency Differential

Significant disparities by race/ethnicity and income in eighth grade math proficiency remain

In the 2023-24 school year, 56% of eighth grade students who attended Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) were math proficient.²⁴ However, there are significant disparities in math proficiency by race/ethnicity and income.

• 37% of students who receive free/reduced lunch (a proxy for low-income²⁵) are math proficient, which is 19 percentage points less than the overall LPS population.
• 69% of students who identify as Asian are math proficient, which is 13 percentage points higher than the overall LPS population.
• 66% of students who identify as White are math proficient, which is 10 percentage points higher than the overall LPS population.
• 37% of students who identify as Latino/a or Hispanic* are math proficient, which is 19 percentage points lower than the overall LPS population.
• 28% of students who identify as Black or African American are math proficient, which is 28 percentage points lower than the overall LPS population.

Notes

Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska Education Profile (formerly Nebraska State of Schools Reports), Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System.

*The Data for Latino/a or Hispanic students aligns perfectly with the data for students with Free/reduced price lunch for the 2023-24 school year, and these lines overlap on the chart.

The NSCAS Mathematics test from 2017-18 and later is not comparable to assessments in earlier years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NDE cancelled the 2019 – 2020 NSCAS assessment; therefore, there are no results from that year.

Footnotes

24. The Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS) is the statewide assessment system for English language arts (ELA), mathematics, and science that public schools have administered since the 2016-17 school year. It is not comparable to the older NeSA (Nebraska State Accountability) assessment. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NDE cancelled the 2019 – 2020 NSCAS assessment; therefore, there are no results from that year. The ELA and mathematics NSCAS test administered in Spring 2021 was shortened to preserve instructional time, also due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-participants were also not representative of the whole population. These factors, in addition to changes in enrollment and differences in NSCAS participation rates, complicates direct comparisons to previous NSCAS data.
25. In general, students are eligible for free lunch if their household income is less than 130% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and eligible for reduced lunch if their household income is less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. In the 2022-23 school year, students in a family of four with a household income less than $36,075 would be eligible for free lunch, and those with a household income less than $51,338 would be eligible for reduced lunch. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. (2022). Child nutrition programs: Income eligibility guidelines. Federal Register/Vol. 87, No. 32/Wednesday, February 16, 2022. Retrieved 11.26.2024.