Statistics and geometry can seem disconnected from other areas of math, experts say, and teachers often get less preservice training in how to convey these concepts in the classroom. As a result, students can develop early gaps in their understanding of fundamental ideas—like similarity in shapes or conditional probability—that undermine their performance years later.
The following statistics and geometry questions come from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, dubbed the “nation’s report card,” from grades 4, 8, and 12.
Test your own knowledge, and then see how U.S. students fared.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2022 Math Assessment, Grades 4, 8, and 12.