2019 NAEP High School Transcript Study

The 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) High School Transcript Study (HSTS) collected and analyzed transcripts from a representative sample of America’s public and private high school graduates. The study examines the types of courses 2019 high school graduates took during high school, how many credits they earned, and the grades they received. The 2019 HSTS also explores the relationships between high school coursetaking patterns and graduates' achievement based on their performance on the NAEP Grade 12 mathematics and science assessments.

Transcripts collected for the study constitute a nationally representative sample of 47,000 high school graduates from about 1,400 public and private schools. The HSTS has been conducted periodically over the last three decades, and the 2019 results are compared to the results of earlier transcript studies in 1990, 2000, and 2009. The study also examines differences among graduates by selected school and student demographics.

Highlights of the 2019 HSTS results can be found on this page. More detailed results can be found on the Coursetaking, NAEP Scores, and Closer Look web pages, while additional information about how the HSTS was conducted and how its data were analyzed can be found on the About page. Figures presented on these web pages have identification text listed for each data point. By hovering over a bar or data point, a pop-up text box will appear to explain the associated data value.

The averages and percentages shown in the figures and tables of this report are rounded numbers. Unrounded numbers were used for calculating both the differences between the estimates and the statistical comparison tests when the estimates were compared to each other. Not all apparent differences between estimates are statistically significant. To reverse the order of the years listed on the figure, click the set of arrows located next to the figure title.

Coursetaking

Learn more about the HSTS analyses on credit earned, grade point averages, and curriculum levels.

NAEP Scores

View comparisons between graduates' coursework and their NAEP mathematics and science assessment scores.

Closer Look

Examine in-depth analyses on selected coursetaking measures, including STEM and dual enrollment coursetaking.

Highlights

Explore the major findings from the 2019 NAEP High School Transcript Study. These results show major coursetaking trends of high school graduates from 2019 and earlier, as well as the relationship between student coursetaking and NAEP assessment performance.

OverviewTotal credits earnedAcademic credits earnedOverall grade point averageCurriculum levelsHSTS-NAEP mathematicsHSTS-NAEP scienceSTEM coursetakingCareer/technical education

Overview

Coursetaking measures derived from high school graduates’ transcripts have increased in 2019 compared to 2009 and previous HSTS years. High school graduates are earning more credits, especially in academic subjects; grade point averages are climbing; and graduates are attaining higher curriculum levels (which are measures of the rigor of student coursework). Furthermore, high school graduates are taking more science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. However, the performance of high school graduates on the NAEP Grade 12 mathematics and science assessments paints a different picture. The average NAEP mathematics assessment scores of high school graduates in 2019 has decreased compared to 2009, while their NAEP science assessment scores were similar compared to 2009. While the majority of high school graduates in 2019 attained a midlevel curriculum, the average NAEP mathematics and science assessment scores of those graduates who attained a midlevel curriculum were within the NAEP Basic achievement levels.

Core indicators of student coursetaking are increasing.
- The number of Carnegie credits earned by high school graduates increased to 28.1 credits in 2019, compared to 27.2 credits in 2009. The largest component of this increase came from academic courses, of which graduates earned 20.8 credits in 2019 compared to 20.2 credits in 2009.
- The overall grade point average (GPA) earned by high school graduates increased to 3.11 in 2019, compared to 3.00 in 2009.
- The percentage of high school graduates who attained a standard curriculum or higher increased across the assessment years. The percentage of high school graduates who did not attain a standard curriculum decreased to 16 percent in 2019, compared to 23 percent in 2009.
More high school graduates are completing STEM courses in 2019 than in 2009.
- The percentage of high school graduates earning credits in STEM courses increased within all three subject areas–STEM advanced mathematics, STEM advanced science and engineering, and STEM-related technical courses. Compared to 2009, the percentages of high school graduates earning STEM credits in 2019 increased from 3 percentage points (STEM-related technical) to 7 percentage points (STEM advanced mathematics).
- Compared to 2009, the overall percentage of high school graduates taking career/technical education (CTE) courses remained at 85 percent. However, the percentage increased in some CTE subjects, such as engineering and technology and health care sciences.
Gains in high school graduates’ coursetaking are not reflected in their NAEP Grade 12 mathematics and science assessment scores.
- When comparing 2019 to 2009, the average NAEP Grade 12 mathematics assessment score decreased at the higher curriculum levels. The average NAEP mathematics score earned by high school graduates attaining a rigorous curriculum in 2019 was 184, a four-point decrease compared to 2009. For graduates attaining a midlevel curriculum, the average NAEP mathematics score was 153 in 2019, a five-point decrease compared to 2009.
- The average NAEP Grade 12 science assessment scores did not significantly change at any curriculum level in 2019 compared to 2009.