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Digest of Education Statistics
2010 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 149. Average science scale score for 8th-graders in public schools, by selected student characteristics and state or jurisdiction: 1996, 2000, and 2005
State or jurisdiction Average scale score Sex, 2005     Race/ethnicity, 2005 National School Lunch Program eligibility, 2005
19961 2000 2005 Male Female White Black Hispanic Asian/ Pacific Islander American Indian/Alaska Native Eligible Not eligible
1 2 3 4 5     6     7 8 9 10 11 12 13
United States 148   (0.9) 148   (1.1) 147  (0.3) 149 (0.4)     145 (0.4)     159 0.3 123 (0.4) 127 (0.5) 155 (0.9) 134   (1.5) 130 (0.3) 158 (0.3)
                                                               
Alabama 139   (1.6) 143 2  (1.7) 138 (1.3) 138 (1.6)     137 (1.4)     152 (1.3) 114 (1.5) (†) (†)   (†) 123 (1.5) 152 (1.4)
Alaska 153 3  (1.3)   (†) (†) (†)     (†)     (†) (†) (†) (†)   (†) (†) (†)
Arizona 145 2  (1.6) 145 2,4  (1.3) 140 (0.9) 141 (1.1)     139 (1.2)     156 (1.0) 125 (3.5) 123 (1.2) (†) 121   (3.0) 124 (1.2) 152 (1.4)
Arkansas 144 3  (1.3) 142   (1.2) 144  (1.0) 146 (1.3)     142 (1.1)     155 (0.9) 113 (1.3) 136 (4.0) (†)   (†) 131 (1.3) 157 (0.9)
California 138   (1.7) 129 2,4  (1.8) 136  (0.7) 138 (0.8)     135 (0.8)     154 (0.9) 120 (1.5) 122 (0.8) 152 (1.8) 132   (5.2) 121 (0.9) 150 (0.7)
                                                               
Colorado 155   (0.9)   (†) 155  (1.3) 158 (1.4)     152 (1.6)     166 (1.1) 133 (3.7) 134 (2.0) 158 (4.4)   (†) 135 (1.9) 164 (1.2)
Connecticut 155   (1.3) 153   (1.6) 152 (1.0) 153 (1.6)     151 (1.1)     163 (0.9) 124 (2.2) 123 (2.7) 163 (3.6)   (†) 127 (1.7) 161 (1.0)
Delaware 142 2  (0.8)   (†) 152 (0.6) 154 (0.7)     150 (1.0)     162 (0.6) 134 (1.1) 136 (2.4) 165 (3.4)   (†) 136 (1.0) 158 (0.7)
District of Columbia 113   (0.7)   (†) (†) (†)     (†)     (†) (†) (†) (†)   (†) (†) (†)
Florida 142   (1.6)   (†) 141  (1.2) 142 (1.2)     140 (1.4)     155 (1.1) 118 (1.5) 131 (2.0) 149 (4.2)   (†) 128 (1.2) 152 (1.2)
                                                               
Georgia 142   (1.4) 142   (1.6) 144  (1.1) 145 (1.4)     142 (1.2)     159 (1.4) 125 (1.3) 127 (3.6) 163 (5.9)   (†) 127 (1.0) 158 (1.3)
Hawaii 135   (0.7) 130 2  (1.4) 136 (0.8) 138 (1.4)     135 (0.9)     152 (1.7) (†) 131 (3.9) 133 (1.0)   (†) 124 (1.2) 146 (0.9)
Idaho   (†) 158 4  (1.0) 158  (1.0) 161 (1.4)     154 (1.0)     161 (0.9) (†) 131 (2.2) (†)   (†) 147 (1.2) 164 (1.1)
Illinois   (†) 148 4  (1.7) 148  (1.1) 150 (1.4)     146 (1.2)     161 (1.2) 120 (1.5) 130 (1.7) 164 (3.7)   (†) 128 (1.2) 161 (1.2)
Indiana 153   (1.4) 154 2,4  (1.4) 150  (1.3) 154 (1.4)     147 (1.7)     156 (1.3) 119 (2.1) 131 (3.1) (†)   (†) 135 (2.0) 159 (1.4)
                                                               
Iowa 158 3  (1.2)   (†) (†) (†)     (†)     (†) (†) (†) (†)   (†) (†) (†)
Kansas   (†)   (†) (†) (†)     (†)     (†) (†) (†) (†)   (†) (†) (†)
Kentucky 147 2  (1.2) 150 2  (1.2) 153 (0.9) 154 (1.3)     151 (1.0)     155 (0.9) 130 (2.4) (†) (†)   (†) 145 (1.4) 159 (1.2)
Louisiana 132 2  (1.6) 134 2  (1.5) 138  (1.5) 141 (1.7)     136 (1.6)     153 (1.3) 120 (1.5) (†) (†)   (†) 127 (1.4) 153 (1.4)
Maine 163 2  (1.0) 158 4  (0.9) 158 (0.7) 159 (1.0)     156 (1.1)     158 (0.8) (†) (†) (†)   (†) 150 (1.2) 161 (0.8)
                                                               
Maryland 145 3  (1.5) 146   (1.4) 145  (1.4) 145 (1.7)     144 (1.6)     160 (1.3) 123 (1.8) 132 (6.1) 165 (3.5)   (†) 122 (2.4) 155 (1.3)
Massachusetts 157 2  (1.4) 158 2  (1.1) 161  (1.0) 162 (1.2)     160 (1.2)     168 (1.0) 133 (2.2) 133 (2.2) 166 (3.4)   (†) 142 (2.1) 168 (1.2)
Michigan 153 3  (1.4) 155 4  (1.8) 155  (1.2) 156 (1.6)     154 (1.4)     163 (1.2) 128 (2.3) 132 (3.8) (†)   (†) 140 (1.9) 161 (1.3)
Minnesota 159   (1.3) 159 4  (1.2) 158 (1.1) 161 (1.5)     155 (1.3)     166 (0.9) 120 (2.6) 133 (4.3) 137 (2.7)   (†) 139 (1.5) 166 (1.1)
Mississippi 133   (1.4) 134   (1.2) 132  (1.2) 135 (1.5)     130 (1.3)     150 (1.0) 114 (1.5) (†) (†)   (†) 121 (1.3) 151 (1.1)
                                                               
Missouri 151   (1.2) 154   (1.2) 154  (1.2) 157 (1.3)     151 (1.4)     161 (0.9) 124 (2.8) 150 (4.9) (†)   (†) 140 (2.1) 162 (1.3)
Montana 162 3  (1.2) 164 4  (1.4) 162  (0.8) 162 (1.2)     161 (1.0)     165 (0.7) (†) (†) (†) 135   (2.6) 149 (1.4) 168 (0.7)
Nebraska 157   (1.0) 158   (1.4) (†) (†)     (†)     (†) (†) (†) (†)   (†) (†) (†)
Nevada   (†) 141 2  (1.0) 138 (0.9) 139 (1.1)     138 (1.3)     150 (1.0) 115 (2.4) 122 (1.3) 150 (3.4)   (†) 124 (1.3) 146 (1.0)
New Hampshire   (†)   (†) 162 (0.9) 163 (1.1)     161 (1.1)     163 (0.8) (†) (†) (†)   (†) 149 (1.7) 165 (0.9)
                                                               
New Jersey   (†)   (†) 153 (1.2) 157 (1.6)     150 (1.3)     165 (1.1) 131 (2.6) 133 (1.9) 172 (2.4)   (†) 131 (1.9) 162 (1.2)
New Mexico 141 2  (1.0) 139   (1.5) 138  (0.9) 141 (1.2)     135 (1.3)     157 (1.3) 129 (4.5) 129 (1.1) (†) 124   (1.5) 129 (1.0) 153 (1.4)
New York 146 3  (1.6) 145 4  (2.1) (†) (†)     (†)     (†) (†) (†) (†)   (†) (†) (†)
North Carolina 147   (1.2) 145   (1.4) 144  (1.0) 145 (1.3)     143 (1.1)     155 (0.8) 122 (1.6) 132 (3.2) 157 (9.9)   (†) 129 (1.3) 154 (1.0)
North Dakota 162   (0.8) 159 2  (1.1) 163  (0.6) 165 (0.9)     161 (0.9)     166 (0.6) (†) (†) (†) 137   (3.2) 151 (1.5) 168 (0.6)
                                                               
Ohio   (†) 159   (1.5) 155  (1.2) 157 (1.7)     154 (1.3)     162 (1.0) 124 (3.3) 142 (5.6) (†)   (†) 134 (1.8) 165 (1.0)
Oklahoma   (†) 149   (1.1) 147  (1.3) 149 (1.4)     144 (1.5)     155 (1.1) 120 (2.7) 132 (3.1) (†) 139   (2.2) 137 (1.5) 156 (1.2)
Oregon 155   (1.6) 154 4  (1.3) 153  (1.0) 155 (1.4)     152 (1.3)     159 (0.9) 127 (5.5) 129 (3.1) 154 (4.6)   (†) 141 (1.8) 160 (1.2)
Pennsylvania   (†)   (†) (†) (†)     (†)     (†) (†) (†) (†)   (†) (†) (†)
Rhode Island 149 2  (0.8) 148   (0.9) 146  (0.7) 149 (0.9)     144 (0.9)     156 (0.7) 122 (2.2) 115 (1.8) 141 (4.7)   (†) 127 (1.3) 155 (0.8)
                                                               
South Carolina 139 2,3  (1.5) 140 2  (1.4) 145  (1.1) 146 (1.5)     144 (1.2)     159 (1.3) 127 (1.4) 130 (5.9) (†)   (†) 131 (1.2) 158 (1.2)
South Dakota   (†)   (†) 161 (0.7) 164 (1.0)     158 (0.9)     165 (0.7) (†) (†) (†) 133   (2.7) 149 (1.3) 168 (0.8)
Tennessee 143   (1.8) 145   (1.5) 145  (1.2) 146 (1.5)     144 (1.4)     153 (1.0) 119 (2.2) (†) (†)   (†) 131 (1.5) 156 (1.3)
Texas 145   (1.8) 143   (1.7) 143  (0.8) 145 (1.1)     141 (0.9)     160 (0.9) 125 (1.5) 131 (1.1) 161 (3.8)   (†) 129 (1.0) 156 (1.0)
Utah 156 2  (0.8) 154   (1.0) 154  (0.7) 155 (1.1)     152 (0.9)     158 (0.7) (†) 130 (2.4) 139 (3.9)   (†) 142 (1.2) 160 (0.9)
                                                               
Vermont 157 2,3  (1.0) 159 2,4  (1.0) 162  (0.6) 163 (0.9)     161 (0.8)     162 (0.6) (†) (†) (†)   (†) 150 (1.3) 166 (0.6)
Virginia 149 2  (1.6) 151 2  (1.0) 155  (1.1) 157 (1.3)     153 (1.2)     165 (1.1) 133 (1.6) 141 (2.7) 161 (3.0)   (†) 136 (1.4) 163 (1.1)
Washington 150 2  (1.3)   (†) 154  (0.8) 155 (1.2)     153 (1.0)     160 (0.8) 137 (3.1) 128 (3.2) 149 (2.6) 135   (5.8) 140 (1.4) 161 (0.9)
West Virginia 147   (0.9) 146   (1.1) 147  (0.8) 150 (1.0)     144 (0.9)     148 (0.7) 128 (3.3) (†) (†)   (†) 137 (0.9) 156 (0.9)
Wisconsin 160 3  (1.7)   (†) 158  (1.0) 160 (1.3)     156 (1.2)     165 (0.8) 120 (3.1) 133 (3.1) 153 (4.1)   (†) 137 (2.1) 165 (0.9)
Wyoming 158   (0.6) 156 2  (1.0) 159  (0.6) 161 (1.0)     157 (0.9)     161 (0.6) (†) 145 (2.3) (†) 145   (4.5) 148 (1.2) 164 (0.7)
Department of Defense                                                              
dependents schools5  155 2  (0.6) 158 2  (0.7) 160 (0.7) 162 (1.1)     158 (1.0)     168 (0.9) 143 (0.7) 160 (1.9) 161 (2.6)   (†) (†) (†)
                                                               
Other jurisdictions                                                              
American Samoa   (†) 74   (4.2) (†) (†)     (†)     (†) (†) (†) (†)   (†) (†) (†)
Guam 120   (1.1) 114   (1.8) (†) (†)     (†)     (†) (†) (†) (†)   (†) (†) (†)
—Not available.
†Not applicable.
‡Reporting standards not met.
1 Accommodations were not permitted for this assessment.
2 Significantly different from 2005 when only one jurisdiction or the nation is being examined.
3 Did not satisfy one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 1996. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.    
4 Did not satisfy one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 2000. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.
5 Before 2005, Department of Defense domestic and overseas schools were separate jurisdictions in NAEP. Data for 1996 and 2000 were recalculated for comparability.    
NOTE: Excludes persons not enrolled in school and those who were unable to be tested due to limited proficiency in English or due to a disability (if sample not tested with accommodations or if the accommodations provided in 2000 and 2005 were not sufficient to enable the test to properly reflect the students' science proficiency). Scale ranges from 0 to 300. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Standard errors appear in parentheses. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), NAEP 1996 Science Report Card for the Nation and the States, The Nation's Report Card: Science 2005, and the NAEP Data Explorer (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nde/, retrieved on December 4, 2006). (This table was prepared December 2006.)

2010 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest