Thirty-four percent of students at grade 4, some 30 percent of students at grade 8, and 21 percent of students at grade 12 performed at or above the Proficient level in the 2009 science assessment. One percent of 4th-grade students, 2 percent of 8th-grade students, and 1 percent of 12th-grade students performed at the Advanced level.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2009 science assessment was designed to measure students' knowledge of three content areas: physical science, life science, and Earth and space sciences. In 2009, a new science framework was developed by the National Assessment Governing Board to keep assessment content current with key developments in science, curriculum standards, assessments, and research. As such, the results of the 2009 science assessment are not comparable to results from earlier years. Nevertheless, this indicator presents a snapshot of what the nation's 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students know and can do in science, and it will serve as the basis for comparisons on future science assessments.
Seventy-two percent of 4th-grade students, 63 percent of 8th-grade students, and 60 percent of 12th-grade students performed at or above the Basic achievement level in science in 2009 (see table A-14-1). Thirty-four percent of students at grade 4, some 30 percent of students at grade 8, and 21 percent of students at grade 12 performed at or above the Proficient level in 2009. Some 1 percent of 4th-grade students, 2 percent of 8th-grade students, and 1 percent of 12th-grade students performed at the Advanced level.
On average, male students scored higher than female students at all three grades in 2009 (see table A-14-2). Differences were also reflected in achievement-level results: at grade 4, 35 percent of male students performed at or above Proficient , compared with 32 percent of female students. At grades 8 and 12, the percentages of male students performing at or above the Basic, at or above the Proficient , and at the Advanced levels were higher than the percentages of female students.
Results of the 2009 science assessment varied for students of different racial/ethnic groups. At grades 4 and 8, White students had higher average scale scores (163 and 162, respectively) than other racial/ethnic groups. In addition, Asian/Pacific Islander students scored higher (160 at grades 4 and 8) than Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native students. At grade 12, there was no significant difference in scores for White and Asian/Pacific Islander students (159 vs. 164, respectively), and both groups scored higher than other racial/ethnic groups.
At grades 4 and 8, the percentage of students who scored at or above Basic and at or above Proficient were lowest for students in high-poverty schools, meaning those schools in which more than 75 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. At grade 4, some 46 percent of students in high-poverty schools scored at or above Basic and 11 percent scored at or above Proficient , compared with 89 and 54 percent, respectively, for students in low-poverty schools, meaning those schools in which 25 percent or fewer of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. At grade 8, some 33 percent of students in high-poverty schools scored at or above Basic and 8 percent scored at or above Proficient , compared with 81 percent and 46 percent in low-poverty schools.
Technical Notes
NAEP science scores range from 0 to 300. The achievement levels define what students should know and be able to do: Basic indicates partial mastery of fundamental skills, Proficient indicates demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter, and Advanced indicates superior performance. In 2009, a new framework was developed for the 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade NAEP science assessment. For more information on NAEP, see supplemental note 4. Eligibility or approval for the National School Lunch Program also serves as a measure of poverty status. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. For more information on race/ethnicity or free or reduced-price lunch, see supplemental note 1
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