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Digest of Education Statistics
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Table 126. Average scale score in science for 8th-graders in public schools, by selected student characteristics, region, and state: 1996 and 2000

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                       |                   |                 |                                                       | National School Lunch Program
                       |Average scale score|   Sex, 2000     |                   Race/ethnicity, 2000                |      eligibility, 2000
Region, state or       |___________________|_________________|_______________________________________________________|______________________________
jurisdiction           |        |          |        |        |   White,|   Black,|          |    Asian/|     American|        |        |Information
                       |    1996|      2000|    Male| Female |     non-|     non-|  Hispanic|   Pacific|Indian/Alaska|Eligible|     Not|        not
                       |        |          |        |        | Hispanic| Hispanic|          |  Islander|       Native|        |eligible|  available
_______________________|________|__________|________|________|_________|_________|__________|__________|_____________|________|________|____________
1                      |      2 |        3 |       4|      5 |       6 |       7 |         8|         9|           10|      11|      12|         13
_______________________|________|__________|________|________|_________|_________|__________|__________|_____________|________|________|____________
   United States ......|148(0.9)|149  (0.7)|153(0.8)|146(0.9)| 160(0.8)| 121(1.3)|  127(1.4)|  154(2.7)|    132 (3.4)|127(1.1)|160(0.9)|   151 (2.1)
                       |________|__________|________|________|_________|_________|__________|__________|_____________|________|________|____________
Region                 |        |          |        |        |         |         |          |          |             |        |        |
  Northeast ...........|149(2.9)|152  (1.8)|157(2.0)|146(2.3)| 162(1.9)| 122(3.3)|  128(2.4)|  158(4.8)|   (\1\(\1\) |127(2.8)|163(2.2)|\2\154 (4.3)
  Southeast ...........|141(1.9)|143  (1.5)|145(1.8)|141(1.6)| 157(1.3)| 120(2.0)|  130(3.5)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |126(1.9)|155(1.4)|\2\137 (5.9)
  Central .............|155(2.7)|157  (1.8)|159(2.4)|154(2.0)| 163(1.7)| 121(3.9)|  129(5.4)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |135(4.3)|165(1.7)|\2\156 (2.5)
  West ................|148(2.2)|146  (1.4)|150(1.5)|141(1.8)| 159(1.5)| 123(2.9)|  125(1.9)|  150(4.7)|\2\ 129 (3.9)|125(2.1)|156(1.5)|\2\148 (4.6)
                       |========|==========|========|========|=========|=========|==========|==========|=============|========|========|============
State                  |        |          |        |        |         |         |          |          |             |        |        |
  Alabama .............|139(1.6)|141  (1.9)|144(2.1)|139(2.0)| 154(1.5)| 116(2.4)|  106(6.3)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |124(2.2)|153(1.8)|\2\152 (4.7)
  Alaska\3\ ...........|153(1.3)|---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |---  (†) |---  (†) | ---  (†) | ---  (†) |   ---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |   ---  (†)
  Arizona\4\ ..........|145(1.6)|146  (1.6)|150(1.9)|142(2.0)| 159(1.2)| 127(4.7)|  126(2.6)|(\1\)(\1\)|    137 (4.0)|127(3.1)|156(1.3)|\2\148 (3.0)
  Arkansas\3\ .........|144(1.3)|143  (1.3)|144(1.9)|142(1.5)| 154(1.3)| 113(2.2)|  118(5.2)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |127(2.4)|153(1.4)|\2\139(11.1)
  California\4\ .......|138(1.7)|132  (1.5)|136(2.3)|129(1.7)| 150(1.7)| 120(5.2)|  117(1.7)|  147(4.0)|   (\1\(\1\) |113(2.3)|145(2.1)|\2\135 (5.9)
                       |        |          |        |        |         |         |          |          |             |        |        |
  Colorado ............|155(0.9)|---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |---  (†) |---  (†) | ---  (†) | ---  (†) |   ---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |   ---  (†)
  Connecticut .........|155(1.3)|154  (1.4)|158(1.9)|150(1.5)| 166(0.9)| 122(3.2)|  129(3.0)|  160(5.0)|   (\1\(\1\) |125(3.5)|163(1.3)|\2\147 (6.9)
  Delaware  ...........|142(0.8)|---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |---  (†) |---  (†) | ---  (†) | ---  (†) |   ---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |   ---  (†)
  District of Columbia |113(0.7)|---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |---  (†) |---  (†) | ---  (†) | ---  (†) |   ---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |   ---  (†)
  Florida .............|142(1.6)|---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |---  (†) |---  (†) | ---  (†) | ---  (†) |   ---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |   ---  (†)
                       |        |          |        |        |         |         |          |          |             |        |        |
  Georgia .............|142(1.4)|144  (1.5)|147(1.9)|140(1.4)| 159(1.7)| 123(1.5)|  124(4.1)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |125(1.8)|155(1.9)|\2\145 (3.5)
  Hawaii ..............|135(0.7)|132  (1.2)|133(1.6)|131(1.4)| 149(2.5)| 128(3.5)|  119(2.7)|  132(1.4)|   (\1\(\1\) |119(2.1)|142(1.0)|   139 (4.3)
  Idaho\4\ ............|--- (†) |159  (1.1)|162(1.3)|155(1.5)|162 (1.2)|(\1\(\1\)| 135 (2.6)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |149(2.1)|164(1.1)|   155 (3.9)
  Illinois\4\ .........|--- (†) |150  (1.9)|153(2.6)|148(1.8)|165 (1.5)|123 (3.4)| 131 (3.2)| 162 (3.7)|   (\1\(\1\) |126(2.6)|162(1.6)|\2\152 (5.5)
  Indiana\4\ ..........|153(1.4)|156  (1.7)|158(1.8)|154(1.8)| 161(1.3)| 127(3.4)|  132(6.4)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |139(3.9)|161(1.5)|\2\149 (4.6)
                       |        |          |        |        |         |         |          |          |             |        |        |
  Iowa\3\ .............|158(1.2)|---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |---  (†) |---  (†) | ---  (†) | ---  (†) |   ---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |   ---  (†)
  Kentucky ............|147(1.2)|152  (1.3)|155(1.7)|148(1.3)| 155(1.3)| 126(2.9)|(\1\)(\1\)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |139(1.7)|160(1.2)|   \1\(\1\)
  Louisiana ...........|132(1.6)|136  (1.7)|138(2.1)|134(1.8)| 154(1.4)| 113(2.0)|  119(4.7)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |122(2.2)|155(1.8)|\2\133 (4.0)
  Maine\4\ ............|163(1.0)|160  (1.0)|163(1.3)|157(1.2)| 161(1.0)|(\1\(\1\)|(\1\)(\1\)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |150(2.1)|163(1.1)|\2\155 (2.6)
  Maryland\3\ .........|145(1.5)|149  (1.3)|152(1.5)|147(1.4)| 163(1.1)| 127(1.7)|  135(3.3)|  170(3.2)|   (\1\(\1\) |127(2.3)|158(1.3)|\2\138 (4.5)
                       |        |          |        |        |         |         |          |          |             |        |        |
  Massachusetts .......|157(1.4)|161  (1.6)|162(1.8)|160(1.7)| 168(1.1)| 134(4.0)|  128(4.0)|  165(3.9)|   (\1\(\1\) |134(3.8)|168(1.3)|\2\164 (5.9)
  Michigan\3,4\ .......|153(1.4)|156  (1.7)|158(1.7)|154(2.0)| 164(1.3)| 120(3.4)|  137(4.1)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |134(3.3)|164(1.6)|\2\152 (4.2)
  Minnesota\4\ ........|159(1.3)|160  (2.1)|162(2.6)|158(2.4)| 165(1.3)| 122(9.0)|  136(7.0)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |141(5.0)|165(1.5)|\2\164 (4.5)
  Mississippi .........|133(1.4)|134  (1.2)|136(1.3)|132(1.4)| 150(1.3)| 114(1.2)|  113(4.6)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |120(1.3)|149(1.4)|\2\138 (2.9)
  Missouri ............|151(1.2)|156  (1.1)|159(1.3)|154(1.3)| 162(1.1)| 125(2.8)|  141(4.4)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |140(1.9)|164(1.2)|\2\153 (4.9)
                       |        |          |        |        |         |         |          |          |             |        |        |
  Montana\3,4\ ........|162(1.2)|165  (1.2)|169(1.5)|161(1.4)| 168(0.9)|(\1\(\1\)|  151(4.2)|(\1\)(\1\)|    143 (4.7)|155(2.1)|170(1.4)|   168 (2.1)
  Nebraska ............|157(1.0)|157  (1.0)|160(1.4)|154(1.6)| 162(0.9)| 129(3.8)|  132(4.2)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |142(2.2)|162(1.1)|\2\161 (2.8)
  Nevada ..............|--- (†) |143  (1.1)|145(1.6)|142(1.2)|154 (0.8)|125 (3.0)| 126 (2.4)| 148 (2.5)|   134  (4.5)|126(1.9)|150(0.9)|   144 (4.2)
  New Mexico ..........|141(1.0)|140  (1.6)|144(2.4)|137(1.4)| 160(1.5)|(\1\(\1\)|  130(1.9)|(\1\)(\1\)|    124 (5.3)|130(1.9)|152(1.6)|   142 (4.1)
  New York\3,4\ .......|146(1.6)|149  (2.4)|151(2.9)|147(2.3)| 165(1.7)| 128(4.1)|  125(5.6)|  151(5.4)|   (\1\(\1\) |132(4.4)|161(2.3)|   147 (7.1)
                       |        |          |        |        |         |         |          |          |             |        |        |
  North Carolina ......|147(1.2)|147  (1.5)|151(1.6)|144(1.7)| 158(1.5)| 123(1.9)|  139(4.7)|  158(5.7)|   (\1\(\1\) |128(1.8)|155(1.5)|\2\150(10.6)
  North Dakota ........|162(0.8)|161  (0.9)|163(1.1)|159(1.2)| 164(0.9)|(\1\(\1\)|  139(4.5)|(\1\)(\1\)|    133 (2.7)|149(2.1)|166(1.0)|   158 (1.4)
  Ohio  ...............|--- (†) |161  (1.5)|164(1.8)|157(1.7)|165 (1.3)|131 (3.6)| 147 (4.5)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |144(3.4)|166(1.4)|\2\151 (6.9)
  Oklahoma ............|--- (†) |149  (1.2)|152(1.6)|146(1.2)|156 (1.1)|127 (2.6)| 123 (5.2)|(\1\)(\1\)|   145  (2.2)|137(2.3)|158(1.1)|\2\148 (5.2)
  Oregon\4\ ...........|155(1.6)|154  (1.6)|155(1.9)|153(1.6)| 160(1.4)| 131(4.8)|  128(3.1)|  157(4.4)|    144 (3.9)|138(2.7)|160(1.6)|\2\159 (2.1)
                       |        |          |        |        |         |         |          |          |             |        |        |
  Rhode Island ........|149(0.8)|150  (1.3)|152(1.1)|147(2.1)| 156(0.8)| 128(3.3)|  127(5.7)|  143(4.0)|   (\1\(\1\) |130(3.3)|158(0.8)|   136 (4.6)
  South Carolina\3\ ...|139(1.5)|142  (1.3)|145(1.6)|139(1.5)| 155(1.7)| 122(1.5)|  123(5.2)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |126(1.4)|155(1.6)|   (\1(\1\)
  Tennessee ...........|143(1.8)|146  (1.5)|149(1.9)|143(1.7)| 155(1.2)| 118(2.3)|  123(6.3)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |129(2.0)|155(1.7)|\2\147 (6.1)
  Texas ...............|145(1.8)|144  (1.5)|147(1.7)|141(1.7)| 159(2.0)| 122(3.2)|  132(1.9)|  162(5.4)|   (\1\(\1\) |128(1.8)|156(1.9)|\2\137 (7.7)
  Utah ................|156(0.8)|155  (0.9)|158(1.5)|153(1.0)| 159(0.9)|(\1\(\1\)|  135(3.0)|  152(5.4)|   (\1\(\1\) |142(2.1)|159(0.9)|   158 (1.9)
                       |        |          |        |        |         |         |          |          |             |        |        |
  Vermont\3,4\ ........|157(1.0)|161  (0.9)|163(1.2)|159(1.2)| 162(1.0)|(\1\(\1\)|(\1\)(\1\)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |144(2.6)|165(0.9)|\2\163 (2.2)
  Virginia ............|149(1.6)|152  (1.2)|156(1.6)|148(1.3)| 161(1.3)| 130(1.9)|  138(3.0)|  169(3.9)|   (\1\(\1\) |130(2.3)|159(1.2)|\2\150 (5.4)
  Washington ..........|150(1.3)|---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |---  (†) |---  (†) | ---  (†) | ---  (†) |   ---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |   ---  (†)
  West Virginia .......|147(0.9)|150  (1.1)|153(1.4)|147(1.2)| 151(1.1)| 125(3.6)|(\1\)(\1\)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |138(1.5)|158(1.0)|\2\151 (5.0)
  Wisconsin\3\ ........|160(1.7)|---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |---  (†) |---  (†) | ---  (†) | ---  (†) |   ---   (†) |--- (†) |--- (†) |   ---  (†)
  Wyoming .............|158(0.6)|158  (1.0)|159(1.4)|156(1.2)| 161(0.8)|(\1\(\1\)|  139(3.1)|(\1\)(\1\)|\2\ 141 (4.4)|147(2.2)|161(0.9)|\2\159 (3.6)
                       |========|==========|========|========|=========|=========|==========|==========|=============|========|========|============
Department of Defense  |        |          |        |        |         |         |          |          |             |        |        |
  dependents schools   |        |          |        |        |         |         |          |          |             |        |        |
  Domestic schools ....|153(1.1)|159  (1.2)|160(1.8)|157(1.7)|169 (2.0)|140 (2.6)| 156 (2.7)|(\1\)(\1\)|   (\1\(\1\) |153(2.1)|163(1.6)|   158 (3.4)
  Overseas schools ....|155(0.7)|159  (0.8)|162(1.3)|156(1.0)| 168(1.1)| 142(1.5)|  153(2.5)|  160(2.1)|   (\1\(\1\) |155(2.4)|161(1.0)|   158 (1.4)
                       |        |          |        |        |         |         |          |          |             |        |        |
Other jurisdictions    |        |          |        |        |         |         |          |          |             |        |        |
  American Samoa ......|--- (†) | 72  (2.3)| 70(3.8)| 75(3.2)|(\1\(\1\)|(\1\(\1\)|  55 (3.7)|  90 (3.8)|   (\1\(\1\) | 72(2.3)|(\1(\1\)|   (\1(\1\)
  Guam ................|120(1.1)|114  (4.5)|116(4.7)|112(4.7)|(\1\(\1\)|(\1\(\1\)|   97(9.2)|  119(2.7)|   (\1\(\1\) | 96(7.5)|119(2.9)|   104(12.8)
_______________________|________|__________|________|________|_________|_________|__________|__________|_____________|________|________|____________

---Not available.
†Not applicable.
\1\Sample size is insufficient to permit a reliable estimate.
\2\The nature of the sample does not allow accurate determination of the variability of the statistic.
\3\Did not satisfy one or more of the guidelines for school sample participation rates in 1996. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.
\4\Did not satisfy one or more of the guidelines for school sample participation rates in 2000. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.

NOTE: These test scores are from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). 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 (and the accomodations provided were not sufficient to enable the test to properly reflect the students' science proficiency). Scale ranges from 0 to 300. Some data have been revised from previously published figures. Standard errors appear in parentheses.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress, NAEP 1996 Science Report Card for the Nation and the States; NAEP Data Tool (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata) and unpublished data. (This table was prepared May 2002).