Science

The science framework specifics that students’ science knowledge and skills should be measured in three broad areas: physical science, life science, and Earth and space sciences. The framework identifies four science practices that should be assessed to determine how students use their knowledge of science, including how they identify science principles, use science principles, use scientific inquiry, and use technological design. The framework also outlines what science knowledge and skills students should have to reach NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, and NAEP Advanced achievement. Survey questionnaires, administered to students, teachers, and school administrators who participate in a science assessment, are used to collect and report contextual information about students’ learning experience in and out of the classroom.

• Science Assessment Framework

  Read the science assessment framework.

• Science Content Areas

  Learn more about the content of the science assessment and how student performance is measured.

• Sample Science Questions

  Explore sample science questions, scorer comments, and the percentage of students nationwide who correctly answered individual questions.

• Survey Questionnaires

  See questionnaires that collect information about students’ science experiences in and out of the classroom. Questionnaires are given to students, teachers, and school administrators

• State Profiles

  Use the State Profiles tool to find key science results for your state and see tables and maps that compare the results of states/jurisdictions.

• District Profiles

  Science results for districts that participate in the Trial Urban District Assessment are available in the District Profiles tool.

Student performance on the NAEP science assessment is presented in two ways: scale scores and NAEP achievement levels.

• Scale scores represent the average performance of students who took the science assessment. Scores are aggregated and reported for the nation, states, and districts as well as and groups of students based on gender, race/ethnicity, etc.
• NAEP achievement levels are performance standards that describe what students should know and be able to do. Results are reported as percentages of students performing at or above three NAEP achievement levels (e.g., NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, and NAEP Advanced) that are defined in the assessment framework. Students performing at or above the NAEP Proficient level on NAEP assessments demonstrate solid academic performance and competency over challenging subject matter. Note that the NAEP Proficient achievement level does not represent grade level proficiency as determined by other assessment standards (e.g., state or district assessments).

Item maps illustrate how specific science knowledge and skills correspond to different NAEP achievement levels. Item maps answer the question, “What assessment questions were likely to be answered correctly by students performing at the NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, and NAEP Advanced achievement levels?”

• Scale Scores

  Read about the science scale.
  

• NAEP achievement Levels

  See more information about what students should know and be able to do to perform at the NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, or NAEP Advanced achievement levels.

• Item Map
  

  Use the NAEP Item Maps tool to see how specific science knowledge and skills correspond to different NAEP achievement levels.