The average NAEP science scores were higher for males than females at the 8th and 12th grade levels in 2015. White students had higher average scores than Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native students at all three grade levels. At grade 12, Asian students had higher science scores than students of other racial/ethnic groups.
Selected characteristic | 4th grade | 8th grade | 12th grade |
---|---|---|---|
Average scale score | 154 | 154 | 150 |
Sex | |||
Male | 154 | 155 | 153 |
Female | 154 | 152 | 148 |
Race/ethnicity | |||
White | 166 | 166 | 160 |
Black | 133 | 132 | 125 |
Hispanic | 139 | 140 | 136 |
Asian | 169 | 166 | 167 |
Pacific Islander | 143 | 138 | ‡ |
American Indian/Alaska Native | 139 | 139 | 135 |
Two or more races | 158 | 159 | 156 |
Percent at performance levels | |||
At or above Basic | 76 | 68 | 60 |
At or above Proficient | 38 | 34 | 22 |