Table 2.4. Science statewide assessments in grades 3-8, by state: 2017–18
Click for the newest version of this table.
| State | Assessment name1 | Grade administered | Assessment included in accountability system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Scantron | 5, 7 | No |
| Alaska | Alaska Science Assessment | 4, 8 | No |
| Arizona | Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) Science |
4, 8 | No |
| Arkansas | ACT Aspire | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | Yes |
| California2 | California Science Test | 5, 8 | No |
| Colorado | Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) Science Assessment |
5, 8 | Yes |
| Connecticut2 | Next Generation Science Standards Assessment |
5, 8 | Yes |
| Delaware2 | Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS) Science |
5, 8 | Yes |
| District of Columbia3 | DC Next Generation Science Assessment |
5, 8 | No |
| Florida | Statewide Science Assessment | 5, 8 | Yes |
| Georgia | Georgia Milestones Assessment System |
5, 8 | Yes |
| Hawaii | Hawaii State Assessment (HSA) in science |
4, 8 | No |
| Idaho | Idaho Standards Achievement Tests (ISAT) Science |
5, 7 | No |
| Illinois | Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) | 5, 8 | Yes |
| Indiana | Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress Plus (ISTEP+) Science |
4, 6 | No |
| Iowa | Iowa Assessments | 5, 8 | No |
| Kansas | Kansas Assessment Program | 5, 8 | No |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Performance Rating for Educational Progress (K--PREP) for science |
4, 7 | Yes |
| Louisiana2 | Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) 2025 Science |
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | Yes |
| Maine | Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) for science | 5, 8 | No |
| Maryland | Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA) | 5, 8 | Yes |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) for science and technology/engineering |
5, 8 | Yes |
| Michigan | Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) |
4, 7 | No |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) |
5, 8 | No |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Academic Assessment Program, Science (MAAP-SCI) |
5, 8 | Yes |
| Missouri | Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) Grade Level Assessment in science |
5, 8 | No |
| Montana | Criterion-Referenced Test (CRT) in science | 4, 8 | Yes |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS): Science |
5, 8 | Yes |
| Nevada | Criterion-Referenced Tests (CRT) for science | 5, 8 | Yes |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System (SAS) in science |
5, 8 | No |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Student Learning Assessment – Science (NJSLA-S) (Field Test) |
5, 8 | No |
| New Mexico | Standards Based Assessment (SBA) in science | 4, 7 | Yes |
| New York | New York State Elementary-Level Science Test and New York State Intermediate-Level Science Test |
4, 8 | Yes |
| North Carolina | North Carolina READY End-of-Grade Tests of Science |
5, 8 | Yes |
| North Carolina Final Exams (NCFEs) | 4, 6, 7 | Yes | |
| North Dakota | North Dakota State Assessment (NDSA) for science | 4, 8 | No |
| Ohio | Ohio State Test (OST) | 5, 8 | Yes |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests in science | 5, 8 | Yes |
| Oregon | Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) for science |
5, 8 | No |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) Science |
4, 8 | Yes |
| Rhode Island2 | Rhode Island Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) |
4, 8 | Yes |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) in science |
4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | Yes |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Science | 5, 8 | No |
| Tennessee | TNReady | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | Yes |
| Texas | State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Science |
5, 8 | Yes |
| Utah | Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence (SAGE) Science |
4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | Yes |
| Vermont2 | Vermont Science Assessment | 4, 8 | Yes |
| Virginia4 | Standards of Learning (SOL) for science | 5, 8 | No |
| Washington | Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science |
5, 8 | No |
| West Virginia | West Virginia General Summative Assessment (WVGSA) of Science |
4, 6 | No |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Forward Exam | 4, 8 | No |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress (WY-TOPP) Science |
4, 8 | No |
| 1 States do not assess students in science on an annual basis. The science assessments listed in this table are the ones that the state administers to students in appropriate grades. | |||
| 2 Administered as a field test in 2017–18. | |||
| 3 Due to challenges with the assessment vendor, the District of Columbia was not able to administer a science assessment in 2017–18. | |||
| 4 In Virginia, some middle schools offer Earth Science in 8th grade and those students take the End of Course test. | |||
| SOURCE: Achieve, 2017–18 State Science Assessments in Grades 3–8, retrieved September 20, 2018 from https://www.achieve.org/publications/2017–18-state-science-assessments-grades-3–8. Data Source |