Science Scores Rise at State’s Schools

California’s fourth- and eighth-graders are getting smarter in science, showing the largest achievement gains in the nation, but still scoring well below their peers in other states, according to a federal study released Wednesday.

In addition, Latino, Asian and low-income fourth-graders in California showed marked improvement compared to other states, a particularly promising trend because the state’s ethnic and racial makeup and large numbers of English learners have traditionally been associated with lower test scores.

The “nation’s report card science 2005” details student achievement in that subject for grades four, eight and 12 from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Results nationally were mixed, with scores improving for elementary students, remaining flat for those in middle school and declining for high schoolers.

Educators were particularly encouraged by the progress made nationally by minority students, with the gap between white and black fourth-graders narrowing four points since 2000 and between white and Latino students by eight points.

“With fourth-graders, we see a positive outcome that gives credence to the efforts made at both the federal and state level to increase the focus on early childhood education,” said Charles Smith, executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board, a bipartisan group that oversees the exam.

“There have been many reform movements that are now having an impact. The eighth- and 12th-grade findings lend credence to the importance of now shifting that focus from early grades to high school. I would hope to see a bump up the next time we give this assessment at 12th grade. But movement is like turning around a battleship; it’s not something you do in one or even two years.”

But educators and others also noted that the gains were shadowed by troubling indications that California children still lag far behind those in most other states.

In the fourth grade, only Mississippi scored below California, while eighth-grade scores ranked 42nd out of 44 states. Among California’s fourth-graders, 17% of students are proficient or better in science and half of fourth-graders scored below the basic level.

Among eighth-graders, 18% of California students are proficient or better, while 56% are below basic.

And wide achievement gaps persist for California’s economically disadvantaged students, with 73% scoring below the basic level, and among ethnic minorities, with 74% of black eighth-graders and 73% of Latino eighth-graders scoring below basic.

“While significant gains were made by Hispanic and Asian students, there remains an unacceptable achievement gap that shows ethnic minorities, particularly African American students, and socio-economically disadvantaged students lagging behind,” said State Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell. “We must focus strongly on closing that gap while aiming to increase the achievement of all groups of California students.”

The 2005 assessment reflects the performance of more than 300,000 students in the three grade levels in 44 states. Knowledge and skill levels were categorized as either basic, proficient or advanced.

Fourth-graders need to know, for example, how to identify two organs in the human body that work together to supply oxygen, among other things, to reach the basic level. Eighth-graders should be able to compare heart rates before, during and after exercise to show a basic knowledge of science. Twelfth-graders need to know the function of a neuron, among other things, to reach basic understanding.

California was one of only five states -- Hawaii, Kentucky, South Carolina and Virginia were the others -- with improved scores at both the fourth- and eighth-grade levels since 2000. The average score for California fourth-grade students was 137 in 2005, compared to 129 in 2000. Eighth-grade scores increased to 136 in 2005 from 129 in 2000. Scores for grade 12 were not available by state.

Improvements among Latino fourth-graders in California were greater than in any other state, and tied with Virginia, according to comparisons made by Education Trust-West, a reform group focused on narrowing the achievement gap between white and black and Latino students. Gains among low-income fourth-graders also outpaced almost every other state, the group said.

Educators said the state improvements in science scores were a likely outgrowth of better reading and math ability as well as a renewed focus in recent years on science instruction, including new fifth-, eighth- and 10th-grade science exams and stronger standards for teacher training.

The scores would seem to counter concerns that California’s back-to-basics focus on math and reading -- in response to the federal No Child Left Behind school reform law -- would slight other disciplines. Instead, improvements in core subjects appear to be lifting the tide across the board, education experts said.

“It’s hugely important that we’re improving in science,” said Russlynn Ali, director of the Education Trust-West. “There was so much push back that our focus on reading and math necessarily meant that other disciplines would go wanting. That concentration is instead working to enhance other subjects like history and science.”