Less Than Third of Students Found Proficient in Science

U.S. education officials announced in May how the nation--and each state--scored on a report card of science achievement: Abysmally.

But that was a report card without grades. On Tuesday, a new analysis of the scores--measuring them against standards of “advanced” to less than “basic” mastery of science knowledge--fills out the portrait, detailing how badly the nation’s fourth-, eighth- and 12th-graders performed on the federal assessment.

At each grade level tested for the National Assessment of Educational Progress report, a federal survey begun in 1970, fewer than 30% of all students reached at least the “proficient” level of understanding. Only 3% scored in the advanced range.

In California, only 1% were deemed advanced and only 20% proficient or better.

That meant that the majority of California eighth-graders could not explain why lightning is seen before thunder is heard, nor could they understand map markings to find the direction of a river’s flow.

It was easier for them to understand the effect of fish death on an ecosystem, or reading a graph to find typical yearly rainfall.

“Most students have a grasp of basic factual knowledge and procedures, but a disturbing proportion--33% to 43%, depending on the grade--are below that basic level,” said Mark D. Musick, chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board, which released the science benchmarks in Washington. “And the proportion who are proficient for their grade, which requires clear evidence of being able to analyze, apply and write, is fairly small.”

Maine, Montana and North Dakota had the highest proportions of students at or above the proficient standard--41%. Among the lowest--13% or fewer-- were Mississippi, Louisiana and the District of Columbia.

The science results followed the pattern of low-level skills found in recent assessments of reading and math ability. They also showed substantial differences in the achievement levels of whites compared to blacks and Latinos. In the nation as a whole, 36% of white eighth-graders scored in the proficient or better range, contrasted to only 4% of black and 10% of Latino eighth-graders.