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May 25, 2006
Good news/bad news on NAEP science scores
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) yesterday released the 2005 results in science, and it seemed like deja vu all over again. Mimicking trends that NAEP reported in mathematics and reading in 2004, the nation's youngest students are making gains in science, only to lose momentum in middle school, and stall out in high school.
According to the report, 4th graders overall improved their science performance between 1996 and 2005. Moreover, gains were reported for every racial, ethnic, and economic student group, and achievement gaps between them are narrowing. At 12th grade, however, overall scores have declined, particularly in the area of earth science, and achievement gaps are unchanged.
The lackluster results reported for 12th graders are likely to add volume to the high-profile calls for improving high schools sounded by the governors, Bill Gates, and Oprah. At the same time, we think it would also be useful to take a close look at what elementary schools are doing right.
A snapshot of mathematics and science achievement in the U.S. can be found at NSBA's Center for Public Education. You can also find a guide to interpreting NAEP vs. state assessment scores, which can come in handy when the news reports come out.
Posted May 25, 2006 4:13 PM |
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