National Center for Education Statistics, November 2001
The latest news from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is not good: American schoolchildren still don't know much science. In grades 4 and 8, they knew as little in 2000 as in 1996. In grade 12, they knew less. Indeed, Education Secretary Rod Paige termed the high school seniors' faltering performance a "morally significant" decline. Fewer than one in five of them scores at or above NAEP's "proficient" level in science; barely half even attain the "basic" level. The scientific attainments of minority youths are bleaker still: in 12th grade, only 22% of black students and 30% of Hispanics reach "basic." (Recall, too, Jay Greene's study of high school graduation rates (described above) showing that barely half of minority youngsters complete high school on schedule. Since NAEP tests only in-school 12th graders, one can reasonably estimate that just 10-15% of black and Hispanic young people in the relevant age cohort are minimally functional in science.) Following the pattern we have seen in TIMSS, U.S. 4th and 8th grade science results are somewhat less grim, with roughly two thirds of those youngsters performing at or above the "basic" level and almost one-third attaining "proficient" (or better). But it's nothing to boast about. This report includes plenty more data, including results for the 40 states (and 5 other jurisdictions) that participated. The variation is considerable, ranging from a few states where 35% or more of students are proficient to others where this is true of fewer than 15% of the youngsters. You will also find some explanatory information, such as relationships between student NAEP scores and their teachers' college majors, course taking patterns, etc. Summaries, commentaries, electronic copies and ordering information are all available if you surf to http://www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/science/results/.
