Nation's Report Card Home

Science Summary

Complete science data for the Mega-States are available by using the drop-down menu below.




The NAEP science assessment was administered at the state level at grade 4 in 2009 and at grade 8 in 2009 and 2011. The NAEP Science Framework, the blueprint for the assessment, organizes science content into three broad content areas: physical science, life science, and Earth and space sciences, reflecting the science curriculum students are generally exposed to across the grades K through 12. For more information about the assessment, explore what the science assessment measures.

Grade 4

Comparisons to the nation in 2009

  • California scored lower than the nation and all other Mega-States.
  • Scores for the other Mega-States were not significantly different from the nation.

Image of vertical bar chart illustrating average scale scores in grade 4 NAEP science in 2009 as follows: Nation = 149; CA = 136 (significantly different from the nation and the other Mega-States); FL = 151; IL = 148; NY = 148; TX = 148.

** Significantly different (p < .05) from the nation and the other Mega-States.
NOTE: For complete data, please make your selections in the drop down selection boxes at the top of this page.

Grade 8

Trend results

  • Apparent differences in scores between 2009 and 2011 were not significantly different for any of the Mega-States.

Comparisons to the nation in 2011

  • Texas scored higher than the nation and all other Mega-States.

Image of vertical bar chart illustrating average scale scores in grade 8 NAEP science in 2009 and 2011as follows: Nation = 149 in 2009 and 151 in 2011; CA = 137 in 2009 and 140 in 2011, both significantly different from the nation and the other Mega-States); FL = 146 in 2009 and 148 in 2011, both significantly different from the nation; IL = 148 in 2009 and 147 in 2011 (significantly different from the nation); NY = 149 in 2009 and 149 in 2011 (significantly different from the nation); TX = 150 in 2009 and 153 in 2011 (significantly different from the nation and the other Mega-States).

* Significantly different (p < .05) from the nation.
** Significantly different (p < .05) from the nation and the other Mega-States.
NOTE: For complete data, please make your selections in the drop down selection boxes at the top of this page.

 

 

Demographics of the Mega-States

In the 2009 data shown below for grade 4 and the 2011 data for grade 8, the Mega-States differed in the relative proportions of various student groups in NAEP science. At grade 4 for example, the percentages of Hispanic students ranged from 20 percent in New York to 51 percent in California and Texas. At grade 8, the percentages of students attending city schools ranged from 22 percent in Florida to 45 percent in California.

Percentage of fourth-grade public school students in NAEP science, by jurisdiction and selected student characteristics: 2009
Characteristics Student groups Percentage of students
Nation (public) California Florida Illinois New York Texas
Race/ethnicity White 54 28 * 46 * 51   52   31 *
Black 16 7 ** 22 * 19   19 * 13 **
Hispanic 22 51 * 25 * 22   20   51 *
Asian/Pacific Islander 5 11 * 2 ** 5   9 * 4  
American Indian/Alaska Native 1 1 ** # * # * # * # *
Free/reduced-price school lunch Eligible 48 53 * 55 * 46   52 * 59 *
Not eligible 51 45 * 45 * 53   46 * 40 *
School location City 30 46 * 24 ** 31   46 * 47 *
Suburb 36 41 * 54 ** 44 * 36   26 **
Town 12 4 * 6 * 10   7 * 10  
Rural 22 9 * 17 * 14 * 11 * 18 *
Students with disabilities (SD) SD 12 8 * 16 * 14 * 16 * 8 *
Not SD 88 92 * 84 * 86 * 84 * 92 *
English language learners (ELL) ELL 10 29 ** 7 * 7 * 7 * 20 **
Not ELL 90 71 ** 93 * 93 * 93 * 80 **
# Rounds to zero.
* Significantly different (p < .05) from the nation.
** Significantly different (p < .05) from the nation and the other Mega-States.
NOTE: Black includes African American, and Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. For race/ethnicity, detail may not sum to totals because results are not shown for students of "two or more races." For free/reduced-price school lunch, detail may not sum to totals because results are not shown for the category "information not available." For school location, detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. For complete data, please make your selections in the drop down selection boxes at the top of this page.

 


Percentage of eighth-grade public school students in NAEP science, by jurisdiction and selected student characteristics: 2011
Characteristics Student groups Percentage of students
Nation (public) California Florida Illinois New York Texas
Race/ethnicity White 54 26 ** 45 ** 51   51   31 **
Black 16 7 ** 22 * 18   19 * 13 **
Hispanic 22 51 * 27 * 23   21   50 *
Asian/Pacific Islander 5 15 ** 3 ** 5   8 ** 4 *
American Indian/Alaska Native 1 1   # * # * # * # *
Free/reduced-price school lunch Eligible 48 55 * 55 * 48   50 * 59 *
Not eligible 52 44 * 45 * 52   49 * 40 *
School location City 29 45 * 22 ** 30   43 * 44 *
Suburb 36 39   53 ** 46 ** 37   27 **
Town 13 8   7 * 11   7 * 10  
Rural 23 8 * 17 * 13 * 13 * 19 *
Students with disabilities (SD) SD 11 8 * 14 * 13 * 15 * 9 *
Not SD 89 92 * 86 * 87 * 85 * 91 *
English language learners (ELL) ELL 6 17 ** 4 * 4 * 5   8 **
Not ELL 94 83 ** 96 * 96 * 95   92 **
# Rounds to zero.
* Significantly different (p < .05) from the nation.
** Significantly different (p < .05) from the nation and the other Mega-States.
NOTE: Black includes African American, and Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. For race/ethnicity, detail may not sum to totals because results are not shown for students of "two or more races". For free/reduced-price school lunch, detail may not sum to totals because results are not shown for the category "information not available." For school location, detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. For complete data, please make your selections in the drop down selection boxes at the top of this page.

 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2009 and 2011 Science Assessments.