History of IDEA
Jeannie Oakes, Founder and Former Director
Youth Voice in School Finance
NEW REPORT: Los Angeles' road to A-G for all
Without Dollars and Sense Powerpoint
Past Educational Opportunity Reports
Low scores, low priority for science
- 02-16-2011
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Blog by John Fensterwald/Educated Guess
There was a collective shrug last month with the announcement of the abysmal results in the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress science test. California students tied for dead last, with 43 other states scoring higher. It was depressing enough that only one-third of fourth grade students nationally were proficient. In California, it was 22 percent – about one out of five – with 1 percent – yes, 1% – advanced. Clone that kid. But California does terribly in all things NAEP, you might say. You’re right. Our students also score consistently near the bottom in math and English language arts. But then again, California doesn’t exclude large numbers of English learners or special education students as do Texas and other states. And its standards in science and in math aren’t aligned with NAEP’s. As my wise colleague at Silicon Valley Education Foundation Bob Nichols observed, the 8th grade NAEP test is one third each of Physical, Life and Earth/Space Science. California’s 8th grade Science CST is 100 percent physical science. Space science isn’t taught per se. (more...)
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