Mixed results for N.J. students in science test Though they beat national average, older students score worse Thursday, May 25, 2006 • BY JOHN MOONEY • Star-Ledger Staff All those little craters on the moon? More than half of New Jersey's fourth-graders knew they came from meteoroids. And most eighth-graders knew a cell's nucleus contains its genetic materials. But when the same middle school students were asked for ways to identify salt water without tasting it, only about a third answered correctly. The state of science education has become a hot topic among educators and policymakers, and a national report released yesterday gave a mixed picture of what students are learning in science class. Depending on the grade, half to two-thirds of the nation's students who took the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2005 were found to have at least a basic understanding of science. But less than a third were deemed profi cient, and just a fraction were classified as advanced, officials said. New Jersey's elementary and middle school students fared bet ter than their counterparts nationally; about two-thirds of fourth- and eighth-graders in New Jersey achieved at least the basic levels. (The state did not participate in the high school test.) But when ranked against other states, New Jersey students were in the middle of the pack. And like in other states, the re sults declined as the students got older. According to the results of the hourlong test, 72 percent of fourth-graders in New Jersey were found to have a basic understanding of science or better; 32 percent were considered proficient or better; and 3 percent were at the advanced level. But by eighth grade, the numbers had changed: Just 65 percent were at the basic level or above, including 33 percent who were proficient or better, and 4 percent who were considered ad vanced. Wide racial gaps also re mained in New Jersey: 20 percent of white fourth-graders in New Jersey scored below the basic level, while more than 60 percent of black and Hispanic students scored below the basic level. "These scores tell us that, on average, we're doing better than the nation, but there is still a lot of work to do," said acting state Education Commissioner Lucille Davy. "We expect our students to be among the best in the nation, and there is always room for improvement." The latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress coincide with a heightened attention in the country to how to improve science education. President Bush spoke about the need for better science instruction in his State of the Union address in January, and business groups have lamented the dearth of highly skilled workers needed for the country to keep its economic edge in the world. In announcing the test results yesterday at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C., educators seemed most concerned about declining scores among high schoolers. Since 2000, the year the last science test was administered, scores among elementary school students showed a slight improvement while scores for eighth-graders re mained static. "Our youngest students, their families and their teachers should be happy with these results, but the performance in the high schools is troubling, to use a nice word," said Darvin Winick, chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board, the bipartisan group that sets policy for the test. "Given the results, the complaints that students are ill-prepared for college and careers should not come as a surprise," he said. "Flat or declining results in the older students is not good news." But others were more encouraged. "I think these scores are the result of a significant amount of concentrated effort in improving science education at the elemen tary grades," said Carlo Parra vano, director of the Merck Institute for Science Education, which has advocated more hands-on lessons, better teacher training and clearer standards for what students should learn in kindergarten through sixth grade. "If we have a good science program that is delivered well and well-supported, student gains can be had," he said. As for the older grades, he said, "we need that same sense of urgency about science education." Others said science instruction has suffered because more emphasis in the nation's schools has been placed on reading and math, especially under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. "Science is getting squeezed out," said Deborah Cook, director of the New Jersey State Systemic Initiative, a Rutgers-based partnership designed to improve pub lic schools' math and science programs. "It's not that districts don't want to do more, but they say that it's just that they need to get their (reading and math) scores up." New Jersey administers a separate statewide science test for fourth- and eighth-graders, and this year began one for 11th-graders. Last year, at least three-quarters of the students passed the science exams. A total of 5,400 New Jersey students in 228 districts took the voluntary national assessment last spring. This was the first time New Jersey students participated in the science test. The full report of the national test can be found online at http:/ /nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard. John Mooney covers education. He may be reached at jmooney@star ledger.com or (973) 392-1548. © 2006 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with permission.