Fewer than one in three Rhode Island students is proficient in science, according to results from the most recent round of state science testing. Scores for 8th graders have shown no gains since the state began administering the test in 2008.
Some 30,000 students in grades 4, 8 and 11 took the test, known as the NECAP Science Test, in May. Roughly 29 percent scored proficient or better, a slight decrease from last year.
Average scores were better for elementary students than for middle or high school students, but no districts reported significant gains this year.
Achievement gaps narrowed slightly from 2015 for English Language Learners, students with disabilities and low income students. But overall, achievement gaps were wider than they were in 2008, the report said.
“We are disappointed in these science results,” said RI Education Commissioner Ken Wagner, pointing to the important role state officials are hoping science will play in improving the state’s economy.
“In light of these results, we plan to meet with district and school leadership and the science educators’ leadership team to discuss the current state of science instruction, our shared vision for science instruction in Rhode Island, and the tools and resources our educators need to make this vision a reality,” Wagner said.
In 2013, Rhode Island was one of the first states in the country to adopt new science standards known as the Next Generation Science Standards, developed by the same group that developed the Common Core. That may be part of the reason for the lackluster test results, since NECAP was not developed to test the new standards.
Wagner said the state is in the process of adopting a new science test.
“We believe a new assessment aligned with our current standards will give a more accurate picture of student achievement in science.”