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South Carolina students lead nation in improving on national science tests

See www.myscschools.com for the full story.  Excerpt below!

South Carolina students made dramatic improvements on national standardized science tests in 2005, the U.S. Department of Education announced today.  The state’s fourth-graders had the best gains in the nation, while eighth-graders had the third-best gains.

The USDE also named South Carolina as one of only five states to show improvement in both grades tested in the 2005 science administration of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as "The Nation's Report Card."

The Palmetto State had previously drawn national attention for its NAEP improvement in math and English Language Arts.  Three independent research studies (Educational Testing Service, Council of Chief State School Officers and Education Trust) have recognized South Carolina as a leader in NAEP scoring gains.

Improvements were dramatic across the board for South Carolina, including students whose family incomes qualified them for free or reduced-price lunches, African-American students and students in special education.

Overall in NAEP science, South Carolina fourth-graders scored about the same or better than students in 21 out of the 44 participating states.

Eighth-graders scored about the same or better in science than students in 19 states out of 44. 

Additional NAEP science highlights:
• In addition to leading the nation in fourth-grade improvement, South Carolina was one of only nine states that saw scores increase in 2005.  The Palmetto State was one of only 11 states that saw scores increase for eighth-graders.

• South Carolina fourth- and eighth-graders eligible for free or reduced-price lunches improved their performance between 2000 and 2005.

• African-American fourth-graders improved their performance by 11 points to 131 in 2005 (national average 128).  African-American eighth-graders improved their performance by seven points to 127 (national average 123).

• Girls improved significantly from 2000 to 2005 in both grades.

South Carolina's academic proficiency standards are linked to NAEP's and have been ranked among the nation's toughest by six independent reviews.  As a result, South Carolina's NAEP scores correspond closely with state PACT scores in science, math and English Language Arts.  Many other states have set their standards lower, however, and students in those states tend to fare better on their state tests than on the national NAEP tests.

South Carolina students lead nation in improving on national science tests

Ranking South Carolina’s NAEP gains against other states

All South Carolina students
• South Carolina fourth-graders had the best gains in the nation (8 points).
• South Carolina eighth-graders had the third-best gains in nation (5 points).

Free or Reduced-price Lunch Eligible Students
• Fourth-graders had the fifth-best gains in the nation (9 points).
• Eighth-graders had the fifth-best gains in the nation (7 points).

African American Students:
• Fourth-graders had the third-best gains in the nation (11 points).
• Eighth-graders had the fourth-best gains in the nation (7 points).

Gender:
• Fourth-grade girls had the highest gains in the nation (8 points), while boys had the second-best (9 points).
• Eighth-grade girls had the second-best gains in the nation (7 points), while boys had fourth-best gains (4 points).

Students with disabilities:
• The 2005 gap between South Carolina's fourth-grade students with disabilities and students without disabilities was 22 points, compared to 30 points in 2000.  The eighth-grade gap was 32 points, compared to 45 points in 2000.

For NAEP data see:
 http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/stt2005/2006467SC4.pdf Grade4
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/stt2005/2006467SC8.pdf Grade8

South Carolina’s Coalition for Mathematics and Science
Sears House at Clemson University
# 3 HWY 93
Clemson, South Carolina 29634-0977
Phone: 864-656-1863     Fax: 864-656-1864
email: sccms@clemson.edu

Visit us on the web at www.sccoalition.org

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