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Report: Ariz. Lags in Science Learning: Educators Optimistic New Standards Will Lift Scores

Posted on: Thursday, 25 May 2006, 12:00 CDT

By Jeff Commings, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson

May 25--Arizona students are scoring lower on science tests than most of their peers nationally, but educators are predicting improvements as science standards become a part of the state's curriculum.

The Nation's Report Card on Science 2005, released Wednesday by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, shows that only two states had more below-average students than Arizona in fourth-grade scores, and seven states in eighth-grade scores. It also noted that students in the fourth, eighth and 12th grades have not improved in science knowledge during the past five years.

Those results mirror the national results in eighth and 12th grades, though fourth-grade students nationally showed gains.

"Now, people will sit up and take notice, and hopefully that will make a world of difference," said Desert View High science teacher Chris Donovan.

The national report compared test scores of 300,000 students in 2005 with scores from the same grades in 1996 and 2000. The test questions looked at aptitude in earth, physical and life sciences.

Similar to the scoring categories on AIMS, Arizona's assessment test, the national test scores were categorized by how many students fell below the average, how many scored at the average and how many exceeded the average.

In fourth grade, the average Arizona score was 139, 10 points lower than the national average, with 47 percent of Arizona students scoring below average.

Eighth-grade students in Arizona averaged a score of 140, seven points below the national average. Fifty-one percent of Arizona eighth-graders were below the state average.

High school seniors were ranked by region, not by state, but the report shows that students in the West are falling behind those in the Midwest and Northeast by about five points on science tests.

The fact that scores were relatively constant for a decade was good news to two science specialists in the Tucson Unified School District.

"Anytime we get test results, you have to remember that it's a snapshot," said Thea Canizo, the district's middle school science specialist. "But the fact that we've maintained in certain areas is really positive."

And scores are bound to get better, some educators said.

"We just had a new Arizona (science) standard beginning this school year, so I think you're going to see much more accurate test results in the future," said K-5 science specialist Marleen Kotelman.

The standard pushes for proficiency in observation, investigation and analysis in all grade levels, according to the Arizona Department of Education's Web site. The science portion of the AIMS test, which will be piloted next spring, will test students on these concepts. AIMS already tests students in reading, writing and math.

Canizo and Kotelman pointed out that the higher test scores in fourth grade mirror a national push to introduce more science classes to elementary students. TUSD's work in this area has earned the district national recognition and the honor of hosting a national conference of science educators in fall 2007.

Most districts have worked together to create curricula to engage students and bring them closer to meeting standards.

At Esperanza Elementary in the Sunnyside Unified School District, students met with astronomers, who taught them about craters on the moon. Though Donovan said elementary students usually weren't taught astronomy in the past, it's become much more age-appropriate now.

However, many say lack of funding is going to be the primary roadblock to student success. Because most elementary teachers are not well-versed in science concepts, they need professional development, which costs money.

"If you look at our scores, we're doing pretty well when you look at the amount of pupil spending we have," Kotelman said. "Every school would like to have more money for science education."

On the Web --View the Arizona science standards at www. ade.state.az.us/standards /science/articulated.asp.

"Anytime we get test results, you have to remember that it's a snapshot."

Thea Canizo

Tucson Unified School District middle-school science specialist

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Arizona Daily Star

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