Arizona’s fourth grade students led the nation in points gained on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science exam, according to results released this week by the National Center for Education Statistics.
While we found good news: Arizona is leading the nation in growth and reduction in the achievement gap between white students and Hispanic students, we also learned Arizona’s proficiency scores are still near the bottom in comparison to other states.
In looking at the Nation’s Report Card for Science, the Association examined the data in three important ways: overall growth from 2009 to 2015, the NAEP achievement gap, and national comparisons of proficiency.