Table O-11
Changes in science performance of students in grades 4, 8, and 12, by student characteristics and other factors: 1996–2005 and 2000–05
 
 
    Grade 4   Grade 8   Grade 12
Student characteristic   1996–2005   2000–05   1996–2005   2000–05   1996–2005   2000–05
 
Average score
Total            
Sex
Male            
Female            
Race/ethnicity
White, non-Hispanic            
Black, non-Hispanic            
Hispanic            
Asian/Pacific Islandera     NA        
American Indian/Alaska Native            
Percentile scoresb
10th            
25th            
50th            
75th            
90th            
 

▲ = increase; ● = no change; ▼ = decrease (based on t-tests using unrounded numbers); NA = not available
aNational Center for Education Statistics (NCES) did not publish 2000 science scores for grade 4 Asians/Pacific Islanders because of accuracy and precision concerns.
bPercentage of students whose scores fell below a particular score, e.g., 75% of students had scores <75th percentile.

SOURCES: NCES, The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2005, NCES 2006-453 (2006); National Assessment of Educational Progress,1996, 2000, and 2005 science assessments; and National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics, special tabulations. See appendix table 1-7.

Science and Engineering Indicators 2008