In Tests, Few Students Excel in Science
By SAM DILLON
Published: January 25, 2011
On the most recent nationwide science test, about a third of fourth graders and a fifth of high school seniors scored at or above the level the federal Department of Education calls proficient, according to results released on Tuesday.
Only one or two students out of every 100 displayed the level of science mastery that the department defines as advanced, the government said.
“I was rather dismayed at the relatively lackluster performance at the top of the achievement levels,” said Alan Friedman, a former chief executive of the New York Hall of Science who sits on the board that oversees the federal tests. “The fact that