Science proficiency scores are down in Vermont’s public schools. In all grades tested, fewer than half the students performed at par.
Vermont education leaders say the decline could be the result of overemphasis on high-stakes reading and math tests required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Aggregated averages for Grade 4 show 43 percent of students at or above proficiency. That’s down from 48 percent the year before, and 54 percent in 2010.
Eighth-graders saw the biggest drop in scores, with 26 percent at or above proficiency, down 7 percentage points from 33 percent the year before. In seven years of science assessments, 2013 was the only year in which Grade 8 science proficiency eclipsed 30 percent.
Science proficiency among 11th-graders hovers around one-third of students tested. In 2014, 30 percent met or exceed proficiency standards, down from 32 percent the year before.
This is the seventh year the New England Common Assessment Program tests have been administered. The science assessment combines scores of multiple choice and short answer questions with inquiry-based tasks that require students to analyze and interpret findings from a hands-on science experiment.
Hartford science teacher Suzan Locke said in a statement that students appeared to struggle most with the hands-on portion of the test. Students may draw accurate conclusions, but seem unable to explain their reasoning, she said.
Michael Hock, director of educational assessment for the state Agency of Education, said it’s important to remember that these scores are aggregated for the whole state. Data for individual school districts show a wide spread of progress and decline. Hock said the agency will work with administrators to understand what factors are helping some schools excel while others appear to be slipping.
But Darren Allen, spokesperson for the Vermont National Education Association, said it’s also important to remember that standardized tests are just one indicator of a school’s success. The Vermont chapter of the NEA represents about 12,000 teachers in the state.
“Let’s get over the assumption that a once-a-year test is an accurate barometer of overall competency,” Allen said.
He said the union is not against standardized testing, but does not believe the assessments should be used to draw generalizations about the quality of public education. He said the union agrees with Secretary of Education Rebecca Holcombe’s interpretation of the latest results indicating that science education has lost out to No Child Left Behind’s focus on reading and math.
“To improve learning, you need more adults having interactions with kids, and more time for teaching and more time for learning,” Allen said.
Hock said one factor the agency considers when talking with school administrators is whether the higher-scoring schools have begun adopting new approaches through Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards.
He said that while science proficiency has never been high overall in Vermont, the agency was surprised by the precipitous drop in the last round of tests.
One thing that didn’t change much is the achievement gap between students from families with higher and lower incomes. The agency said that’s held steady at about 24 percent.
School reports and more data are available online through the Agency of Education website.
