This year’s science results on the Nation’s Report Card brought good news for Florida students, who posted some of the largest improvements in the country.
Their results on the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress’ science exams improved compared to 2009. And they rose faster than the nation as a whole, which also improved.
Florida’s scores among Hispanic students were among the best in the country, as were scores for low-income fourth graders.
Historically, Florida’s performance on the national assessments has been mixed. Its students have performed increasingly well in reading, especially in fourth grade. They’ve tended to struggle more in math and science, especially in eighth grade.
In this year’s science results, eighth graders matched the national average score for the first time.
And fourth graders actually topped it, in a year when scores for the rest of the country also rose significantly.
Overall, Florida’s scores rose by an average of seven points in both grades over six years, compared to a national jump of four points.
The state’s Hispanic students out-performed the national average in both fourth and eighth grade. Its black students out-performed the national average in fourth grade, and were about even in eighth.
Both groups in Florida appeared to shrink the gap with their white peers, but the reductions in the racial and ethnic achievement gaps were not statistically significant.
![Source: Nation's report card. [*]means difference between Florida and the nation is not statistically significant.](https://nextstepsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NAEP-science-race-ethnicity-4th.jpg)
The improvements reported this morning were hailed by science education advocates as a significant achievement. Tennessee, the Sunshine State’s main regional rival, is celebrating one of the largest improvements in the country, with increases that were just a point or two larger than Florida’s.
While gaps remain between low-income students and their peers with more advantages, this is certainly progress.
