A report released today shows that students in the big cities aren’t learning science when compared with national averages.
Ten urban school districts volunteered to take the tests and have their scores compared to public school students nationwide for the first time.
Fourth-graders in nine of the 10 city districts had lower average scores than public school students nationally. The only exception was Austin, Texas, where they performed at the national average.
In eighth grade, all 10 urban districts had average scores below the national average.
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The topics covered on the tests include earth science, physics, chemistry and biology.
The new scores emphasize how much room for improvement remains across a range of urban districts – just as is the case for most of the nation’s schools.
Nationally, for example, just a little more than a quarter of students in both grades could handle challenging subject matter – a skill level educators call “proficient”.
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“We need to devote more time and energy to science instruction, not just in the cities but nationwide, because nobody has much bragging rights on science performance anywhere in the country,” said Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools – a coalition of urban public school systems.
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The new report of lackluster performance underscores a deep concern among political and business executives who see eroding science achievement as a threat to the U.S. economy.
