News Release

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2006
Contact: Janet Rope
Voice: (703) 588-3118
Email: Janet.Rope@hq.dodea.edu

DoDEA Continues Top Tier National Science Performance

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA — On May 24, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) announced the science results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The NAEP science assessment was administered from late January to early March in 2005. The Department of Defense (DoD) fourth and eighth graders scored above the national average. The NAEP reading and mathematics results for DoDEA were released in the fall of 2005.

Achievement and Rankings
      Eighth grade students in DoDEA earned the fourth highest science score in the nation at 160, thirteen points above the national average of 147. DoDEA's eighth grade average was three points below students in the top ranked state of North Dakota (163).

      At the fourth grade level, science scores for DoDEA students were the fifth highest in the nation at 156, seven points above the national average. DoDEA's fourth grade average science score was five points below their public school peers in the top scoring states of New Hampshire and Virginia (161).

      The national score ranks for science from 2000 and 2005 show consistently high performance for DoDEA students at both grade levels.

Minority Achievement
      African American students in DoDEA continued to earn the highest science scores in the nation when compared with their public school counterparts in the other forty-four participating states. Science scores for DoDEA African American students improved in both grade levels tested.

      In 2005, DoDEA Hispanic students earned the top score among their stateside public school Hispanic peers. Science scores for DoDEA Hispanic eighth grade students improved dramatically, while scores for DoDEA Hispanic fourth grade students remained stable. In both grades, the science scores continued to surpass the average score for all students nationwide.

About NAEP

            NAEP is the premier benchmark for comparing student performance across states. NAEP is managed by the National Center for Education Statistics, a component of the Institute for Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. Under the No Child Left Behind legislation, all states are required to participate in the NAEP reading and mathematics assessments. Participation in the NAEP science test was voluntary and 45 states and jurisdictions chose to participate. NAEP has also conducted trial assessments in ten large urban school districts, including New York City, Charlotte, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Diego. NAEP provides state level results for grades four and eight, and national results for grades four, eight, and twelve.

Additional Information
      Detailed statistical information on the 2005 NAEP mathematics assessment and all other NAEP assessments can be found on the web at: http://www.nationsreportcard.gov

      Assessment items and samples of student responses from the 2005 science assessment, along with sample questions from other subject areas, can be found on the web at: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrls/startsearch.asp

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