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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's eighth-graders posted the highest scores in the U.S. on a standardized science test, according to results released Thursday.
Utah's eighth-graders raised their average science score by five points last year on the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam to 166 on a 300-point scale, according to the results.
They beat the national average by 13 points.
Fourth-graders in Utah, who raised their average score by six points, ranked eighth in the nation, according to the data.
"This is excellent news," said Mark Peterson, spokesman for the Utah State Board of Education. "To be No. 1 in the nation for eighth grade and top 10 for fourth grade is a real tribute to the teachers and their students."
The National Assessment of Education Progress exam, also known as the Nation's Report Card, is given every few years in math, reading and science.
Although some educators have questioned how well the test measures true scientific thinking, it has been administered the same way for students across the nation for years, making it a valuable data point for educators.
Last year, about 2,400 Utah students took the test.
Overall, 50 percent of Utah eighth-graders scored at or above proficient in the science portion of the test. Nationally, only one-third of eighth-grade students were deemed at or above proficient in science.
Although minority and low-income students in Utah improved their science scores last year, the performance gap did not narrow significantly.
Hispanic students continued to score significantly lower than white students by an average of 32 points, a gap that has not improved much since 2009.
See which states had the largest score gains at Gr. 4 & 8 on #NAEP Science in 2015: https://t.co/NvcyR7jznZpic.twitter.com/Q79Dqhumpr
— NAEP (@NAEP_NCES) October 27, 2016
Low-income students, as measured by those eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, scored 21 points lower on average than those who were not eligible. That gap has not narrowed since 2009 either.
There were not enough black, Asian or Pacific Islander students to calculate performance gaps.
Girls and boys posted similar average scores.
Utah students have usually performed better in science than in math or reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress exams, according to Peterson.
Reading and math scores, which were leased last year, showed that Utah ranked 10th among eighth-graders in reading and 16th in math.
Fourth-graders ranked 20th in the nation in math and 14th in reading.
Across the nation, science scores remained flat for seniors and showed modest progress for fourth- and eighth-graders.
"Utah has put a big emphasis on that, and we've really kind of changed our teaching methods over the last several years, moving away from memorizing stuff into critically thinking and analyzing and problem-solving, and it appears to be paying off," Peterson said. Email: dchen@deseretnews.com Twitter: DaphneChen_
