Overview

• NAEP reports eighth-grade science fell 4 points from 2019 to 150, returning to 2009 levels, with only 31% at or above proficient and more than a third below basic.
• Student surveys show waning engagement in science, with enjoyment dropping from 52% to 42% and interest from 47% to 39% since 2019.
• Twelfth-grade math and reading posted the lowest scores in their trend lines, and 31% of seniors reported missing three or more days in the prior month, up from 26% in 2019.
• Gaps widened across groups: Asian American students averaged 170 (the only proficient group) while Black and Hispanic students averaged 130 and 137, and the gender gap reemerged as girls fell 5 points versus 3 for boys.
• No state-level NAEP science results were released; California’s CAST shows a persistent income gap with 49% of non–low-income students proficient versus 21% of low-income students, prompting officials to call for targeted interventions.