NAEP Science - Distribution of Science Questions: 2005

Distribution of Science Questions: 2005

Field of Science

	Earth		Physical		Life
	Target	Actual 2005	Target	Actual 2005	Target	Actual 2005
Grade 4	33%	33%	33%	34%	33%	33%
Grade 8	30%	30%	30%	33%	40%	37%
Grade 12	33%	34%	33%	35%	33%	31%

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2005 Science Assessment.

Knowing and Doing Science

	Conceptual Understanding		Scientific Investigation		Practical Reasoning
	Target	Actual 2005	Target	Actual 2005	Target	Actual 2005
Grade 4	45%	50%	45%	40%	10%	10%
Grade 8	45%	55%	30%	29%	25%	16%
Grade 12	45%	56%	30%	29%	25%	14%

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2005 Science Assessment.

The tables above show the percentage of time students in a given grade would spend on NAEP items that measure knowledge of three major fields of science (Earth, physical, and life) and three characteristic elements of knowing and doing science, if they responded to all items in the NAEP science assessment.

Distribution of Science Questions: 2005

Field of Science

Knowing and Doing Science

Last updated 11 May 2006 (FW)