The Pioneer Press July 26, 2010

HEADLINE: Minnesota students' scores on state science exam still improving

Beefed-up school programs credited

By Maricella Miranda

Minnesota students improved their scores on the state's science exam for the third straight year, with nearly half of the test takers meeting proficiency standards.

Of the 178,500 students tested, about 49 percent met or exceeded the standards - a 3 percent increase compared with 2009, according to data the Minnesota Department of Education released Monday.

Students in grades five and eight and high school students took the interactive online science exam in the spring for the third year.

"We're pleased with the steady progress we're making in the science area," state Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said. "We've talked a lot about science over the last five years. We've got a strong foundation in science - and now we're measuring it."

In the east metro, the majority of schools increased their science test scores.

The greatest boosts in percentage of proficient students came from districts in White Bear Lake, Stillwater and South Washington County. A handful of east metro schools saw declining scores. South St. Paul and Hastings schools saw the greatest decreases.

Students in Mahtomedi continued to score the highest in the east metro.

Test scores in St. Paul schools remained steady at the bottom of the list, with 27 percent of students scoring proficiently - less than a 1 percent increase compared to last year.

"We're pleased there have been some gains and some of our schools have made excellent results," said Suzanne Kelly, chief of staff for the St. Paul school district.

The science test results came a week late because of an error by the Bloomington-based company, Pearson, hired to score the exams. The company incorrectly scored two questions on the fifth- and eighth-grade tests, the education department reported.

Science testing is required under the federal No Child Left Behind law, but results don't count toward calculations of whether a school is making adequate yearly progress, as reading and math scores do. There is no indication from the federal government that schools will be evaluated in the future by their science test scores, Seagren said.

Statewide, eighth-graders made the greatest gains with nearly 48 percent proficient - a five-point increase from last year. High school students earned the highest marks, with nearly 52 percent proficient compared to about 50 percent last year.

Fifth-graders had the lowest gains with 46 percent scoring proficient, a 1 percentage-point increase compared to last year.

Among eighth-grade students, many ethnic subgroups showed improvement, too. For that grade, African-American students increased scores by 5 percentage points, Hispanic students by 4 percentage points and Native American students by 3 percentage points.

"That's very pleasing," Seagren said.

For a third consecutive year, Mahtomedi schools ranked highest for science proficiency among east metro districts - with 76 percent of students scoring proficient. Mark Larson, acting superintendent, said the district's schools teach engineering as a part of science.

"We're very proud of our students," Larson said.

"But high-achieving kids isn't the whole story," he added. "You need to have a talented, dedicated staff and a supportive community who values education, and we do."

In St. Paul, schools also are pushing to offer students stronger science curriculum, Kelly said. Science teachers began partnering with industry professionals at 3M and Ecolab for additional training. The companies also help schools buy science kits.

Last school year, the St. Paul district began its Engineering is Elementary program for select grades. The program is expanding this year to include all elementary grades.

In Stillwater, the number of students scoring proficiently increased by 5 percentage points. Their teachers also take professional development trips to local companies to improve their science, technology and engineering and mathematics curriculum, said Rachael Marrier, supervisor of curriculum and instructional support services." It spurred teachers to bring the real-world situations back to the classroom," she said.

South St. Paul schools saw a 7-percentage-point drop in their proficiency scores. The district attributes that to a decrease in the number of high-schoolers scoring proficiently.

Last year, nearly 51 percent of the district's high school students met proficiency levels, said Jane Stassen, director of curriculum, instruction, testing and assessments. This year, 30 percent scored proficiently.

"The number doesn't tell us anything about why it happened," Stassen said. "You can be certain that we will be looking at that. We certainly have some work to do."