Wyoming students top national average in science

Wyoming test results from 2015 show the state’s fourth- and eighth-graders remain ahead of the curve in science education compared to other students nationwide.

The Casper Star-Tribune reports the younger students scored about 5 percent higher on the National Assessment of Educational Progress than the national average, while the older students’ scores came in higher by about 4.5 percent.

State Department of Education spokeswoman Kari Eakins says nearly 4,300 Wyoming students were sampled for the science tests, and that the results show the state still has some room for growth.

The data revealed a 17-point score gap between Hispanic and white students in eighth grade and a 31-point gap between Native American and white students in fourth grade.

Eakins says the state hopes the new science standards approved by Gov. Matt Mead last week will help improve scores for all students.

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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com