ScienceInformation About the 2005 TUDA Science Assessment
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Urban District Results
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A Closer Look at Individual Districts

Use the tabs below to view science performance for each participating district. The profiles present a closer look at results for each district’s student groups by race/ethnicity and by income level (eligibility for free or reduced-price school lunch) and offer comparisons to the nation's public schools and to large central city public schools. In addition, results for a few, selected test questions are provided to give the reader a more concrete sense of how the district’s students performed. To learn more about the educational context in each district, see About Urban Districts.

Percentage of eighth-grade student responses rated correct or "Complete" on selected NAEP science questions in 2005, by jurisdiction
Achieve–
ment level
Score location Question description Nation Large central city Houston
Advanced
208 – 300
230

Explain how to find out if a glass contains salt water

22 16 14
218 Describe means by which plants prevent erosion 16 9 8
Proficient
170 – 207
198 Identify location of cell's genetic material 52 44 41
188 Identify zone on a map with a temperate climate 51 42 34
178

Describe experiment to measure the volume of an object

43 32 34
Basic
143 – 169
162 Explain relative motion of two vehicles 53 43 39
160 Describe effect of pollutant on food web 54 44 41
147

Identify an action to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

72 64 61
0 – 142 136

Identify relationship between rainfall and seed production

77 71 70
111 List three uses for human-made satellites 80 73 70
NOTE: Multiple-choice questions are shown in italic type.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2005 Trial Urban District Science Assessment.

In the table above, the “score location” of a test question on the scale represents the average scale score attained by students who had a 65 percent probability of successfully answering a constructed-response question, or a 74 percent probability of correctly answering a four-option multiple-choice question.

The scale score ranges for the science achievement levels (Basic, Proficient, and Advanced) are also displayed in the table. For constructed-response questions, the question description represents students’ performance rated as completely correct. The hyperlinked items have been released and are available in the NAEP Questions tool. To find other sample test questions with associated performance results by nation, state, and district, search the NAEP Questions Tool.

Cross-jurisdiction significance results are calculated using a multiple-comparison procedure based on all participating districts.  Results may vary from those obtained using single-district comparisons, such as those in the single-district snapshot reports.

Read more about the 2005 science assessment on the NAEP website. Read the specific definitions of the Basic, Proficient, and Advanced achievement levels for grades 4 and 8.

Select from the list below to view a district's Snapshot report as a PDF file.

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