Maryland's fifth- and eighth-graders scored slightly better on their annual science exam this past school year; however, the gap in performance is growing between special-education students and their peers.
In fifth grade, 67 percent of students passed while 70 percent of eighth-graders passed. Unlike reading and math, the science test is not used to calculate whether a school met targets set by the federal government.
The mixed results show that after four years of giving the test, students have not improved their performance significantly.
Leslie Wilson, who is in charge of testing for the state, said the results mirror those in math and reading after the test was given in those subjects for four years.
Middle-school results are believed to be stronger than elementary school, Wilson said, because students must take a science class while in middle school. In elementary schools, the teaching of science is sometimes reduced so that a school can concentrate more time on reading or math.
In special education, one-third of fifth-graders and 30 percent of eighth-graders in the state passed.
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