Where’s the chemistry? Nation’s Report Card shows waning 8th-grade interest in science

EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS’ science test scores have fallen to the level they were in 2009, the first year the national test was given. The latest results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), issued Tuesday, include a survey in which students said their general interest and enjoyment in science have dropped sharply as well.

This is the first time since the pandemic that science scores on what is known as the Nation’s Report Card have been released. Those scores dropped 4 points to 150 on a 300-point scale between 2019 and 2024.