AN ANALYSIS OF GRADE 8 MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ACHIEVEMENT AS PREDICTORS OF SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT

The purpose of this study was to determine whether English language arts achievement and mathematics achievement can be used to predict science achievement on the Grade 8 State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Student groups studied included all students, female students, Hispanic/Latino students, Black/African American students, economically disadvantaged students, students with Limited English Proficiency (Current LEP), and At Risk students. English language arts achievement was a greater predictor of science achievement in Grade 8 compared to mathematics achievement for all populations studied except Current LEP students and At Risk students. Correlations to science achievement were higher for Black/African American students, Hispanic/Latino students, and female students than Economically Disadvantaged students, Current LEP students, and At Risk students. The findings have implications for teachers, campus administrators, and district curriculum and instruction leaders.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found the average Grade 12 Science Scores of the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), one example of an assessment of science [...]