Washington students score best national average on science test

Fourth- and eighth-grade students in Washington state scored higher than the national average on a federal science test in 2015.

The Seattle Times reports that 42 percent of fourth-graders in Washington scored at or above proficient, compared with the national average of 37 percent. For eighth-graders, 38 percent scored at or above proficient, 5 percentage points higher than the national average.

Washington's students also scored higher than they did in 2009, the last time they took the test.

High school seniors also took the test, but those scores aren't available for each state.

The tests are part of a series known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, often referred to as the Nation's Report Card. Students are rated basic, proficient or advanced. The test is given to a sample of students. It was previously administered to a sample of students in all three grades in 2009 and for eighth graders in 2011.

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Associated Press