8th grade science scores dip below 2019 levels Eighth-graders’ average scores in science have declined since 2019, according to the first release of data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress Science Assessment since the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2024, eighth-graders’ average scores on the national science assessment were four points lower than 2019, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Eighth-graders were also given a survey with six questions about their views about science. In 2024, 42 percent of eighth-graders reported that they enjoy science activities, down from 52 percent in 2019.

NAEP achievement levels at grade 8 are performance standards that represent what students should know and be able to do. Results are reported as percentages of students performing at or above three achievement levels (NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, and NAEP Advanced).

Among the findings, data show:

• A decline in average scores and scores for middle- and lower-performing students in all three science content areas compared to 2019.
• A lower percentage of eighth-graders at or above NAEP Proficient and higher percentage below NAEP Basic in science compared to 2019.

Examples of science knowledge and skills eighth-grade students are likely able to demonstrate in Life Science: At the NAEP Basic level, students likely can demonstrate that reproduction is an essential part of population survival. At the NAEP Proficient level, students likely can describe the function of body systems (circulatory, respiratory, digestive). At the NAEP Advanced level, students likely can use the structures of organisms to identify specific adaptations of organisms and infer how these adaptations help organisms to survive.

Review the full results at www.nationsreportcard.gov/reports/science/2024.

Alcalá to lead California ed policy research center PACE has announced Lupita Cortez Alcalá as its new executive director. With more than 25 years of leadership experience in California education policy, Alcalá brings deep expertise, unwavering commitment to educational equity, and proven ability to bridge the worlds of education research, policy, and practice.

Alcalá assumed leadership of PACE this summer at a pivotal moment for California’s education system as it faces both the challenge of ongoing postpandemic renewal and the strain of navigating a shifting and increasingly polarized political landscape. At a time marked by diminished federal commitment to public education as well as growing division over the direction of education, rigorous research must inform policy decisions that affect the lives of students, families, and educators across the state. Meeting this moment requires more than evidence alone: It demands a concerted effort to mobilize the research community around the urgent task of informing policy with clarity, relevance, and purpose.

Alcalá brings a wealth of knowledge from her work across the education continuum. Previously, she made history as the first Latina chief deputy superintendent at the California Department of Education. She has also held executive roles at the California Student Aid Commission, where she championed college affordability and financial aid reform. Most recently, she served as director of education policy and outcomes at WestEd, where she co-led the development of the California Master Plan for Early Learning and Care.

A first-generation college student and multilingual learner, Alcalá has a personal understanding of the transformative power of public education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, San Diego, and a master’s degree in planning administration and social policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Sharing her perspective on this new role, Alcalá states: “Now more than ever, it’s important to be unapologetic about the value of research — its power to drive innovation and its transformational education and economic impacts. I look forward to leading PACE to elevate that message and ensure that evidence-based insights guide strategic policy decisions, strengthen educational systems, and expand opportunities for all learners.”

Alcalá will work closely with PACE Faculty Directors Ben Domingue at Stanford University, Michal Kurlaender at UC Davis, Julie Marsh at the University of Southern California, Cecilia Rios-Aguilar at UCLA, and Michelle Young at UC Berkeley to inspire and lead the next chapter of PACE’s journey as well as to broaden PACE’s impact.

CA on track to cut absenteeism in half over five years State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond was joined by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, and education leaders to announce that California is on track and committed to reduce chronic absenteeism by 50 percent over five years.

On Aug. 19, Thurmond announced the release of new guidance to improve student attendance statewide, developed in partnership with Attendance Works and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence.

Attendance Works Vice President of Programs Cecelia Leong, California Collaborative for Educational Excellence Deputy Executive Director Sujie Shin, Folsom Cordova Unified School District Superintendent Erik Swanson, FCUSD Child Welfare and Attendance Specialist Maggie Cunin, and FCUSD student representatives also spoke about the importance of promoting school attendance and supporting families to get kids to school.

The press conference was held at Williamson Elementary School in FCUSD, located in Rancho Cordova. Rates of chronic absenteeism in FCUSD mirror statewide trends, and Swanson credits the district’s receipt of a California Community Schools Partnership Program grant as a “game changer” for improving school attendance.

“Due to historic investments in student supports and family engagement, California has cut TK–12 chronic absenteeism levels by one-third, from 30 percent in 2022 to 20 percent in 2024. We are on track and committed to reduce chronic absence by 50 percent over five years,” Thurmond said, in a news release. “Our Community Schools approach is working: When we address the needs of the whole family, our students are able to show up to school.”

As a former social worker, Thurmond noted the importance of Community Schools strategies for improving school attendance: “When our students aren’t showing up to school, our schools need the resources to knock on doors and ask why.”

CDE releases Native American Studies model curriculum The California Department of Education, in partnership with the Humboldt County of Education and the San Diego County Office of Education, is proud to announce the availability of the Native American Studies model curriculum, at chsspcde.sf.ucdavis.edu/native-american-studies. The Native American Studies model curriculum reflects input from statewide public engagement sessions, both virtually and in person, and essential public feedback. The model curricula include lesson plans, primary source documents, instructional and planning tools, teaching strategies, and professional development resources. Designed to be culturally sustainable, inclusive, and adaptable for K–12 classrooms, the curriculum offers standards-aligned units, mini units, and lessons that integrate Native perspectives across disciplines including history, English language arts, science, social studies, and the arts. The Native American Studies model curricula was developed in response to the 2021 Education Finance: Omnibus Budget Trailer Bill and the parameters outlined in Assembly Bill 167. This model curriculum joins the Vietnamese American Experiences, Hmong History and Cultural Studies, and the Cambodian American Studies model curricula on the We Are California platform (chsspcde.sf.ucdavis.edu). Has your local educational agency developed a California Indian Education Task Force in response to the California Indian Education Act? The Native American Studies model curriculum contains free resources to support LEAs. This act added sections 33390 and 33391 to the California Education Code encouraging LEAs to develop California Indian Education Task Forces. For more information on the act, the CDE has published an informational web page at www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/indianeducationact.asp. Once formed, task forces shall submit an annual report within one year of formation. This page outlines the criteria of AB 1703 and includes an optional template for LEAs to use when creating their annual report.