This month, the National Center for Education Statistics released The Nation’s Report Card: Science 2011, an assessment of science achievement in eighth graders. The report is part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

The results show that overall science achievement has improved slightly since 2009 but that gaps between white students and minority students and between males and females persist. Overall, 65 percent of students performed at or above basic, with 32 percent of students performing at or above proficient, compared with 63 percent and 30 percent, respectively, in 2009.

“The gains are encouraging, but the racial and gender gaps show a cause for concern,” said David P. Driscoll, chair of the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policy for NAEP. “In order to compete in globally competitive and expanding fields like technology and medicine, we must make sure we give our students the tools necessary to excel in an important subject area.”