Photo by erin m

The state of the District’s public schools has been poor for decades, but how bad can things really be? Pretty terrible, according to a report measuring how well eighth-graders are doing in science.

The Science 2011: National Assessment of Educational Progress at Grade 8 report finds that D.C. eighth-graders came in dead last on national science tests, scoring 112 out of a possible 300 points. That puts us below 51 other states and jurisdictions, and means that only seven percent of D.C. eighth-graders are considered proficient in the sciences. Even worse, 76 percent are considered “below basic” proficiency.

Comparatively speaking, students in Virginia scored 160 (38 percent proficient) and those in Maryland scored 152 (30 percent proficient). The national average was 152 points.

What does that mean, practically? According to the report, D.C.’s levels of proficiency are so low that a majority of students tested couldn’t have explained how plants use sunlight or identify a form of kinetic energy.