This study tested the theory that district use of the STEMscopes science curriculum increases district English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics proficiency through increases in science proficiency. Academic learning and achievement is often a synergistic process, with student learning in one subject potentially bolstering learning in other subjects. We proposed that exposure to the STEMscopes science curriculum not only increases students' science proficiency, but possibly their ELA and math as well. Specifically, we suggested a process such that: STEMscopes science increased science proficiency which, in turn, increased ELA and/or math proficiency (see figure). STEMscopes supports science instruction that (among other things) includes and targets the specialized language used within science (e.g., vocabulary) as well as computation skills within scientific observational settings and investigations that are part of realistic problem-based and experiential learning. As student learning in science increases, in turn, we may expect increases in ELA and math learning as well.

To test this possibility, we used a mediation model with scores from the 2021 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and California Science Test (CAST). Mediation models are models that include multiple simultaneous regressions and test a process regarding how an outcome (such ELA and math proficiency) is associated with a predictor (use of STEMscopes science by a district) through an additional variable (or variables) such as science proficiency. Within a mediation model, we can also include other important predictors of science, ELA and math proficiency to ensure that results of the model are not due to one of these other predictors. Within this large mediation model, we evaluated whether the added “pathway” or process whereby STEMscopes science affects ELA and math proficiency through science learning proficiency is significant, and what potential effect it has on proficiency in ELA and math.

Districts were identified as STEMscopes districts if they had a subscription to STEMscopes science for students in 5th grade and showed usage of the curriculum based on the analytics data. The state of California creates benchmarks for proficiency in science, ELA, and mathematics; identifying students as below standard, near standard, standard met, and standard exceeded. For the purposes of this study, the district’s proficiency rate was defined as the percentage of students who “met or exceeded” standards for science, ELA and math. We also included district passing rates from 2019 for Science, ELA, and math as well as whether the district included Charter schools, district average attendance rates as well as district percentages of students of different race/ethnicity, special education students, and economically disadvantaged students. Please see the California science proficiency report linked below for background information on the main effects study and the need to include other important predictors of student achievement.

The 2021 testing took place during the COVID-19 pandemic and this affected the number of students tested in each district (with much lower testing rates than previous years), and resulted in decreases in the number of students who met benchmarks. Nevertheless, we expected that relationships between STEMscopes science, science proficiency, ELA and math outcomes to still follow a similar process (even with fewer students and lower overall scores).

Results

As noted, in the previous report on California science proficiency, STEMscopes science districts had significantly higher science proficiency rates compared to districts that did not use STEMscopes science (even when controlling for other important variables that influence student proficiency). This is the first path (first step of the process) in the mediation model. The next part of the model tested was whether science proficiency predicted ELA and math (tested separately) for the same year.

Results indicated science proficiency rates predicted districts’ ELA and math proficiency rates. As an overall test of the two step process (STEMscopes -> science -> ELA or math), the final step of a mediation model is to consider both steps together. We can interpret the overall test of the process as “STEMscopes science’s effect on ELA and math proficiency through science proficiency.” For ELA, STEMscopes districts had a 3.9 percent increase in ELA proficiency (through STEMscopes effect on science) compared to non-STEMscopes districts. This change was significant and equates to approximately 269 more students meeting the ELA benchmark within STEMscopes districts based on the low student testing rates in 2021. For math, districts that used STEMscopes science had a 2.7 percent increase in math proficiency (through STEMscopes effect on science) compared to non-STEMscopes districts. This change was also significant and equates to approximately 186 more students meeting the math benchmark within STEMscopes districts based on the number of students tested in 2021.