--- title: STEMscopes Science 8th Grade Users Outperform Others on 2021 TX STAAR description: Comparing STEMscopes users vs. non-users on the science component of the 2020-2021 STAAR Exam. 8th-grade science proficiency increased on average by 2.3%. --- [![Accelerate Learning](https://info.acceleratelearning.com/hubfs/AL_logo.png)](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/) - [Home](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/) - About Us - [OVERVIEW ](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/about) - [DIVERSITY STATEMENT](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/diversity-statement) - [CAREER OPPORTUNITIES](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/careers) - STEM Products - [STEMscopes Science](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/science/) - [Collaborate Science](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/collaborate-science/) - [Kide Science](https://www.kidescience.com/en/) - [STEMscopes Math](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/math) - [Math Nation](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/mathnation) - [DIVE-in Engineering](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/dive-in/) - [STEMscopes Coding](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/technology/stemscopes-coding/) - [Mastery Coding](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/technology/mastery-coding/) - [Tuva Data Literacy](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/tuva/) - [STEMscopes Streaming](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/streaming/) - [Math Independent Skills Practice Books](https://info.acceleratelearning.com/rgst/math-independent-skill-practice-book-sample) - STEM Professional Learning - [NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STEM EDUCATION](https://nise.institute/) - [STEMSCOPES PROFESSIONAL LEARNING](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/professional-learning/) - Research - [RESEARCH & EFFICACY STUDIES](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/research/) - Resources - [BLOG](https://blog.stemscopes.com/) - [FREE RESOURCES](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/science/#resources) - [NEWS](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/news.php) - [TESTIMONIALS](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/testimonials) - [LMS INTEGRATIONS](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/lms) - | - Contact - [CONTACT SALES](https://info.acceleratelearning.com/connect-with-a-stem-specialist) - [CUSTOMER SERVICE](https://www.acceleratelearning.com/contact) Research Study ## School Districts Using STEMscopes Science in Texas for 8th Grade Outperform Other Matched School Districts on 2021 STAAR The following report includes results comparing matched STEMscopes and non-STEMscopes districts on the science component of the 2020-2021 State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR TM ) for 8th grade. Districts were identified as STEMscopes districts if they had a subscription to STEMscopes and showed usage of STEMscopes Science in 8th grade for at least 50% of middle schools in a given district, based on analytic data. Once we had identified STEMscopes districts, they were matched with non-STEMscopes districts. Matching was based on the Texas’ Education Agency’s district types (e.g., urban, major suburban), then district size, and via a district’s percent of students classified as economically disadvantaged (i.e., free and reduced lunch). On the STAAR assessment, the state of Texas creates proficiency benchmarks that identify students as ‘not proficient’, ‘approaching’, ‘meeting’, or ‘mastering’ grade-level proficiency. The percentage of students who ‘approach’ grade-level performance is used by the state as the district passing rate and we used this as the outcome in the study. We also included the percentage of 5th grade students who approached grade level science proficiency from the 2017-2018 STAAR assessment. We used the 2017-2018 assessment because the students who contributed data to the 8th grade proficiency rate in 2021 would have been in 5th grade in 2018. The 5th grade proficiency rate provides a baseline science achievement level across study districts. ## Middle School STAAR Results After matching, our sample included 758 districts (379 STEMscopes and 379 non-STEMscopes districts). As can be seen in Table 1, the STEMscopes districts and the non-STEMscopes districts did not statistically differ in regards to district size; students racial/ ethnic make-up; special education, gifted, or LEP status nor by average teaching experience in the district. Importantly, there were no differences in baseline 5th grade proficiency between STEMscopes (73.27% proficiency) and non-STEMscopes districts (72.13%). It is important to establish that the STEMscopes districts and the non-STEMscopes districts did not differ on these key variables, particularly baseline science proficiency as this ensures that potential differences in 8th grade science proficiency across districts are comparable (and are not due to previous differences). For the 8th grade STAAR science assessment in 2021, the state average proficiency rate for all Texas school districts ( N = 1146) was 67%. Within our study (n = 758), the unweighted total average proficiency rate was 67.84%. **The unweighted average proficiency rate for the STEMscopes districts was 69.07%, versus 66.61% in non-STEMscopes districts.** This was a significant difference (b = 2.45, p < .05). ## Table 1 ### BASELINE COMPARISON OF STEMSCOPESAND NON-STEMSCOPES DISTRICTS | *Variables* | *Total %* | *NON-STEMscopes* | *STEMscopes* | *t-value* | *p-value* | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Baseline District 5th Grade Science Proficiency | 72.7 | 72.13 | 73.27 | 1.09 | 0.28 | | District Size | 4801.8 | 4507.11 | 5096.52 | 0.70 | 0.49 | | % Economically Disadvantaged Students | 61.62 | 61.48 | 61.77 | 0.19 | 0.85 | | % Black/African American Students | 8.93 | 8.36 | 9.51 | 1.13 | 0.26 | | % Latino/Hispanic Students | 43.8 | 43.40 | 44.20 | 0.4 | 0.69 | | % Asian Students | 1.59 | 1.79 | 1.39 | 1.25 | 0.21 | | % White/Causcasian Students | 42.71 | 43.32 | 42.09 | 0.64 | 0.52 | | % LEP Students | 12.18 | 12.05 | 12.31 | 0.26 | 0.8 | | % Special Education Students | 10.06 | 10.20 | 9.93 | 1.24 | 0.21 | | % Gifted Students | 5.73 | 5.56 | 5.90 | 1.34 | 0.18 | ## Table 2 ### UNWEIGHTED SCIENCE PROFICIENCY RATES BY STEMSCOPES STATUS IN TEXAS TEXAS 8TH GRADE SCIENCE PROFICIENCY “PASSING” 69.07% STEMscopes 66.61% Non-STEMscopes ## Follow-up Analysis on Middle School Results We conducted a follow-up analysis to further test differences across STEMscopes and non-STEMscopes districts after accounting for other important variables that influence science proficiency. Importantly, we wanted to account for 2018 5th grade science proficiency as previous science proficiency tends to be a strong predictor of future science proficiency. By including this and other demographic variables in the model, we provide a stringent test of the effect of STEMscopes. Put another way, this provides a weighted effect. We used multiple regression to recalculate proficiency rates taking into account 2017-2018 5th grade science proficiency as well as district size, average teacher experience, and district demographic make-up (i.e., percent of district students via race/ethnicity categories, socioeconomic status, LEP status, SPED status and gifted and talented status). Results are presented in Table 3 and Figure 1 below. The results indicate that once other important variables are accounted for, **the districts that used STEMscopes still have a significantly higher overall 8th grade science proficiency rates compared to non-STEMscopes districts.** Specifically, there is a weighted increase of 2.29% in 8th grade science proficiency for STEMscopes versus non-STEMscopes districts ## Subpopulation Analyses In addition, weighted proficiencies for specific subgroups of students were examined. Specifically, among economically disadvantaged students, STEMscopes districts (63.04% proficient) had higher passing rates than non-STEMscopes districts (60.57%) controlling for baseline 5th grade science proficiency and all other demographic variables, (b = 2.47, p < .05). There were no other significant differences among sub-populations, although results numerically favored STEMscopes districts. ## Table 3 ### REGRESSION RESULTS EVALUATING 8TH GRADE SCIENCE PROFICIENCY FOR ALL STUDENTS *8th grade science proficiency: all study students (n = 153,289* | *Predictors of STAAR* | *B (SE)* | *p-value* | | --- | --- | --- | | Intercept (proficiency in non-STEMscopes districts) | 66.78 (1.23) | **<.001** | | **STEMscopes** | **2.29 (0.62)** | **<.01** | | 5th Grade Baseline Science Proficiency | 4.82 (0.88) | **<.001** | | District Size | -0.33 (0.49) | 0.49 | | Teacher Experience | 0.60 (0.55) | 0.28 | | % Economically Disadvantaged Students | -4.77 (0.73) | **<.001** | | % Black/African American Students | -0.27 (3.42) | 0.94 | | % Latino/Hispanic Students | 0.85 (6.29) | 0.89 | | % Asian Students | 0.68 (0.62) | 0.56 | | % White/Causcasian Students | 4.44 (0.51) | 0.49 | | % LEP Students | -1.48 (0.62) | **<.05** | | % Special Education Students | -1.64 (0.51) | **<.01** | | % Gifted Students | -0.29 (0.48) | 0.55 | ## Figure 1 ### 8TH GRADE SCIENCE PROFICIENCY IN MATCHED STEMSCOPES AND NON-STEMSCOPES SCIENCE SCHOOLS 69.07% STEMscopes 66.78% Non-STEMscopes ## Conclusion Despite 2021 representing a year of educational disruption via the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, Texas school districts that used STEMscopes Science for 8th grade instruction still had higher Science proficiency rates compared to match non-STEMscopes districts, even when controlling for baseline science proficiency and other important variables that can impact science proficiency. STEMscopes districts increased the 8th grade science proficiency rate of their students by a weighted average of 2.29%. Follow-up analyses indicated that the weighted passing rate for economically disadvantaged students (2.47%) was also similarly higher compared to matched non-STEMscopes districts. We estimate that, overall, this means that approximately an *additional *3,510 eighth grade students passed the state of Texas ‘passing’ benchmark. These findings show continued evidence that STEMscopes science curriculum is associated with increases in student science achievement. ![Students Collaborating 350px](https://info.acceleratelearning.com/hubfs/Students%20Collaborating%20350px.jpg) ### Empower Your Students With Accelerate Learning Today Designed to make measurable impacts on student achievement, Accelerate Learning Inc. offers you a customized STEM solution for all your students. Learn how you can preview or demo our products for free. 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