More Nebraska students are proficient in science, continuing a three-year trend, according to data released by the Nebraska Department of Education on Wednesday.
During the 2024-25 school year, 79.58% of students were proficient in science, based on results from the Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System. That’s up significantly from 2021-22, when that percentage was 66.48%, and marks a nearly 6% improvement from last year.
Proficiency percentages on the English language arts and mathematics sections fell slightly from 2023-24 but remain more than 10% above the pandemic-affected 2021-22 scores.
“This six-point leap in science scores for students in grades three through eight is a powerful testament to the impact of high-quality instructional materials and the incredible dedication of our educators,” NDE Commissioner Brian Maher said. “When we align our resources with state standards and combine that with the hard work of our teachers and students, the result is measurable success. This improvement is a victory for every classroom and a major step forward for science education across the state.”
However, raw science scores from the NSCAS showed a drop in fifth and 11th grades, while eighth grade saw a slight increase.
The percentage of Nebraska students scoring higher than an 18 on the science portion of the ACT fell slightly in the past year, from 48.8% to 47.59%.
Proficiency percentages also fell across English language arts and mathematics ACT scores, which requires scoring higher than a 17 on those sections.
“The ACT measures proficiency differently than the NSCAS assessments, and the exam does not measure Nebraska standards,” Maher said. “I think it’s important to really understand those differences.”
All Nebraska students take the ACT during their junior year, with an average composite score of 19.2, up from 19.1 in 2024. That’s one point higher than the national average for states that require all students to take the standardized test.
Maher said the Nebraska State Board of Education has a goal to increase third grade proficiency in English language arts to 75% by 2030. The latest results show that number just under 59%.
The Nebraska Department of Education also released school accountability data Wednesday, which ranks schools and districts as excellent, great, good or needs support to improve.
The AQuESTT framework, which stands for Accountability for a Quality Education System, Today and Tomorrow, is used to classify the schools based on test scores, graduation rates and chronic absenteeism.
A total of 327 schools were classified as excellent, 393 as great, 293 as good and 93 as needs support to improve. The number of schools receiving the two highest classification levels increased 3.5% from 2024. Significant reductions in chronic absenteeism drove much of the improvement.
Lincoln Public Schools received a good rating, while Omaha Public Schools received a needs support to improve.
Sarah Salem, the Lincoln Public Schools Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, said the district does not rely on AQuESTT results to evaluate how well its schools are doing.
“Instead, we prioritize academic measures that give us a closer look at how students are progressing in real time,” she said. “These measures allow us to monitor growth throughout the year, and they offer a clearer picture of individual students’ needs, strengths and areas for support.”
This will be the final year of using the current classification system. The Nebraska Department of Education says changes in 2026 will improve transparency and help with continuous improvement.
By way of full disclosure, Brian Maher is a commissioner on Nebraska Public Media’s governing board, the Nebraska Educational Telecommunications Commission.