The Instruction Affected by Science Resource Shortages scale, like its counterpart for mathematics, includes principals’ reports about two kinds of resource shortages affecting instruction: general school resources and resources specific to science instruction (see About the Scale in Exhibit 6.16). On average, 24 percent of fourth grade students were in schools “not affected” by science resource shortages, 69 percent were in schools “somewhat affected,” and 7 percent were in schools “affected a lot” (see Exhibit 6.17). Average science achievement ranged across the three categories from a high of 508 for students in schools “not affected” by resource shortages, to 488 for students in schools “somewhat affected,” to a low of 472 for students in schools “affected a lot.”

Eighth grade students’ results for the Instruction Affected by Science Resource Shortages scale are shown in Exhibit 6.18. On average, 30 percent of students were in schools “not affected” by science resource shortages, 62 percent were in schools “somewhat affected,” and 8 percent were in schools “affected a lot.” Similar to the mathematics scale, there was a modest negative association between the degree students’ schools were affected by resource shortages and average science achievement, with achievement highest for students in schools “not affected” by resource shortages (510), next highest in “somewhat affected” schools (484), and lowest in schools that were “affected a lot” (472).