The fourth- and fifth-grade classroom at Woods Learning Center had the faint scent of popcorn floating in the air on Wednesday morning.

At the back of the room, 11-year-old Keaton Coolins clipped a small lamp to a kettle filled with oil and kernels. This was Keaton's second trial in his experiment to see if the kernels would pop from the lamp's heat.

"I just wanted to see if it would work, and see if it would change the taste and quality," Keaton said.

It took two days for a kernel from his first trial to pop. Keaton tossed the cooked kernel into his mouth.

"Not that good," he said.

Students were tested for the first time on science on the Proficiency Assessment for Wyoming Students last year. Students in grades four, eight and 11 took the test, which is based on scientific inquiry methods.

An astounding 81 percent of fourth-graders at Woods tested proficient and advanced, and more than 90 percent of eighth-graders tested proficient and advanced.

The assessment asks students to connect knowledge of scientific concepts, design procedures to find answers to problems, investigate their findings through data collection and construct meaning using evidence and logic.

District-wide, approximately 52 percent of fourth-graders, 44 percent of eighth-graders and 40 percent of eleventh-graders tested proficient or advanced on the test.

Science is a very flexible part of student learning at Woods, according to middle level teacher Jennifer Grooms. Because the school does not follow a traditional schedule, students may spend two hours working on a science project one day, or only 30 minutes on another day.

"It's very much a presence in our curriculum," Grooms said.

Wednesday's experiments were an extension of a class science project. The goal, said teacher Karen Bayert, was for students to use the scientific process to create an individual experiment.

Logan Wood, a fifth-grader, was cooking popcorn in a variety of ways - microwave, on a burner, and in a pot.

"I'm trying to find out if the way you cook popcorn affects quality," he said. "We're doing the same experiment three times to be more precise."

Not every school scored as high as Woods did. A mere 15 percent of fourth-graders at Bar Nunn Elementary scored proficient on the test.

Principal Rene Rickabaugh said being a Title I school does shift a lot of teacher focus on learning and improving math and reading skills. Title I money is given to schools with a high percentage of poor children.

"It does take away from being able to do science every day," Rickabaugh said.

Still, teachers try to integrate science where possible, Rickabaugh said. Students prepared for the test by learning about the scientific process, and teachers are working to integrate inquiry methods in their classrooms.

With only one year of science scores, Rickabaugh is not jumping to any conclusions.

"It's tough to say it's a trend," Rickabaugh said. "It's only one year of data, and it's only data for one grade level."

Reach education reporter Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at Jasa.Santos@trib.com. Read her blog at my.trib.com/jasasantos.

Percent of students testing advanced and proficient

Fourth-grade Pct

Crest Hill 60.0

Evansville 63.6

Ft. Caspar 75.5

Grant 50.0

Sagewood 71.1

Manor Heights 40.5

Mills 42.9

Mtn. View 38.9

North Casper 30.8

Paradise Valley 45.9

Park 48.9

Pineview 58.1

Poison Spider 33.3

Southridge 48.8

University Park 57.1

Verda James 60.3

Willard 48.8

Woods 81.3

Oregon Trail 78.7

Bar Nunn 15.4

Midwest 27.3

Eighth-grade Pct

Poison Spider 46.7

Woods More than 90

Casper Classical 80.9

Frontier 30.8

Midwest 36.4

CY 34.4

Dean Morgan 46.4

Centennial 44.7

11th-grade Pct

Midwest 33.3

Kelly Walsh 46.7

Natrona 37.4

Roosevelt Less than 5 percent

Fourth-grade Pct

Crest Hill 60.0

Evansville 63.6

Ft. Caspar 75.5

Grant 50.0

Sagewood 71.1

Manor Heights 40.5

Mills 42.9

Mtn. View 38.9

North Casper 30.8

Paradise Valley 45.9

Park 48.9

Pineview 58.1

Poison Spider 33.3

Southridge 48.8

University Park 57.1

Verda James 60.3

Willard 48.8

Woods 81.3

Oregon Trail 78.7

Bar Nunn 15.4

Midwest 27.3

Eighth-grade Pct

Poison Spider 46.7

Woods More than 90

Casper Classical 80.9

Frontier 30.8

Midwest 36.4

CY 34.4

Dean Morgan 46.4

Centennial 44.7

11th-grade Pct

Midwest 33.3

Kelly Walsh 46.7

Natrona 37.4

Roosevelt Less than 5 percent]]>