About 22 percent of California’s eighth-graders tested on a national science test passed, ranking the Golden State among the worst in the nation, according to figures released Thursday.

Scores from the 2012 National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation’s Report Card, show that too few students have the skills that could lead to careers in the field, educators said.

Nationally, 31 percent of eighth-graders tested scored proficient or advanced. Both the national and state scores improved slightly over scores from two years ago, the last time the test was administered.

The state ranked 47th, only above Mississippi, Alabama and the District of Columbia. But many local educators call into question the significance of the results, saying that the small sample size, and other factors can skew the results.

About 120,000 U.S. students were tested in the exams administered last school year, including about 14,000 in California out of the state’s 470,000 eighth-graders. Scores were not broken down beyond the state level. In Orange County, fewer than 100 students typically take the test each year.

“The sample sizes for these tests are generally somewhat small to make any real sense out of them,” county Superintendent William Habermehl said. “Also, most of these students tested in California come from large urban districts, so it’s not always an accurate representation.”

Other standardized tests administered nationally, like the SAT, ACT and Advanced Placement, consistently show students in Orange County outscoring their peers in the state and nationally. California’s rankings on those tests are also generally higher than they were for Thursday’s Report Card scores.

Still, Habermehl said Thursday results show a need for a stronger focus on science education.

“We just don’t teach enough science,” he said. “In elementary school, science education is often just an hour a week. Without an increased focus on science, we won’t be able to produce enough scientists and engineers we need to move this country ahead.”

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