Montgomery, AL – Alabama's fourth graders have shown significant improvement in a national assessment of math and reading skills and scored at the national average in reading for the first time.
Officials with the National Assessment of Educational Progress say Alabama was one of nine states that showed significant improvement in math scores from two years ago and one of four states that showed significant improvement in reading scores.
Alabama's eighth graders performed about the same as two years ago.
Bentley says the statistics show the Alabama Reading Initiative and the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative are working in the early grades.
The report Tuesday also shows Alabama still has significant work to do. Alabama students scored below the national average in fourth grade math and eighth grade reading and math.
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