Massachusetts Students Get High Ranks in National Testing Standards

Math and reading scores among fourth and eighth grade students in Massachusetts scored best in the nation, according to the National Assessment of Education Progress exams. The results were released Monday.

Scores for 2007 reveal that Massachusetts fourth graders are top in the nation in math and reading skills, while the state's eighth graders topped in math and tied with Vermont, Montana and New Jersey for the top position in reading. The annual testing is all part of the 2002 No Child Left Behind legislation that is used as a measuring tool to evaluate overall student progress throughout the country. Schools who fail to show improvements face potential curriculum change as well as possible teacher and principal replacements. Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy believes that, while the scores show great progress, there is more to do yet. "These scores are reason to celebrate, but they're also cause for resolve in finishing the job. There's more to do in our schools to close the troubling gaps in achievement and opportunity in too many of our schools, especially with minority students", he said. In contrast, students from the District of Columbia consistently maintained the lowest scores in reading and math according to the report posted on the National Center for Education Statistics website. A state by state comparison guide is available on the NCES webpage. Under the federal No Student Left Behind, the goal is to have every student reading at grade level by the year 2014.