Minnesota scores well on national education tests

by Laura McCallum, Minnesota Public Radio

Minnesota students did better in reading and math this year than the national average, according to a new report released Tuesday.

St. Paul, Minn. — The Nation's Report Card, released by the National Center for Education Statistics, looks at the test scores of students around the country. It found Minnesota's students outperformed the national average in both reading and math.

Minnesota's overall test scores for fourth and eighth grade students were about the same as the state's scores two years ago.

The report card found that while a significant academic achievement gap continues to exist between Minnesota's white students and students of color, the gap has narrowed for African-American students and Hispanic students.

The biggest gains were found in math scores for both groups of students. The results were compiled from the scores of students who took the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP.