Mass. Students Among Top Performers On 'Nation's Report Card'

BOSTON (CBS) – Massachusetts fourth and eighth grade students are among the top performers in the country in math and reading according to recently released testing results.

Results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show Massachusetts in first place among fourth grade reading and tied for first place in fourth grade math.

The NAEP test is also known as "The Nation's Report Card"

Eighth grade students from the state were tied for first in the country in reading and math.

In all four areas, Massachusetts students scored well above the national average, state officials said on Wednesday.

"I am thrilled to see Massachusetts students and teachers leading the nation once again," said Gov. Charlie Baker. "This achievement reflects the substantial investment the Commonwealth makes in its districts, but there are still too many children stuck in low performing schools that could be served by expanding high quality education to every community, including lifting the charter cap."

Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karyn Regal that overall, the results were encouraging.

"This is a great signal for the kind of education students in Massachusetts are getting," said Chester. "It's not so much the test scores. It's that it represents students who are literate and who are able to apply their math skills."

Chester said there are some areas that need to be improved upon, citing eighth grade Hispanic students who are not performing as well as those who took the test in other states.

"We will review all of our results to identify opportunities for strengthening the Commonwealth's program of instruction," Chester said.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karyn Regal reports