HUNTINGTON -- Elementary schools generally had the highest proficiency rating in both math and reading among all Cabell County schools, according to results of West Virginia's revamped standardized achievement test.

The West Virginia Department of Education released the results of the Westest 2 Monday. Students in grades three through 11 took the test in the spring.

Results indicate more than half of state students are proficient in math and reading. In Cabell County, proficiency in math ranged from a high of 84 percent at Geneva Kent Elementary School to a low of 50 percent at Huntington High and Huntington Middle schools.

Proficiency in reading ranged from 86 percent at Davis Creek Elementary School to 40 percent at Peyton Elementary School. Elementary schools showed the highest proficiency in math and reading, followed by middle schools and high schools.

Based on the student proficiency results, 19 of 26 Cabell County schools met all the standards set by the state and the federal No Child Left Behind Act for adequate yearly progress. Schools are measured to see whether students have made adequate yearly progress toward the goals of No Child Left Behind. Scores are rated for all students and student sub-groups, such as special education, minorities and low-socioeconomic status students.

"Overall we're pretty pleased about how Cabell County schools performed," said Superintendent William Smith. "That puts us in the middle of the pack, which is where counties of our size end up because of our diversity of students."

Peyton and Highlawn Elementary schools were the only two of the county's 19 elementary schools that did not meet all adequate yearly progress benchmarks. Neither school achieved proficient math or reading scores with their low-socioeconomic status students, according to the results.

More than 65 percent of elementary school students tested were proficient in math and reading statewide.

Smith said elementary school students typically perform better on the test because they see it as another test, as opposed to middle and high school students who know the scores only matter to the county. The older students, Smith said, don't always try their best on the test.

"Elementary students take the test seriously," Smith said. "They have a sense of ownership."

Smith said the younger students also have a strong background that helps them on the test. He said elementary students are very proficient in what the state and Cabell County calls 21st Century learning, which is necessary in performing well on the test, too.

"The test is reflecting how we want to teach," Smith said. "It's going to take a while to change the culture of how we teach (in order) to get everyone involved. But we're getting there."

He said middle and high school students also may have their attention taken away from the test when they're introduced to a wider variety of courses. Younger students, he said, are almost entirely focused on the two tested areas.

Statewide, nearly 57 percent of middle school students were proficient in math, while more than 63 percent were proficient in reading. In Cabell County, Beverly Hills Middle School was the only one of five middle schools to hit all of the adequate yearly progress benchmarks. The other four middle schools did not meet the standards in several sub-groups.

Barboursville, Enslow and Milton Middle schools had negative proficiency ratings for math and reading scores among low-socioeconomic status students. Huntington Middle School did not achieve positive proficiency levels for black and low-socioeconomic status students.

Among 11th-graders statewide, more than 57 percent of 11th-graders were proficient in math and 53 percent were proficient in reading, according to the results. Cabell Midland High School was the only high school in Cabell County to meet the criteria of showing proficiency in all groups.

Schools whose sub-groups all achieved proficiency in math and reading are designated as making adequate yearly progress toward the goals of No Child Left Behind. Schools that did not achieve positive proficiency ratings in all sub-groups did not make adequate yearly progress.

Low-socioeconomic status students were the main sub-group of students who contributed to their schools' inadequate yearly progress.

Smith said the Westest results are only one piece of information Cabell County Schools will use to determine what kids are achieving. Since the test was revised to measure students on several new skills, including critical thinking and problem solving, Smith said the results will serve as a starting point to make improvements for the future.

Smith said the results show him how students are doing in a particular grade and how effective the educational instruction is in particular grades. Teacher training is needed in grades that have not done particularly well, he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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