CHARLESTON -- West Virginia elementary students showed large gains in reading and mathematics proficiency from 2004-07, and racial gaps narrowed in both subjects at all grade levels, according to a national study.

The Center on Educational Policy's report released Tuesday said 83 percent of state fourth-graders were proficient in standardized reading tests last year, compared to 73 percent in 2004. In grade eight, the proficiency level was unchanged at 80 percent, and 10th-grade proficiency dropped from 77 percent to 75 percent.

In math, 79 percent of fourth graders were proficient in 2007, up from 69 percent in 2003. Among eighth graders, 72 percent were proficient, up from 69 percent; 68 percent of 10th graders were proficient at math, up from 64 percent.

The findings on West Virginia's and other states' student achievement were included in the Center on Educational Policy's report entitled "Has Student Achievement Increased Since 2002?: State Test Score Trends Through 2006-07.

"Through NLCB (No Child Left Behind) and many state and local efforts, the nation has sought to raise test scores and to narrow the achievement gap," said Jack Jennings, president and chief executive officer of CEP, of the report's nationwide findings. "These results show that we are making progress, although much work needs to be done."

The report's analysis found that among states with sufficient data, 21 made moderate-to-large gains in math at the elementary level, 22 states had similar gains in middle schools and 12 had sizable gains among high schools. In reading, 17 states had moderate-to-large at the elementary level, 14 at the middle school level and eight at the high school level.

The report said overall achievement gaps between black and white students narrowed.

In West Virginia, among fourth graders, 83 percent of white students were proficient at reading, up from 74 percent in 2004. The percentage of black students achieving reading proficiency grew from 58 percent to 77 percent. Seventy-nine percent of white fourth-graders were proficient at math, up from 70 percent. Among black students, 70 percent were proficient at math in 2007, up from 54 percent.

Eighty percent of white eighth-graders were proficient at reading in 2007, down from 81 percent, according to the CEP, while black students' proficiency remained at 73 percent. Seventy-two percent of white eighth-graders were proficient at math, up from 70 percent; 57 percent of black students were proficient, up from 50 percent.

Among 10th-graders, 76 percent of white students achieved reading proficiency last year, down from 77 percent; black students' reading proficiency increased from 61 percent to 63 percent over the period. In math, 69 percent of white 10th-graders were proficient, up from 64 percent; among black students, 51 percent were proficient, up from 44 percent.

The CEP said public school enrollment from kindergarten through 12th grade was about 281,300 students.

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