Math and reading test scores: Massachusetts excels, West Virginia lags

Stacy Teicher Khadaroo:

For the first time, the “Nation’s Report Card” includes rich state-level data on the math and reading skills of America’s 12th-graders.
Eleven states volunteered to have their results itemized in the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), allowing for comparisons across state lines and over time. Beyond the overall test scores, the state results also look at everything from achievement gaps between racial groups to the amount of reading the students do on a daily basis.
The data come at a time when the majority of states are trying to move toward a common set of reading and math standards, aimed at better ensuring that students graduate from high school with the skills they need for higher education or job training.