The 2011 results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress were released Tuesday. The data show improvements in both math and reading test scores since 2009 by fourth- and eighth-graders in North Carolina, the two grade levels tested every two years.

Not all state students take the test, and scores are not released on a local basis. The test is given to a representative sample nationwide to mirror the demographic and economic makeup of individual states and the U.S. as a whole.

Students in North Carolina posted higher math scores than the national average, and higher than the national average on fourth-grade reading. The eighth-grade reading score was one point below the national average but nonetheless represented a statistically significant improvement over 2009 for N.C. students.

North Carolina's progress in math is significant, but reading scores have been inconsistent in the past decade.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson said the scores "show that we have made progress in mathematics, but we continue to face challenges in improving reading performance." She said the state's new "Common Core" education standards, the same as those adopted by many other states, should push N.C. students to higher performance.

This year, 34 percent of the state's fourth-graders and 31 percent of eighth-graders were proficient or advanced in reading. In math, 45 percent of fourth-graders and 37 percent of eighth-graders rated proficient or advanced - showing solid academic performance or superior work.

A majority of N.C. students scored at or above the basic level, meaning they met at least a partial mastery of skills. Among fourth-graders, 32 percent scored below the basic level in reading, and 12 percent scored below that level in math. Among eighth-graders, 25 percent were below the basic level in math, and 26 below that level in reading.

Students nationwide continue to progress in math. Reading results were mixed, with fourth-grade reading measures unchanged from two years ago; but in both subjects, students posted the highest scores to date.

Gaps persist

Despite the recent positive trend both in North Carolina and nationally, stubborn achievement gaps remain.

In the state's reading scores, black students scored below white students, and students who qualified for free and reduced lunch scored below those who didn't. Similar performance gaps were recorded more than a decade ago. However, the achievement gap in fourth-grade math has narrowed between black and white students since the early 1990s.

Asian students in North Carolina outscored all other racial groups in math and matched the scores of white students in reading. Hispanic students scored below white students on reading and math, though there are not sufficient long-term data to show whether the gap has persisted over time.

North Carolina's school achievement was a point of debate in the legislature last year. State school officials, fighting budget cuts, disputed the notion some lawmakers expressed that the public system was failing. School leaders said the cuts would turn back a system that was improving.

On Tuesday, Gov. Bev Perdue issued a statement, in part pointing out that the state's high school graduation rate is higher than ever.

"I am committed to ensuring that all of our students perform at grade level, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics," Perdue said. "These test scores show that we have made real progress but still have more work to do"