North Carolina students are among the nation's best in math, according to test results announced Wednesday. The National Assessment of Educational Progress is the only common test in the nation that allows for state-to-state comparison of how students are doing.

According to State Superintendent June Atkinson, the scores validate the state's latest math curriculum changes, which have focused more on students' mastery of math concepts and a new K-2 assessment of student comprehension.

"The fourth graders in these test results were kindergartners during the first year of our new math curriculum," said Atkinson. "This shows that the changes we've made in mathematics instruction are really having an impact."

Students in fourth and eighth grades in 190 schools across the state were tested. Each group scored higher than the national average. According to information from the Department of Public Instruction, the NAEP scoring levels are more rigorous than state levels for end-of-grade tests, with an NAEP level of Basic Proficiency equivalent to North Carolina's proficient level on EOGs. Considering the rigor, scores also show gains over time for the lowest students. Since 1992, the number of fourth graders scoring better than basic proficiency has gone from 50 percent of students to 87 percent. Among eighth graders tested, the number has increased from 38 percent to 74 percent.

"In the early 1990s, we were in that group of states that did statistically lower than the nation," said Lou Fabrizio, Director of Accountability Services for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. "Now we can proudly say that we are in that group of states that does statistically better than the nation."

Atkinson acknowledged that tests show there are still gaps in achievement by black, Hispanic, and low income students when it comes to math, but that the gaps are consistent with national scores. Black students had an average score that was 28 points lower than white students at the fourth grade level. Among eighth graders, the spread was 35 points. Hispanic students averaged 18 points lower than white students in fourth grade and 23 points lower in eighth grade. Fourth grade students that qualified for free-and-reduced school meals scored 23 points lower than students who did not qualify, while there was 30 point disparity among eighth graders.

Results from reading testing will be announced in the spring.