ORONO – National educational tests in mathematics and reading show that Maine elementary school pupils have scored well above the national average.

In the “Nation’s Report Card” released Wednesday by the National Assessment Governing Board, Maine’s fourth-graders scored an average 241 in math and 225 in reading, compared to the national averages of 237 in math and 217 in reading. Eighth-graders in Maine scored 281 in math and 270 in reading, compared to the national averages of 278 and 260.

“I am encouraged and I think there is enough corroborating evidence to warrant that encouragement,” said Robert Cobb, dean of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Maine. “Maine continues to show improvement and that has been our history all along.”

The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, mathematics and reading tests were administered nationwide to about 660,000 fourth- and eighth-graders this year. Approximately 2,500 Maine students were sampled from each grade.

Nationally, average scores for fourth-grade math and reading, and for eighth-grade math were up from 2003, while the score for eighth-grade reading was down.

Dean Cobb noted that it was difficult to compare results state to state because of the differences in demographics, English proficiency and varying poverty levels. He stressed, however, that the NAEP tests were the national standard and that the ability of Maine students to surpass the national average should not be disregarded.

“In our case it seems like there is a greater match between the NAEP results and our own assessments,” Cobb said. “We should feel more confident in the NAEP data being a true reflection of what is happening in the state.”

The Nation’s Report Card is a national assessment of what America’s students know and can do in various subject areas. Only information related to academic achievement is collected under the program. The National Assessment Governing Board was established by Congress in 1988 to oversee the NAEP results.

“What we’ve got here is a pretty satisfactory elementary performance, better math and better reading,” Darvin Winick, chairman of the governing board, said Wednesday during a teleconference from the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. “It’s obvious to me that elementary school performances are better. The middle school results are much more mixed.”

All scores were based on a scale of 0-500 with achievement levels identified as basic, proficient or advanced. The range of scores identifying each level varied depending on the grade and the subject matter. For instance, fourth-graders scoring 249-281 in math were considered proficient, while eighth-graders needed to score 299-332 to be proficient in math.

According to the results, 39 percent of Maine’s fourth-grade math students taking the test recorded scores of proficient or better compared to the national average of 35 percent.

Thirty percent of the Maine eighth-graders performed at the proficient level or beyond compared to the national average of 29 percent.

In fourth-grade reading, 36 percent of Maine pupils scored 238 or better, and thus were identified as proficient or advanced, compared to the national average of 30 percent.

Thirty-eight percent of eighth-graders performed at proficient levels or beyond (281 or higher) in reading compared to the national average of 29 percent.

As a rule, Maine boys performed better than girls in mathematics while the girls outperformed the boys in reading.

In fourth-grade math, the average score of boys and girls was about the same. For the eighth grade, the male students had average scores 4 points higher than female students.

In fourth-grade reading, female students had an average score that was 6 points higher than males. In the eighth grade, reading scores of female students were 13 points higher than the males.

That trend was the same nationwide. And, although the reading scores throughout the country need to show improvement, national educators were impressed with the across-the-board progress in mathematics.

“We’re very encouraged by the math results,” noted NAEP board member John H. Stevens. “It appears that the students are acquiring the mathematics foundation they need to participate in high school math and science courses … so that our people can compete in a technologically diverse world.”

Stevens added that “As a former English teacher I am disturbed by what I see in reading. It is important to get students off to a fresh start. It is very clear that our educational system is not making the progress it should in that area. It is also clear that the role of reading in our culture is in decline.”

For a detailed look at the findings, visit www.nationsreportcard.gov.