by Pauline Vu, Stateline.org Staff Writer

Most states have seen dramatic improvements in math and reading test results since passage of the No Child Left Behind Act five years ago, but it’s too early to tell whether the gains can be tied directly to that landmark law, according to a new report released Tuesday (June 5).

In one of the first studies of its kind, the Center on Education Policy also found that more states are narrowing the achievement gap between minority and white students, a major objective of NCLB.

The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit think tank, which has released several reports on the effects of NCLB, analyzed two major data points from each state: the percentage of students who scored proficient on state tests since 2002, and students’ average test scores. The report also features individual state profiles.

The biggest finding was that most states have improved student performance. Out of six categories – reading and math results for elementary, middle and high school students – the bulk of the states saw improvement across four or more categories. Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Washington had the best results, with moderate-to-large gains in all six categories.

Only three states – Connecticut, Nevada and South Carolina – saw declines in at least three categories.

The study also reported that although the achievement gap, or the gap between white students’ test scores and minority students’ scores, is still wide, more states are narrowing their achievement gaps than widening them. Additionally, nine states – Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wyoming – had greater average yearly test gains after NCLB’s enactment than before it.