(AP) -- COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina students' scores on national math and reading tests haven't changed much in two years and continue to hover below the national average.
The U.S. Department of Education released data Tuesday showing South Carolina's fourth- and eighth-graders posted scores that were between two and five points below the national average.
The agency says state scores on the National Assessment of Education Progresstaken last spring were not statistically different than the last time students took the tests in 2009.
The tests are the only ones taken nationwide, allowing for state-by-state comparisons.
Between 60 percent and 80 percent of South Carolina's fourth- and eighth-graders scored on grade level, depending on the test and grades.
The state's achievement gap between black and white students hasn't changed significantly since the 1990s.
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