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The Nation got a new report card today evaluating reading and math proficiency among fourth and eighth graders. Modest gains by Latino students contributed to improvement in some Southwestern states. 

Every two years, the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests student aptitude in reading and math. Latinos advanced slightly at certain grade levels in both subjects. English Language Learners also achieved some growth at the eight grade level.

However, despite these gains, Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education said, “It’s troubling that achievement gaps between white and black students, and white and Hispanics students, failed to narrow from 2011 to 2013.”

Nevada was one of only five states where the gap did narrow between whites and Latinos in eighth grade math. Both California and Nevada improved by 7 and 4 points respectively in eight grade reading, but several states in the Southwest ranked lower than the national average in both subjects.