Area schools gain on federal tests

Md., D.C. rise significantly, while Va. scores stay flat The District and Maryland were among just a handful of states whose public schools made significant improvements on federal exams last spring, while Virginia’s scores remained mostly flat on the “Nation’s Report Card.”

Hawaii was the only state to make big jumps in both reading and math in fourth and eighth grades, the two levels that were tested. But Maryland was praised by administrators of the National Assessment of Educational Progress for strong progress in fourth- and eighth-grade reading and fourth-grade math, while the District was one of only four jurisdictions to make notable gains in both grade levels of math.