U.S. student improve math and reading, but gaps remain

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The 2013 Nation's Report Card released Thursday shows most students are still not getting high marks in math and reading. The bi-annual report by the National Assessment of Educational Progress says less than half of all fourth and eighth graders are proficient in math. Just over a third of those student hit that mark in reading.

Students of all races are showing improvement, but USC education professor Morgan Polikoff worries the growth isn't happening fast enough in some areas. White students again outperformed their Hispanic and African-American peers, despite efforts to reduce the gap.

Polikoff says any interpretation of Thursday's report card should be taken with a grain of salt. He says policymakers are likely to skew today's data to support their own agendas.