The Kansas Department of Education says overall scores by K-12 students on standardized math and reading tests have slipped this year.
The department also reported Tuesday that 59 percent of the state's public and accredited private elementary and secondary schools failed to show progress this year in improving students' overall scores. Students took the tests in the spring.
But Deputy Education Commissioner Brad Neuenswander said some of the declines can be attributed to changes in academic standards since 2010. He said the tests are not fully aligned to what's being taught.
The department reported that 84.7 percent of Kansas students were proficient in reading, compared with 87 percent in 2012. It said 78.3 percent were proficient in math, compared to 85 percent in 2012.
