Skills of Students in 3rd Grade Show Modest Increase

California’s third-grade students showed modest progress on the state’s test of basic reading, writing and mathematics skills, while sixth-grade students fared the same as last year, according to results released Friday by the state Department of Education.

The reading score for third graders rose to 282 in 1986-87 from 280 in 1985-86. The writing score increased to 287 from 286, while the mathematics score rose from 283 to 286.

Sixth graders scored 260 in reading, 271 in writing and 268 in mathematics.

In all three skill areas, the state’s third- and sixth-grade students scored slightly higher than the national average, even though a third of the state’s elementary school students speak limited English, state Schools Supt. Bill Honig said.

Eighth-grade scores, which are normally reported now, will not be available until Oct. 26 because of a computer error, a department spokeswoman said. Individual school scores will be released later in the month. Scores for 12th-grade students, who will take the test this fall, will be reported in the spring.