Most first-graders meet or exceed state reading standards

ATLANTA - Eighty-six percent of Georgia&#39;s first-graders met or exceeded state reading standards on a test given last spring to measure their proficiency on state curriculum. <br> <br> But only 73 percent of seventh-graders passed the state&#39;s math standard. <br> <br> The results were released Thursday by the state Board of Education. <br> <br> Governor Barnes, whose re-election campaign has been built largely around the education reform bill he pushed two years ago, says the results, ``tell a great story -- that lower class sizes and an increased emphasis on accountability in core subjects is resulting in improved performance.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The tests were given for the first time last spring to all elementary and middle school students and covered reading, language arts, math, social studies and science skills, although not every grade was given every combination of test. <br> <br> The tests eventually will be used to determine rewards for teachers in high-performing schools and to hold back students who aren&#39;t performing up to par. Beginning in 2004, third-graders must pass the test in order to be promoted to fourth grade.