By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
The federal test scores for New York City schools released Tuesday tell a very different story than the state results much heralded by the mayor as he ran for re-election.
Test results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed a slight improvement in scores for fourth and eighth grade, compared with the state assessments that recorded much higher rates of proficiency.
In the federal assessment, 26 percent of city eighth graders reached proficiency in math, compared to a 71 proficiency rate in the state test.
Unlike the federal test which targets a sampling of 4,300 students, the state exam is administered to every student between fourth and eighth grade.
During his term, Mayor Michael Bloomberg tied student test scores to teacher and principal bonuses.
The Department of Education fought off criticism that the state test is an inacurate assessment of math skills.
Despite the relatively modest improvement in federal scores, New York City fourth graders tested higher than their counterparts accross the country.
Fourth grade students fared slightly better on the federal test, with 35 percent of students testing as proficient compared to 34 percent two years ago.
State officials said next year's state test will be more challenging than previous editions, according to the Times.
