According to results of the tests students completed in the fall, the state's third-graders scored 7 percentile points above the national average, though Latino students scored 21 points below the state average.

The differences between Latino and white students were most pronounced in reading and science scores.

"We definitely have an achievement gap," said Judy Park, state testing director. "Iowa is just one more piece of evidence [the gap is] still a concern."

The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, developed by University of Iowa faculty and administrators, examine students' skills in reading, language, math, social studies and science and compare students to a national average. All Utah third-, fifth- and eighth-graders took the tests. Statewide, all three age groups had consistently high scores in science. The tests are not among assessments the state uses to determine schools' progress toward meeting standards set by the federal No Child Left Behind reform law.

The data reveal that some students struggled to reach that national average, notably Utah third-graders on language and math sections of the tests.

The state also is concerned about the gap between the state average and American Indian students' scores, which show a 22-point difference in fifth grade.

The Utah Office of Education is working to help students by providing extra help from a classroom teacher and other specialists to those reading below grade level.

All-day kindergarten, which remains a pilot project throughout the state, is also part of the recipe. Students who go to kindergarten all day receive up to six hours of instruction instead of about 2 1/2 hours. Associate State Schools Superintendent Brenda Hales noted the program has had universal success nationwide.

"It allows you to take kids who may not have had a whole lot of opportunity to read at home and make a big difference with them," she said.

jlyon@sltrib.com