Met proficiency: 27% Exceeded proficiency: 13% This year's third grade English language arts scores mark the largest single-year increase since 2017, the education department said.

Third graders in Tennessee's public schools only saw slight improvement in English language arts scores on this year's standardized state test, with 41% reaching proficiency, up from 40% last year.

Third graders in Tennessee's public schools only saw slight improvement in English language arts scores on this year's standardized state test, with 41% reaching proficiency, up from 40% last year.

Project Baltimore looked at federal test scores from 2013, the year the law passed. Mississippi students scored, on average, a 209 in fourth grade reading. The national average was 221.

Columbus City Schools was one of those districts. NBC4 Investigates requested third grade reading test results over five years and found a significant drop in scores during the pandemic.