PIERRE, S.D. (WNAX) – South Dakota Education Department Secretary Ben Jones was questioned by a legislative panel last week on the latest report card on student performance.

The standardized testing showed about 54 percent of students were proficient in reading and writing, 47 percent were proficient in math and only 40 percent made the grade in science.

Jones told the Government Operations and Audit Committee they are going through the numbers.

Jones says the test results can give them a lot of guidance.

Jones says they are very concerned about improving those scores.

The scores have been virtually flat for at least the past three years.