NASHVILLE (AP) - Proficiency levels are up in all but one of 24 of the latest assessment tests of elementary and middle students.

Gov. Bill Haslam and Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman announced the statewide test results at a Nashville middle school on Tuesday.

The Republican governor credited the state's recent emphasis on improving education standards in Tennessee for producing the improved results in the tests of students in grades three through eight.

Eighth-grade reading was the only area not to show an improvement over last year.

On the whole, about half of the students tested at their grade level or above in reading and math, while 60 percent were proficient in science.

Tuesday's announcement did not include district or school-level data.