(Alexandria, Va.) -- Students across Pennsylvania appear to be improving their math and reading skills. They're scoring above the country's averages on standardized tests. The National Assessment of Educational Progress shows fourth and eighth graders are doing better than ever in math -- and eighth graders are showing modest improvement in reading skills. Jack Buckley, with the National Center for Education Statistics, says though the figures are better, there was little growth in scores between 2009 and 2011. "Improving student achievement is like climbing a mountain. The higher you climb, the harder the next step gets. So, I wouldn't want a district or a state to be discouraged by not seeing the growth that they hoped to get," Buckley says. He adds more students than ever are scoring "proficient" marks in both math and reading. Nationally, just over one-third of students pass the proficiency threshold for reading, while the numbers are a little better for math.