The latest round of SAT scores places Idaho above the national averages across the board, Idaho EdNews reports, and the State Board of Education is encouraged. “Overall, this is a positive for Idaho and the work being done in our schools,” state board Executive Director Matt Freeman said in a statement. “As we review the data, it shows that we have more work to do, particularly in math, but we are trending in the right direction.”

Idaho’s average total score of 999 beat the national average of 984; its reading/writing average of 509 beat the national average of 498; and its math average of 490 beat a national average of 486. Also, Idaho’s scores showed 62 percent met benchmarks that define college readiness in reading/writing, compared to a 56 percent national average; and 35 percent of Idaho test-takers hit the benchmark in math, compared to a national average of 34 percent. Each April, the state covers expenses for Idaho 11th graders to take the SAT; this year, more than 17,000 did. EdNews reporter Kevin Richert has a full report here.