Reading performance climbs in the District

Reading scores among D.C. students surged in the fourth grade, according to a federal report released Wednesday.

The city's scores remain far below average, but the report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed D.C. performance climbing while much of the nation's schools remained stagnant.

D.C. reading scores showed a surge in fourth grade, to 202 last year from 197 in 2007. Nationally, the public average remained 220 on the 500-point scale. Virginia's score was unchanged at 227. Maryland's was 226 in 2009, compared with 225 in 2007, but the change was not statistically significant.

Many of the nation's students are mired at a basic level of reading in fourth and eighth grades, according to the federal report released Wednesday.