The Indiana Department of Education says statewide student testing results show a slight decline from last year in most grades.

Overall, about 71 percent of those in grades 3-10 passed the English portion of the ISTEP exam this fall, while 74 percent passed the math section. The English passing rate was down about one percentage point from last school year, while the math passing rate held steady compared to 2007.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed said Thursday the overall decrease was "not statistically significant," but that educators need to continue working to improve the number of students who pass the ISTEP exam.

“Despite gains made by many local schools, the latest ISTEP+ results are disappointing from a state perspective,” said Reed in a press release issued today.

“Like an annual physical, ISTEP+ is our regular checkup of student learning. The results are in, but the true test is what will be done by parents, students and educators to turn these results around.”

It was the longtime state schools chief's last opportunity to announce the statewide results, as she leaves office in January after 16 years.

All ISTEP information, including performance data for each corporation and school, can be found online by clicking here.

Also a new ISTEP Parent Network launched today to provide parents with secure access to their student’s ISTEP scores. Families can use the network to review the latest assessment results, as well as find useful educational resources. You can find the Parent Network by clicking here.