It's nice to see some good news after years of seeing our public schools fall short of state goals mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. For once, math test scores have gone up at the elementary and middle school levels.

But while the upward trend is a refreshing change in course, it's a bit premature for celebration.

Just look at the numbers: 50 percent of third-graders scored proficient in reading in 2006, an increase of 7 percent from 2002; 30 percent were found to be proficient in math, up from 20 percent. That means half the third-graders in our state are failing to read at grade level, and 70 percent of them are below grade level when it comes to math.

At the high school level, math test scores remain dismal and have even gone down. A mere 18 percent of our state's 10th-graders scored proficient in math, down 1 percent from 2002. Our children deserve better.

Sadly, these troubling numbers aren't unique to our state. Since No Child became law five years ago, it has left many schools across the nation struggling to meet its rigid requirements, mainly because it is underfunded, and it takes a one-size fits-all apporach to learning.

Schools are judged purely by its test scores, and failure to show improvement leads to a possible cut in funds that are already insufficient. Because of this federal pressure, teachers are forced to prepare students for testing rather than provide them with a well-rounded education. Valuable areas such as arts and physical education are becoming more and more obsolete in public schools.

Now that No Child is facing reauthorization from Congress this year, such flaws in the law demand attention — and fixing.

Everyone can take comfort in knowing that some students have shown progress. But let's not forget all the other students who are still being left behind.