About 82.5 percent of last year's Sandridge third-graders met or exceeded state reading standards on the ISAT and 87.5 percent of them met or exceeded state standards in math, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Sandridge Elementary School Principal Leroy Coleman said 50 percent of Sandridge third-graders met or exceeded state standards in reading in 2004-05 and 51.5 percent did so in 2003-04.

In math, Coleman said, 71 percent of third-graders met or exceeded state standards in 2004-05 and 69.7 percent met or exceeded math standards in 2003-04, Coleman said.

In Grade 4, 59.5 percent of Sandridge students last year met or exceeded state standards in reading and 90.5 percent met or exceeded standards in math.

Last year was the first year students in grades 4, 6 and 7 were tested in reading and math.

In fifth grade, ISBE figures show 51.3 percent of Sandridge's students met or exceeded state standards in reading last year and 76.9 percent met or exceeded state standards in math.

According to Coleman, 47.5 percent of fifth-graders met or exceeded state standards in reading in 2004-05 and 45.2 percent did so in 2003-04.

In 2004-05, 60 percent of fifth grade students met or exceeded state math standards and 53.5 percent met or exceeded them in 2003-04, he said.

In sixth grade, 64.6 percent of Sandridge students last year met or exceeded state reading standards and 52.1 percent met or exceeded state standards in math. In seventh grade, 57.1 percent of Sandridge students met or exceeded state standards in reading last year and 51.2 met or exceeded state math standards.

In eighth grade, 62.5 percent of Sandridge's students met or exceeded state standards in reading last year, and 68.8 percent met or exceeded state standards in math.

According to Coleman, 56.1 percent of Sandridge eighth grade students met or exceeded state standards in reading in 2004-05 and 43.6 percent did so in 2003-04.

In math, he said 27.5 percent of eighth-graders met or exceeded state standards in 2004-05 and 17.9 percent met or exceeded them in 2003-04.