The Richfield School District's annual report on curriculum, instruction and student achievement shows several improvements in student test scores and a notable improvement in the number of local students taking the ACT test and student scores on the national college-readiness test.

Kate Foate Trewick, the district's chief of staff, presented the report to school board members Monday night. It will be available on the district's website in a few days and will be part of the district's next Your Schools publication.

Some highlights:
- Since 2007, the number of Richfield High School students taking the ACT test has increased 6 percent. The number of Hispanic students taking the test has more than doubled, and the percentage of black and Asian students taking the test has increased 20 percentage points and 14 points, respectively.
- The gap between the scores of minority and white students has narrowed. The composite score for Hispanic students jumped from 14.3 to 18.2. The average composite score for white students was 22.9.
- The RHS Class of 2011 had slightly higher ACT test scores than the class of 2010, with the largest gains in math and science.
- Twice as many fifth graders in the district tested "proficient" in the statewide test for science last spring than the year before. The district has introduced new, locally designed science, technology, engineering and math units that appears to have improved the test results. Eighth graders, though, showed a 4 percent decline in science test scores.
- Black students in the district showed big gains on the statewide reading test (11 percentage points), bringing their proficiency to 50 percent, just under the state percentage for black students (52 percent).
- Proficiency percentages for all elementary grades increased on the reading test; eighth and 10th grade scores, though, declined.
- Richfield students followed the rest of the state with big declines in math proficiency after several years of increases. State officials have blamed the decline on a more difficult test. Richfield Superintendent Robert Slotterback said at Monday's meeting that the test is going to have to be reviewed because it doesn't reflect how well Minnesota students actually do with math.
- Richfield schools did not meet the average yearly progress standard required by the federal No Child Left Behind law.