The Texas Education Commissioner released scores Tuesday on the new STAAR exams first given last school year.

Passing rates topped 70 percent for grades three through eight.

Eighth-graders did the best on the reading exam with 80 percent of students passing. Only 68 percent of third- and fourth-graders passed the math test. Social studies was the toughest, with only 59 percent of eighth-graders passing.

Results are also in for high school students who had to retake their end of course exams in the summer and fall after failing the first time. Scores climbed in all subjects.

Read more: http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/austin/tea-chief-calls-test-scores-encouraging