RALEIGH -- Less than half of North Carolina's eighth-graders earned a proficient score on a national writing test, according to the 2007 National Assessment of Education Progress report from the U.S. Department of Education.

The report graded students on a scale from zero to 300. North Carolina's students earned an average score of 153, a point below the national average.

"My first emotion was, 'Wow, 87 percent of our students scored at basic or above! That's impressive," said State Superintendent of Schools June Atkinson. But she said she was disappointed the state's average score fell four points in 2007, after rising from 150 to 157 between 1998 and 2002. "Our state did not make the same progress as we made from 1998 until 2002."

But Atkinson said she was concerned that students who scored in the 90th percentile in 2002 dropped about nine points to 196.

"It points out again how important it is that in this day and time we have differentiated instruction," Atkinson said, "instruction that will meet the needs of the students who are struggling, and instruction that will meet the needs of students who are achieving at higher levels."

Sherri Merritt helps steer the Wake County Public School System's student literacy efforts. She said the national test offers a useful snapshot of student performance.

"It's mostly useful to get a snapshot of the big picture," Merritt said. "I think that there are many many things it doesn't tell us. Over time it might help us see some trends, but when it gets to 'What do I know about my child's writing ability,' [this] test isn't going to be helpful for a parent."

But she wonders whether the national test is the best way to gauge student progress.

"Very seldom are we in the real world required to write something as a first draft in 25 minutes under pressure," Merritt pointed out. "Most of the time we have plenty of time to think about what we're going to write, to compose, to revise, to edit, before it goes to presentation and is evaluated.

"What's most helpful probably for parents, students and teachers would be the authentic writing that's done in the class that's assessed by the teacher."

Atkinson said school districts are already spending time thinking about how to help students improve. She said many have taken steps such as bringing in literacy coaches to help students. What impact that will make on test scores will be seen in four years when the next national test is administered.

Roughly 4,000 students in 150 randomly-selected North Carolina schools took the test.