Nearly every Northern Kentucky school district made improvements in this year's state assessments.

        Scores from the 2001 Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS) were released Tuesday. A combination of test scores and other success indicators, such as dropout and attendance rates, the 3-year-old assessment system is used to grade public schools on their progress.

        Two-thirds of the 96 schools in Northern Kentucky — in Boone, Campbell, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton and Pendleton counties — scored above state averages.

        And from 2000 to 2001, scores went up in 17 of Northern Kentucky's 18 districts.

        The state's goal is for every school to reach 100 on a 140- point scale by 2014. The 2001 state averages were 70.9 for elementary schools, 67.8 for middle schools and 66.9 for high schools.

        Across the state, Kentucky students made slight gains in every subject and at every grade level on the state academic test.

        Elementary and middle school students scored highest in reading, while high schoolers posted the highest scores in practical living and vocational studies. The lowest scores were in arts and humanities for elementary and high school, and in math for middle school.

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