Hartford (AP) — Scores released by the U.S. Education Department show Connecticut's students scoring slightly better than their peers nationwide at math, with stronger performances in reading.

The Nation's Report Card says just 45 percent of Connecticut fourth graders and 37 percent of eighth graders demonstrated solid academic performance in math, scoring at or above the proficient level. In reading, 43 percent of fourth graders and 45 percent of eighth graders hit that mark.

One of the nation's wealthiest states, Connecticut also has one of the largest achievement gaps between students from affluent and poor families. The state's overall scores from 2013 do not vary significantly from 2011.

Nationwide, 42 percent of fourth graders and 35 percent of eighth graders were at or above proficient in math. In reading, it was 35 percent of fourth graders and 36 percent of eighth graders.