More than half of the state's fifth and eighth graders passed the first science test given to students last year, according to results released this week by state officials.

The tests haven't gotten much attention recently because of the bottom line: They don't really count. Unlike the annual reading and math scores, which count toward whether a school attains the adequate yearly progress required under No Child Left Behind, the science tests are given to inform the public about how well their school may be teaching science.

Across the state, 64 percent of fifth graders and 61 percent of eighth graders were able to pass the tests. Those numbers are on par with how students scored when they first took the math and reading tests in 2003.

There is likely to be a shift in how some fifth- and eighth-grade teachers teach math, however, as they keep their lessons geared toward covering the material in the state's curriclum.

The results from the science tests aren't yet availabe on the state's Web site.