With the exception of a few systems, overall achievement grades for schools in Southeast Tennessee remained the same as last year, according to the Tennessee Report Card released Monday.

But math and science still seem to be a problem.

For 2007-08, all elementary and middle schools in eight Southeast Tennessee counties — Bledsoe, Bradley, Grundy, Marion, Meigs, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie — either maintained or improved their overall achievement grades from the year before in reading/language, social studies, math and science, the report card shows.

The state report card is based on scores from standardized tests that students take each spring. Using those numbers, state officials assign each school and school system a letter grade, A through F, for each subject.

Marion and Grundy systems improved in reading/language, with Grundy going from a C to a B and Marion from a B to an A. Bledsoe and Marion rose from a B to an A in science.

“We have instituted reading coaches at the schools, and we feel like that’s a big part of (the success),” said Johnny Grimes, curriculum director for Marion County schools. “They are really concentrating on the reading.”

But there are problems on the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System part of the report card, which examines the annual academic progress made by a school system in the four subjects. While grades in reading/language and social studies were steady in most counties, some systems dropped when it came to math and science.

In math, Rhea dropped from a B to a D, Sequatchie went from B to C and Bledsoe dropped from A to B, the report card shows. In science, Grundy, Bradley and Sequatchie dropped from A to B, while Polk and Meigs dropped from B to C.

Sequatchie was the only county to drop in social studies, going from an A to a B, according to the report.

James Jones, director of Polk County schools, said more students were required to be proficient in math this year, causing the system’s grade to drop. But he said math coaches, put into place the middle of last year, will aid improvement.

“We still try to fill in the gaps wherever those gaps are,” he said.

About half of the Southeast Tennessee systems improved their graduation rates this year, but most were below the state standard of 90 percent.

The graduation rates in Meigs, Bledsoe and Sequatchie counties saw the biggest jumps, with Sequatchie increasing from 71.2 to 83.3 percent.

A ninth-grade counselor who targets students at risk of dropping out is among efforts to boost graduation numbers, said Pete Swafford, assistant superintendent of the school system.

“We have made a significant effort in that area,” said Mr. Swafford. “Ninth grade is a year when a lot of kids get lost.”