ATLANTA — Georgia has caught up to the rest of the nation in eighth-grade science.

Students in Georgia scored an average of 151 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam last year, meeting the national average for the first time. Students in Georgia gained four points on the test since 2009.

Still, the vast majority of students in Georgia aren’t considered proficient in science. Just 30 percent of Georgia students scored proficient or better on the test, up slightly from 28 percent two years earlier.

State schools Superintendent John Barge called the results “encouraging.” He said new standards for high school graduates will help improve scores even more in coming years.