Wyoming's students actually did better on a standardized test than first reported by state officials.

Reading scores from the 2006 and 2007 Proficiency Assessment of Wyoming students were incorrectly reported, according to the Wyoming Department of Education.

Three schools and about 200 students also cleared key benchmarks.

A change to the test's scoring rubric was not properly accounted for, which caused errors in the scale scores reported for students.

Scale scores are converted from raw scores to show improvement and to give parents and students a more tangible number they can track from year to year. Raw scores are the total number of points scored on the test.

In a 2006 field test of PAWS, students earned one or two points for short answers on the reading portion, and up to four points for long answers. A zero - or '0' - score was not possible in the field test.

"What we discovered was that a student could earn a point by not really answering the question," said Lesley Wangberg, with the Department of Education's standards, assessment and accountability unit.

The department decided to include zero scores, but the change was not accounted for, which led to the reporting mistake.

The error also caused the department to miscalculate which schools made "adequate yearly progress" in 2007 under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Laurel Ballard, supervisor for accountability, said 2007 adequate yearly progress was recalculated, and three schools reported as missing AYP had actually met benchmarks.

Midwest School, East Junior High in Rock Springs and Encampment Elementary - which is now a K-12 school - all made AYP in 2007.

Additionally, some 200 students statewide who were assigned a "basic performance level" should have been considered "proficient."

The testing company, Pearson, alerted the department about the mistakes. Pearson identified the errors after it purchased Harcourt Assessments, Wyoming's former testing vendor. Pearson is issuing new reading reports to all school districts.

Districts will be responsible for forwarding the information to students and parents. The revised data are being used in figuring AYP for 2008.

Reach education reporter Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at Jasa.Santos@trib.com