In a news release Tuesday, Atlanta Public Schools announced its students, including those in Buckhead schools, demonstrated increased performance in most subject areas tested on the state 2012 End of Course Test, which is administered to high school students on an annual basis.

The increased performance was experienced in math 1, biology, U.S. history, economics and ninth-grade literature and composition. Additionally, APS students closed the achievement gap with the state average in two areas, including math 1 and U.S. history by 3 and 4 percentage points, respectively.

“This is the kind of steady incremental academic performance that is sustainable over time and directly attributable to our dedicated, hard-working teachers, principals and school-based staff,” Superintendent Erroll B. Davis Jr. said in a statement. “They are responsible for these results which clearly show that we are successfully engaging our students and escalating achievement in most subject areas.”

APS students widened the achievement gap with the state in math II, physical science, American literature and composition and biology compared to the 2011 results, indicating that these areas may need additional focus to improve student performance. In biology, while the district experienced gains in this subject area, the performance gap with the state widened as students across Georgia escalated their achievement in this area.

The school-by-school scores are expected to be released later this month.