Carbon Career and Technical Institute students have improved their literature and biology scores on state exams, but still need to work on math skills.

This year's Keystone exams scores revealed that 59 percent of the students attained advanced and proficient levels in literature, up from 47 percent last year. In biology, this year 52.3 percent of students tested as advanced and proficient, up from 41 percent last year.But in math, 48 percent, or less than half, of the students were found to be advanced or proficient, about the same as last year.The tests are given at the end of courses to determine how well students understand the subject.Principal Brent Borzak said he intends to address the math scores immediately."We've got to move on a game plan," he said.Administrative Director David Reinbold attributed the improvements to continued efforts to make sure students have solid foundations in academic subjects.To that end the Joint Operating Committee on Thursday agreed to buy $5,000 worth of algebra materials, including software and workbooks, and to establish a transitional algebra II course.In other matters Thursday, graphic design teacher Michele Klock and two of her students spoke about the school's yearbook.The students, Torree Howard of the Palmerton Area School District and Kimberly Pimble of the Panther Valley School District, served as editors for this year's yearbook.They described for the committee how the book was designed and produced almost entirely in-house, an advance that brought down the price of the book from $75-$90 in previous years to $25 this year. The changes included having students have their portraits taken at the school rather than having CCTI hire a photographer. The proceeds from the portraits were then used to offset the costs of producing the book.Klock said the 176-page yearbook is in the running for an award from Entourage Publishers.Torree and Kimberly handed yearbooks to each committee member, but collected them at the end of their presentation."The books were all sold out, so we need these back," Klock said.