In answer to the question George W. Bush famously asked, state education leaders say the answer is — about half of them is learnin’. Trying to take the sting out of forthcoming scores on end-of-year reading tests in the elementary grades, Department of Public Instruction folks trooped to the state Board of Education Thursday to say that it isn’t that the kids aren’t readin’ just as gud as they used to, it’s that the test got harder. Remember when the “passing” rate was up near 90%? they said. Shoulda been down around 50%. Which it’s gonna be when the actual results come out Nov. 1. It’s in the N&O, complete with numberz:

Grade 3: 83.8% in 2007; 56% in 2008

Grade 4: 87.6% in 2007; 61% in 2008

Grade 5: 91.7% in 2007; 57% in 2008

Grade 6: 84.5% in 2007; 61% in 2008

Grade 7: 88.5% in 2007; 52% in 2008

Grade 8: 89.9% in 2007; 55% in 2008