Fewer than half of New York City public school students showed proficiency on reading exams this year, a decline from the previous year that may reflect how hard it is to change teaching approaches as the district embarks on a major reading overhaul.

The drop in reading scores was relatively small, however, about two and a half points, and came as math scores ticked up by more than three points, according to data released by the city on Wednesday. Roughly 53 percent of children in grades three through eight were proficient in math, and about 49 percent showed proficiency in reading.

The exam results cast a harsh spotlight on inequality in city schools: About two-thirds of white test takers were proficient in reading, for example, compared with roughly 36 percent of Hispanic students, who now make up the district’s biggest racial or ethnic group.

The scores did not reveal how children in the nation’s largest public school system are faring after losing ground during the disruptions of the coronavirus pandemic. The exams were changed in 2023 to meet new state standards, and results are not comparable to prepandemic scores.

(The results of a gold-standard federal exam will be released in the winter, and could provide a picture of how New York schools are recovering from learning loss.)

Education officials in New York sought to frame the reading drop as part of the natural pains that come with reform. Other states that have overhauled reading, like Mississippi, reported reading declines in the early days, but ultimately saw significant improvement after years of sustained efforts that included sending literacy coaches into struggling schools.