WASHINGTON (AP) — An effort to make the government write so people can understand what they're reading is off to a spotty start.

A year after an anti-gobbledygook law took effect, federal agencies are still churning out plenty of incomprehensible English, according to the Center for Plain Language, which released a "report card" Thursday grading agencies on their progress — or lack of it.

The Agriculture Department got top marks among the dozen agencies checked: an A for meeting the law's basic requirements and a B for taking supporting actions such as training staff to write clearly. Faring the worst, Veterans Affairs flunked on both counts.