Elementary and Secondary Education

Student Effort, Persistence, and Progress

Table A-28-1. Percentage distribution and average NAEP reading scale scores of 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students, by the number of days of school they reported missing in the previous month: Various years, 1992–2011

Year	Grade 4				Grade 8				Grade 12
Year	0 days	1–2 days	3–4 days	5 or more days	0 days	1–2 days	3–4 days	5 or more days	0 days	1–2 days	3–4 days	5 or more days
	Percent distribution
1992¹	—	—	—	—	44	33	13	8	35	39	17	9
1994¹	52	30	11	7	44	33	13	9	34	37	17	10
1998¹	53	31	11	5	44	34	14	8	34	39	17	10
1998	53	30	11	6	44	34	14	8	35	39	17	9
2002	52	30	11	6	45	35	13	7	36	40	17	8
2003	49	30	13	8	44	35	14	8	—	—	—	—
2005	52	29	12	7	45	35	13	7	36	39	16	9
2007	51	30	12	7	45	35	13	7	—	—	—	—
2009	52	29	11	7	46	35	13	7	38	39	15	8
2011	51	30	12	7	45	35	13	6	—	—	—	—

	Average scale score
1992¹	—	—	—	—	263	264	256	244	296	295	287	279
1994¹	217	215	208	198	264	264	252	244	291	291	281	273
1998¹	220	218	211	209	268	265	258	250	295	294	286	276
1998	218	214	206	204	268	264	257	249	294	293	285	277
2002	222	219	214	205	268	267	259	250	289	290	284	275
2003	221	218	215	209	267	265	258	248	—	—	—	—
2005	222	219	215	207	266	264	256	247	290	288	283	273
2007	224	221	216	208	267	264	255	245	—	—	—	—
2009	224	221	216	207	268	265	257	248	292	290	284	273
2011	225	221	216	207	269	266	258	248	—	—	—	—

— Not available.

1 Testing accommodations (e.g., extended time, small group testing) for children with disabilities and English language learners were not permitted in 1992 and 1994; students were tested with and without accommodations in 1998. The footnoted row represents the sample without accommodations.

NOTE: From 1992 to 2000, students responded to the question “How many days of school did you miss last month?” After 2001, students were asked “How many days were you absent from school in the last month?” Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. The 4th-grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment did not include the absenteeism question in 1992. The 12th-grade NAEP reading assessment was not administered in 2003, 2007, or 2011. The NAEP reading scale ranges from 0–500. For more information on NAEP, see Appendix B – Guide to Sources.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 1992–2011 Reading Assessments, NAEP Data Explorer.

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