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| 2012 Tables and Figures | All Years of Tables and Figures | Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest |
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| Table 125. | Average reading scale score, by age and selected student and school characteristics: Selected years, 1971 through 2008 |
| Selected student and school characteristic |
1971 | 1975 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1990 | 1992 | 1994 | 1996 | 1999 | 2004 | 2008 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | |||||||||||||
| 9-year-olds | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All students | 208 | (1.0) | 210 | (0.7) | 215 | (1.0) | 211 | (0.8) | 212 | (1.1) | 209 | (1.2) | 211 | (0.9) | 211 | (1.2) | 212 | (1.0) | 212 | (1.3) | 216 | (1.0) | 220 | (0.9) | |
| Sex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Male | 201 | (1.1) | 204 | (0.8) | 210 | (1.1) | 207 | (1.0) | 207 | (1.4) | 204 | (1.7) | 206 | (1.3) | 207 | (1.3) | 207 | (1.4) | 209 | (1.6) | 212 | (1.1) | 216 | (1.1) | |
| Female | 214 | (1.0) | 216 | (0.8) | 220 | (1.1) | 214 | (0.9) | 216 | (1.3) | 215 | (1.2) | 215 | (0.9) | 215 | (1.4) | 218 | (1.1) | 215 | (1.5) | 219 | (1.1) | 224 | (0.9) | |
| Race/ethnicity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| White | 214 | 1 | (0.9) | 217 | (0.7) | 221 | (0.8) | 218 | (0.9) | 218 | (1.4) | 217 | (1.3) | 218 | (1.0) | 218 | (1.3) | 220 | (1.2) | 221 | (1.6) | 224 | (0.9) | 228 | (1.0) |
| Black | 170 | 1 | (1.7) | 181 | (1.2) | 189 | (1.8) | 186 | (1.3) | 189 | (2.4) | 182 | (2.9) | 185 | (2.2) | 185 | (2.3) | 191 | (2.6) | 186 | (2.3) | 197 | (1.8) | 204 | (1.7) |
| Hispanic | [2 ] | (†) | 183 | (2.2) | 190 | (2.3) | 187 | (3.0) | 194 | (3.5) | 189 | (2.3) | 192 | (3.1) | 186 | (3.9) | 195 | (3.4) | 193 | (2.7) | 199 | (1.5) | 207 | (1.5) | |
| Region | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northeast | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 221 | (2.6) | 226 | (1.6) | |
| Midwest | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 217 | (2.5) | 218 | (1.6) | |
| South | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 214 | (1.3) | 221 | (1.8) | |
| West | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 212 | (2.1) | 216 | (1.3) | |
| 13-year-olds | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All students | 255 | (0.9) | 256 | (0.8) | 258 | (0.9) | 257 | (0.6) | 257 | (1.0) | 257 | (0.8) | 260 | (1.2) | 258 | (0.9) | 258 | (1.0) | 259 | (1.0) | 257 | (1.0) | 260 | (0.8) | |
| Sex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Male | 250 | (1.0) | 250 | (0.8) | 254 | (1.1) | 253 | (0.7) | 252 | (1.3) | 251 | (1.1) | 254 | (1.7) | 251 | (1.2) | 251 | (1.2) | 254 | (1.3) | 252 | (1.1) | 256 | (1.0) | |
| Female | 261 | (0.9) | 262 | (0.9) | 263 | (0.9) | 262 | (0.7) | 263 | (1.0) | 263 | (1.1) | 265 | (1.2) | 266 | (1.2) | 264 | (1.2) | 265 | (1.2) | 262 | (1.2) | 264 | (0.9) | |
| Race/ethnicity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| White | 261 | 1 | (0.7) | 262 | (0.7) | 264 | (0.7) | 263 | (0.6) | 261 | (1.1) | 262 | (0.9) | 266 | (1.2) | 265 | (1.1) | 266 | (1.0) | 267 | (1.2) | 265 | (1.0) | 268 | (1.0) |
| Black | 222 | 1 | (1.2) | 226 | (1.2) | 233 | (1.5) | 236 | (1.2) | 243 | (2.4) | 241 | (2.2) | 238 | (2.3) | 234 | (2.4) | 234 | (2.6) | 238 | (2.4) | 239 | (1.9) | 247 | (1.6) |
| Hispanic | [2 ] | (†) | 232 | (3.0) | 237 | (2.0) | 240 | (2.0) | 240 | (3.5) | 238 | (2.3) | 239 | (3.5) | 235 | (1.9) | 238 | (2.9) | 244 | (2.9) | 241 | (2.1) | 242 | (1.5) | |
| Parents' highest level of education |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Did not finish high school | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 239 | (1.1) | 240 | (1.2) | 246 | (2.1) | 241 | (1.8) | 239 | (2.6) | 237 | (2.4) | 239 | (2.8) | 238 | (3.4) | 238 | (2.3) | 239 | (1.9) | |
| Graduated high school | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 253 | (0.9) | 253 | (0.8) | 253 | (1.2) | 251 | (0.9) | 252 | (1.7) | 251 | (1.4) | 251 | (1.5) | 251 | (1.8) | 249 | (1.1) | 251 | (1.1) | |
| Some education after high school |
--- | (†) | --- | (†) | 268 | (1.0) | 266 | (1.1) | 265 | (1.7) | 267 | (1.7) | 265 | (2.7) | 266 | (1.9) | 268 | (2.3) | 269 | (2.4) | 261 | (1.4) | 265 | (1.1) | |
| Graduated college | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 273 | (0.9) | 268 | (0.9) | 265 | (1.6) | 267 | (1.1) | 271 | (1.5) | 269 | (1.2) | 269 | (1.4) | 270 | (1.2) | 266 | (1.2) | 270 | (1.2) | |
| Region | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northeast | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 264 | (2.8) | 264 | (1.8) | |
| Midwest | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 259 | (1.8) | 262 | (1.9) | |
| South | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 254 | (1.6) | 261 | (1.4) | |
| West | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 252 | (2.0) | 253 | (1.7) | |
| 17-year-olds | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All students | 285 | (1.2) | 286 | (0.8) | 285 | (1.2) | 289 | (0.8) | 290 | (1.0) | 290 | (1.1) | 290 | (1.1) | 288 | (1.3) | 288 | (1.1) | 288 | (1.3) | 283 | (1.1) | 286 | (0.9) | |
| Sex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Male | 279 | (1.2) | 280 | (1.0) | 282 | (1.3) | 284 | (0.8) | 286 | (1.5) | 284 | (1.6) | 284 | (1.6) | 282 | (2.2) | 281 | (1.3) | 281 | (1.6) | 276 | (1.4) | 280 | (1.1) | |
| Female | 291 | (1.3) | 291 | (1.0) | 289 | (1.2) | 294 | (0.9) | 294 | (1.5) | 296 | (1.2) | 296 | (1.1) | 295 | (1.5) | 295 | (1.2) | 295 | (1.4) | 289 | (1.2) | 291 | (1.0) | |
| Race/ethnicity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| White | 291 | 1 | (1.0) | 293 | (0.6) | 293 | (0.9) | 295 | (0.9) | 295 | (1.2) | 297 | (1.2) | 297 | (1.4) | 296 | (1.5) | 295 | (1.2) | 295 | (1.4) | 289 | (1.2) | 295 | (1.0) |
| Black | 239 | 1 | (1.7) | 241 | (2.0) | 243 | (1.8) | 264 | (1.2) | 274 | (2.4) | 267 | (2.3) | 261 | (2.1) | 266 | (3.9) | 266 | (2.7) | 264 | (1.7) | 262 | (1.9) | 266 | (2.4) |
| Hispanic | [2 ] | (†) | 252 | (3.6) | 261 | (2.7) | 268 | (2.9) | 271 | (4.3) | 275 | (3.6) | 271 | (3.7) | 263 | (4.9) | 265 | (4.1) | 271 | (3.9) | 267 | (2.5) | 269 | (1.3) | |
| Parents' highest level of education |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Did not finish high school | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 262 | (1.5) | 269 | (1.4) | 267 | (2.0) | 270 | (2.8) | 271 | (3.9) | 268 | (2.7) | 267 | (3.2) | 265 | (3.6) | 259 | (2.7) | 266 | (2.1) | |
| Graduated high school | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 277 | (1.0) | 281 | (0.8) | 282 | (1.3) | 283 | (1.4) | 280 | (1.6) | 276 | (1.9) | 273 | (1.7) | 274 | (2.1) | 271 | (1.4) | 274 | (1.4) | |
| Some education after high school |
--- | (†) | --- | (†) | 295 | (1.2) | 298 | (0.9) | 299 | (2.2) | 295 | (1.9) | 293 | (1.9) | 294 | (1.6) | 295 | (2.2) | 295 | (1.8) | 285 | (1.5) | 288 | (1.1) | |
| Graduated college | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 301 | (1.0) | 302 | (0.9) | 300 | (1.4) | 302 | (1.5) | 301 | (1.7) | 300 | (1.7) | 299 | (1.5) | 298 | (1.3) | 295 | (1.2) | 298 | (1.1) | |
| Region | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northeast | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 287 | (1.9) | 290 | (1.6) | |
| Midwest | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 289 | (1.8) | 290 | (2.1) | |
| South | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 276 | (1.9) | 283 | (1.5) | |
| West | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | --- | (†) | 283 | (3.2) | 283 | (1.8) | |
| ---Not available. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| †Not applicable. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Data for 1971 include persons of Hispanic ethnicity. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 Test scores of Hispanics were not tabulated separately. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NOTE: The NAEP reading scores have been evaluated at certain performance levels. Scale ranges from 0 to 500. Students scoring 150 (or higher) are able to follow brief written directions and carry out simple, discrete reading tasks. Students scoring 200 are able to understand, combine ideas, and make inferences based on short uncomplicated passages about specific or sequentially related information. Students scoring 250 are able to search for specific information, interrelate ideas, and make generalizations about literature, science, and social studies materials. Students scoring 300 are able to find, understand, summarize, and explain relatively complicated literary and informational material. Includes public and private schools. Excludes persons not enrolled in school and students who were unable to be tested due to limited proficiency in English or due to a disability. Beginning in 2004, data are for a revised assessment format that provides accommodations for students with disabilities and English language learners. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity, except where noted. Totals include other racial/ethnic groups not shown separately. Some data have been revised from previously published figures. Standard errors appear in parentheses. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress; and 2008 NAEP Long-Term Trend Reading Assessment, retrieved May 4, 2009, and October 30, 2012, from Long-Term Trend NAEP Data Explorer (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/). (This table was prepared October 2012.) |
