NAEP 1998 Reading Report Card National & State Highlights

March 1999

Download the complete report in a PDF file for viewing and printing. 3,861K

America's children are its greatest resource. Educators, parents, and concerned citizens want to provide young people with the academic opportunities to compete and succeed in a challenging world. One resource that can help inform the public about the academic preparedness of America's youth is the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as "the Nation's Report Card."

In 1998, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) administered the NAEP reading assessment to a national sample of students at grades 4, 8, and 12, and to state samples of students at grades 4 and 8. The results of this assessment present a broad view of how America's students are achieving in reading -- one of the most important sets of skills that young people acquire and develop throughout their lives. Because the assessment administered in 1998 shared a common set of reading passages and comprehension questions with assessments given in 1992 and 1994, it is possible to use NAEP results to chart the progress American students have made in reading since 1992.

This publication provides highlights from the 1998 NAEP reading assessment, describing its content, its major findings at the national and state levels, and students' experiences at school and at home that support achievement in reading.

Download the complete report in a PDF file for viewing and printing. 3,861K

NCES 1999-479 Ordering information

Last updated 14 March 2001 (RH)