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Digest of Education Statistics: 2011
Digest of Education Statistics: 2011

NCES 2012-001
May 2012


Table 130. Average reading scale score of 4th-grade public school students and percentage attaining reading achievement levels, by state: Selected years, 1992 through 2011
State Average scale score1 Percent attaining reading achievement levels, 2011
1992 1994 1998 2002 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 At or above Basic2 At or above Profi-cient3 At Ad-vanced 4
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
United States 215 (1.0) 212 (1.1) 213 (1.2) 217 (0.5) 216 (0.3) 217 (0.2) 220 (0.3) 220 (0.3) 220 (0.3) 66 (0.4) 32 (0.4) 7 (0.2)
                                                 
Alabama 207 (1.7) 208 (1.5) 211 (1.9) 207 (1.4) 207 (1.7) 208 (1.2) 216 (1.3) 216 (1.2) 220 (1.3) 67 (1.7) 31 (1.5) 7 (0.8)
Alaska (†) (†) (†) (†) 212 (1.6) 211 (1.4) 214 (1.0) 211 (1.2) 208 (1.1) 56 (1.4) 26 (1.1) 5 (0.7)
Arizona 209 (1.2) 206 (1.9) 206 (1.4) 205 (1.5) 209 (1.2) 207 (1.6) 210 (1.6) 210 (1.2) 212 (1.2) 58 (1.4) 26 (1.3) 5 (0.6)
Arkansas 211 (1.2) 209 (1.7) 209 (1.6) 213 (1.4) 214 (1.4) 217 (1.1) 217 (1.2) 216 (1.1) 217 (1.0) 63 (1.2) 30 (1.1) 6 (0.6)
California5,6  202 (2.0) 197 (1.8) 202 (2.5) 206 (2.5) 206 (1.2) 207 (0.7) 209 (1.0) 210 (1.5) 211 (1.8) 56 (2.1) 25 (2.0) 6 (1.0)
                                                 
Colorado 217 (1.1) 213 (1.3) 220 (1.4) (†) 224 (1.2) 224 (1.1) 224 (1.1) 226 (1.2) 223 (1.3) 71 (1.4) 39 (1.5) 9 (0.9)
Connecticut 222 (1.3) 222 (1.6) 230 (1.6) 229 (1.1) 228 (1.1) 226 (1.0) 227 (1.3) 229 (1.1) 227 (1.3) 73 (1.5) 42 (1.5) 12 (0.9)
Delaware7  213 (0.6) 206 (1.1) 207 (1.7) 224 (0.6) 224 (0.7) 226 (0.8) 225 (0.7) 226 (0.5) 225 (0.7) 72 (1.0) 36 (1.2) 7 (0.7)
District of Columbia 188 (0.8) 179 (0.9) 179 (1.2) 191 (0.9) 188 (0.9) 191 (1.0) 197 (0.9) 202 (1.0) 201 (0.8) 44 (0.9) 19 (0.8) 6 (0.6)
Florida 208 (1.2) 205 (1.7) 206 (1.4) 214 (1.4) 218 (1.1) 220 (0.9) 224 (0.8) 226 (1.0) 225 (1.1) 71 (1.4) 35 (1.4) 8 (0.7)
                                                 
Georgia 212 (1.5) 207 (2.4) 209 (1.4) 215 (1.0) 214 (1.3) 214 (1.2) 219 (0.9) 218 (1.1) 221 (1.1) 66 (1.4) 32 (1.3) 7 (0.6)
Hawaii 203 (1.7) 201 (1.7) 200 (1.5) 208 (0.9) 208 (1.4) 210 (1.0) 213 (1.1) 211 (1.0) 214 (1.0) 59 (1.2) 27 (1.1) 6 (0.7)
Idaho 219 (0.9) (†) (†) 220 (1.1) 218 (1.0) 222 (0.9) 223 (0.8) 221 (0.9) 221 (0.8) 69 (1.1) 33 (1.0) 6 (0.6)
Illinois (†) (†) (†) (†) 216 (1.6) 217 (1.2) 219 (1.2) 219 (1.4) 219 (1.1) 65 (1.2) 33 (1.2) 9 (0.7)
Indiana 221 (1.3) 220 (1.3) (†) 222 (1.4) 220 (1.0) 218 (1.1) 222 (0.9) 223 (1.1) 221 (0.9) 68 (1.2) 33 (1.0) 6 (0.6)
                                                 
Iowa5,6 225 (1.1) 223 (1.3) 220 (1.6) 223 (1.1) 223 (1.1) 221 (0.9) 225 (1.1) 221 (1.2) 221 (0.8) 69 (0.9) 33 (0.9) 6 (0.6)
Kansas5,6 (†) (†) 221 (1.4) 222 (1.4) 220 (1.2) 221 (1.3) 225 (1.1) 224 (1.3) 224 (1.0) 71 (1.1) 36 (1.5) 8 (0.7)
Kentucky 213 (1.3) 212 (1.6) 218 (1.5) 219 (1.1) 219 (1.3) 220 (1.1) 222 (1.1) 226 (1.1) 225 (1.0) 72 (1.3) 35 (1.5) 8 (0.7)
Louisiana 204 (1.2) 197 (1.3) 200 (1.6) 207 (1.7) 205 (1.4) 209 (1.3) 207 (1.6) 207 (1.1) 210 (1.4) 55 (1.8) 23 (1.4) 4 (0.5)
Maine 227 (1.1) 228 (1.3) 225 (1.4) 225 (1.1) 224 (0.9) 225 (0.9) 226 (0.9) 224 (0.9) 222 (0.7) 70 (1.0) 32 (1.3) 6 (0.5)
                                                 
Maryland 211 (1.6) 210 (1.5) 212 (1.6) 217 (1.5) 219 (1.4) 220 (1.3) 225 (1.1) 226 (1.4) 231 (0.9) 75 (1.0) 43 (1.2) 14 (1.0)
Massachusetts5  226 (0.9) 223 (1.3) 223 (1.4) 234 (1.1) 228 (1.2) 231 (0.9) 236 (1.1) 234 (1.1) 237 (1.0) 83 (1.2) 50 (1.5) 16 (1.1)
Michigan 216 (1.5) (†) 216 (1.5) 219 (1.1) 219 (1.2) 218 (1.5) 220 (1.4) 218 (1.0) 219 (1.2) 66 (1.4) 31 (1.4) 6 (0.7)
Minnesota5,6  221 (1.2) 218 (1.4) 219 (1.7) 225 (1.1) 223 (1.1) 225 (1.3) 225 (1.1) 223 (1.3) 222 (1.2) 70 (1.4) 35 (1.5) 8 (0.8)
Mississippi 199 (1.3) 202 (1.6) 203 (1.3) 203 (1.3) 205 (1.3) 204 (1.4) 208 (1.0) 211 (1.1) 209 (1.2) 55 (1.4) 22 (1.2) 4 (0.5)
                                                 
Missouri 220 (1.2) 217 (1.5) 216 (1.3) 220 (1.3) 222 (1.2) 221 (0.9) 221 (1.1) 224 (1.1) 220 (0.9) 67 (1.2) 34 (1.1) 8 (0.6)
Montana5,6,8  (†) 222 (1.4) 225 (1.5) 224 (1.8) 223 (1.2) 225 (1.1) 227 (1.0) 225 (0.8) 225 (0.6) 73 (1.0) 36 (1.1) 7 (0.6)
Nebraska7,8  221 (1.1) 220 (1.5) (†) 222 (1.5) 221 (1.0) 221 (1.2) 223 (1.3) 223 (1.0) 223 (1.0) 70 (1.1) 36 (1.4) 8 (0.7)
Nevada (†) (†) 206 (1.8) 209 (1.2) 207 (1.2) 207 (1.2) 211 (1.2) 211 (1.1) 213 (1.0) 58 (1.3) 25 (1.1) 5 (0.5)
New Hampshire5,7,8 228 (1.2) 223 (1.5) 226 (1.7) (†) 228 (1.0) 227 (0.9) 229 (0.9) 229 (1.0) 230 (0.8) 78 (0.8) 43 (1.1) 10 (0.6)
                                                 
New Jersey7  223 (1.4) 219 (1.2) (†) (†) 225 (1.2) 223 (1.3) 231 (1.2) 229 (0.9) 231 (1.2) 78 (1.5) 44 (1.4) 11 (0.7)
New Mexico 211 (1.5) 205 (1.7) 205 (1.4) 208 (1.6) 203 (1.5) 207 (1.3) 212 (1.3) 208 (1.4) 208 (1.0) 53 (1.5) 21 (0.9) 3 (0.5)
New York5,6,7  215 (1.4) 212 (1.4) 215 (1.6) 222 (1.5) 222 (1.1) 223 (1.1) 224 (1.0) 224 (1.0) 222 (1.1) 68 (1.3) 35 (1.3) 9 (0.8)
North Carolina 212 (1.1) 214 (1.5) 213 (1.6) 222 (1.0) 221 (1.0) 217 (1.0) 218 (0.9) 219 (1.1) 221 (1.2) 68 (1.2) 34 (1.4) 8 (0.8)
North Dakota6 226 (1.1) 225 (1.2) (†) 224 (1.0) 222 (0.9) 225 (0.7) 226 (0.9) 226 (0.8) 226 (0.5) 74 (1.0) 36 (0.9) 6 (0.4)
                                                 
Ohio 217 (1.3) (†) (†) 222 (1.3) 222 (1.2) 223 (1.4) 226 (1.1) 225 (1.1) 224 (1.0) 71 (1.1) 34 (1.5) 7 (0.7)
Oklahoma 220 (0.9) (†) 219 (1.2) 213 (1.2) 214 (1.2) 214 (1.1) 217 (1.1) 217 (1.1) 215 (1.1) 64 (1.5) 27 (1.2) 4 (0.4)
Oregon (†) (†) 212 (1.8) 220 (1.4) 218 (1.3) 217 (1.4) 215 (1.4) 218 (1.2) 216 (1.1) 63 (1.3) 30 (1.4) 7 (0.5)
Pennsylvania8 221 (1.3) 215 (1.6) (†) 221 (1.2) 219 (1.3) 223 (1.3) 226 (1.0) 224 (1.4) 227 (1.2) 74 (1.3) 41 (1.4) 11 (0.9)
Rhode Island8  217 (1.8) 220 (1.3) 218 (1.4) 220 (1.2) 216 (1.3) 216 (1.2) 219 (1.0) 223 (1.1) 222 (0.8) 70 (1.3) 35 (1.0) 8 (0.6)
                                                 
South Carolina 210 (1.3) 203 (1.4) 209 (1.4) 214 (1.3) 215 (1.3) 213 (1.3) 214 (1.2) 216 (1.1) 215 (1.2) 61 (1.2) 28 (1.5) 6 (0.6)
South Dakota (†) (†) (†) (†) 222 (1.2) 222 (0.5) 223 (1.0) 222 (0.6) 220 (0.9) 69 (1.0) 31 (1.0) 5 (0.6)
Tennessee6,8  212 (1.4) 213 (1.7) 212 (1.4) 214 (1.2) 212 (1.6) 214 (1.4) 216 (1.2) 217 (1.2) 215 (1.1) 60 (1.5) 26 (1.3) 5 (0.6)
Texas 213 (1.6) 212 (1.9) 214 (1.9) 217 (1.7) 215 (1.0) 219 (0.8) 220 (0.9) 219 (1.2) 218 (1.5) 64 (1.8) 28 (1.8) 6 (1.0)
Utah 220 (1.1) 217 (1.3) 216 (1.2) 222 (1.0) 219 (1.0) 221 (1.1) 221 (1.2) 219 (1.0) 220 (1.0) 68 (1.2) 33 (1.3) 6 (0.6)
                                                 
Vermont (†) (†) (†) 227 (1.1) 226 (0.9) 227 (0.9) 228 (0.8) 229 (0.8) 227 (0.6) 73 (0.9) 41 (0.9) 11 (0.6)
Virginia 221 (1.4) 213 (1.5) 217 (1.2) 225 (1.3) 223 (1.5) 226 (0.8) 227 (1.1) 227 (1.2) 226 (1.1) 72 (1.4) 39 (1.4) 11 (0.9)
Washington6  (†) 213 (1.5) 218 (1.4) 224 (1.2) 221 (1.1) 224 (1.1) 224 (1.4) 221 (1.2) 221 (1.1) 67 (1.3) 34 (1.3) 8 (0.9)
West Virginia 216 (1.3) 213 (1.1) 216 (1.7) 219 (1.2) 219 (1.0) 215 (0.8) 215 (1.1) 215 (1.0) 214 (0.8) 61 (1.1) 27 (1.0) 5 (0.5)
Wisconsin5,6,8  224 (1.0) 224 (1.1) 222 (1.1) (†) 221 (0.8) 221 (1.0) 223 (1.2) 220 (1.1) 221 (0.8) 68 (1.1) 34 (1.1) 7 (0.7)
Wyoming 223 (1.1) 221 (1.2) 218 (1.5) 221 (1.0) 222 (0.8) 223 (0.7) 225 (0.5) 223 (0.7) 224 (0.8) 71 (1.3) 34 (1.1) 7 (0.6)
                                                 
Department of Defense
   dependents
   schools9
(†) (†) 220 (0.7) 224 (0.4) 224 (0.5) 226 (0.6) 229 (0.5) 228 (0.5) 229 (0.5) 79 (0.9) 39 (1.3) 7 (0.5)
—Not available.
†Not applicable.
‡Reporting standards not met. Participation rates fell below the required standards for reporting.
1 Scale ranges from 0 to 500.
2 Basic denotes partial mastery of the knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work at the 4th-grade level.
3 Proficient represents solid academic performance for 4th-graders. Students reaching this level have demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter.
4 Advanced signifies superior performance.
5 Did not satisfy one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 1998. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.
6 Did not satisfy one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 2002. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.
7 Did not satisfy one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 1992. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.
8 Did not satisfy one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 1994. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.
9 Prior to 2005, NAEP divided the Department of Defense (DoD) schools into two jurisdictions, domestic and overseas. In 2005, NAEP began combining the DoD domestic and overseas schools into a single jurisdiction. Data shown in this table for years prior to 2005 were recalculated for comparability.
NOTE: With the exception of 1992 and 1994, includes public school students who were tested with accommodations; excludes only those students with disabilities (SD) and English language learners (ELL) who were unable to be tested even with accommodations. SD and ELL populations, accommodation rates, and exclusion rates vary from state to state. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Standard errors appear in parentheses.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011 Reading Assessments, retrieved November 2, 2011, from the Main NAEP Data Explorer (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/). (This table was prepared November 2011.)