Skip Navigation
Digest of Education Statistics: 2013
Digest of Education Statistics: 2013

NCES 2015-011
May 2015


Table 221.60. Average National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading scale score of 8th-grade public school students and percentage attaining reading achievement levels, by locale and state: Selected years, 2003 through 2013
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
State Average scale score1 Percent attaining reading achievement levels, 2013 Average scale score1 by
school locale, 2013
2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 At or above Basic2 At or above Profi-cient3 City Suburb Town Rural
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
United States 261 (0.2) 260 (0.2) 261 (0.2) 262 (0.3) 264 (0.2) 266 (0.2) 77 (0.3) 34 (0.3) 260 (0.6) 270 (0.4) 263 (0.6) 268 (0.5)
                                                 
Alabama 253 (1.5) 252 (1.4) 252 (1.0) 255 (1.1) 258 (1.5) 257 (1.2) 68 (1.3) 25 (1.5) 250 (3.5) 261 (3.4) 259 (1.8) 259 (1.4)
Alaska 256 (1.1) 259 (0.9) 259 (1.0) 259 (0.9) 261 (0.9) 261 (0.8) 71 (1.1) 31 (1.1) (†) (†) (†) (†)
Arizona 255 (1.4) 255 (1.0) 255 (1.2) 258 (1.2) 260 (1.2) 260 (1.1) 72 (1.3) 28 (1.5) 259 (1.5) 266 (2.3) 251 (3.4) 261 (2.2)
Arkansas 258 (1.3) 258 (1.1) 258 (1.0) 258 (1.2) 259 (0.9) 262 (1.1) 73 (1.2) 30 (1.5) 265 (1.5) 261 (2.5) 260 (2.0) 261 (2.0)
California4 251 (1.3) 250 (0.6) 251 (0.8) 253 (1.2) 255 (1.0) 262 (1.2) 72 (1.2) 29 (1.4) 261 (2.0) 263 (1.9) 254 (3.4) 266 (5.1)
                                                 
Colorado 268 (1.2) 265 (1.1) 266 (1.0) 266 (0.8) 271 (1.4) 271 (1.1) 81 (1.1) 40 (1.5) 264 (2.5) 274 (2.1) 268 (3.0) 278 (1.9)
Connecticut 267 (1.1) 264 (1.3) 267 (1.6) 272 (0.9) 275 (0.9) 274 (1.0) 83 (1.0) 45 (1.3) 261 (2.7) 278 (1.1) 282 (2.8) 283 (1.9)
Delaware 265 (0.7) 266 (0.6) 265 (0.6) 265 (0.7) 266 (0.6) 266 (0.7) 77 (1.0) 33 (1.0) 263 (2.2) 264 (1.0) 268 (1.7) 269 (1.1)
District of Columbia 239 (0.8) 238 (0.9) 241 (0.7) 242 (0.9) 242 (0.9) 248 (0.9) 57 (1.3) 17 (0.9) 248 (0.9) (†) (†) (†)
Florida 257 (1.3) 256 (1.2) 260 (1.2) 264 (1.2) 262 (1.0) 266 (1.1) 77 (1.2) 33 (1.5) 265 (3.0) 266 (1.3) 263 (2.3) 267 (2.6)
                                                 
Georgia 258 (1.1) 257 (1.3) 259 (1.0) 260 (1.0) 262 (1.1) 265 (1.2) 75 (1.4) 32 (1.5) 255 (2.6) 270 (1.9) 264 (3.0) 262 (2.1)
Hawaii 251 (0.9) 249 (0.9) 251 (0.8) 255 (0.6) 257 (0.7) 260 (0.8) 71 (1.0) 28 (1.1) 264 (1.5) 261 (1.5) 257 (1.5) 256 (2.0)
Idaho 264 (0.9) 264 (1.1) 265 (0.9) 265 (0.9) 268 (0.7) 270 (0.8) 82 (0.9) 38 (1.2) 273 (2.0) 271 (1.5) 268 (1.5) 269 (1.5)
Illinois 266 (1.0) 264 (1.0) 263 (1.0) 265 (1.2) 266 (0.8) 267 (1.0) 77 (0.9) 36 (1.4) 259 (2.5) 269 (1.5) 268 (1.5) 276 (2.8)
Indiana 265 (1.0) 261 (1.1) 264 (1.1) 266 (1.0) 265 (1.0) 267 (1.2) 79 (1.2) 35 (1.7) 261 (2.5) 269 (2.6) 267 (2.2) 271 (1.6)
                                                 
Iowa 268 (0.8) 267 (0.9) 267 (0.9) 265 (0.9) 265 (1.0) 269 (0.8) 81 (0.9) 37 (1.3) 264 (2.0) 281 (2.2) 267 (1.7) 270 (1.0)
Kansas4 266 (1.5) 267 (1.0) 267 (0.8) 267 (1.1) 267 (1.0) 267 (1.0) 78 (1.2) 36 (1.2) 259 (2.8) 275 (2.2) 262 (1.6) 272 (1.3)
Kentucky 266 (1.3) 264 (1.1) 262 (1.0) 267 (0.9) 269 (0.8) 270 (0.8) 80 (0.9) 38 (1.4) 266 (1.4) 274 (1.9) 269 (1.7) 270 (1.5)
Louisiana 253 (1.6) 253 (1.6) 253 (1.1) 253 (1.6) 255 (1.5) 257 (1.0) 68 (1.4) 24 (1.3) 253 (2.1) 263 (2.6) 254 (2.0) 259 (1.8)
Maine 268 (1.0) 270 (1.0) 270 (0.8) 268 (0.7) 270 (0.8) 269 (0.8) 79 (1.0) 38 (1.3) 267 (2.6) 276 (2.3) 269 (1.7) 268 (1.0)
                                                 
Maryland 262 (1.4) 261 (1.2) 265 (1.2) 267 (1.1) 271 (1.2) 274 (1.1) 82 (1.2) 42 (1.4) 269 (2.1) 274 (1.4) (†) 278 (2.4)
Massachusetts 273 (1.0) 274 (1.0) 273 (1.0) 274 (1.2) 275 (1.0) 277 (1.0) 84 (0.9) 48 (1.4) 263 (2.6) 281 (1.1) (†) 282 (3.7)
Michigan 264 (1.8) 261 (1.2) 260 (1.2) 262 (1.4) 265 (0.9) 266 (1.0) 77 (1.1) 33 (1.5) 257 (2.5) 271 (1.2) 268 (2.5) 266 (2.3)
Minnesota 268 (1.1) 268 (1.2) 268 (0.9) 270 (1.0) 270 (1.0) 271 (1.0) 82 (1.1) 41 (1.5) 267 (2.1) 274 (1.8) 270 (2.2) 272 (1.9)
Mississippi 255 (1.4) 251 (1.3) 250 (1.1) 251 (1.0) 254 (1.2) 253 (1.0) 64 (1.3) 20 (1.3) 249 (4.8) 258 (2.2) 245 (2.1) 257 (1.3)
                                                 
Missouri 267 (1.0) 265 (1.0) 263 (1.0) 267 (1.0) 267 (1.1) 267 (1.1) 78 (1.3) 36 (1.4) 257 (4.2) 272 (1.8) 263 (2.6) 271 (1.4)
Montana 270 (1.0) 269 (0.7) 271 (0.8) 270 (0.6) 273 (0.6) 272 (0.8) 84 (0.8) 40 (1.2) 273 (1.6) 277 (3.4) 270 (1.3) 272 (1.2)
Nebraska 266 (0.9) 267 (0.9) 267 (0.9) 267 (0.9) 268 (0.7) 269 (0.8) 81 (0.9) 37 (1.3) 271 (1.5) 270 (1.7) 266 (1.8) 270 (1.6)
Nevada 252 (0.8) 253 (0.9) 252 (0.8) 254 (0.9) 258 (0.9) 262 (0.7) 72 (1.0) 30 (1.1) 262 (1.5) 258 (1.2) 263 (2.0) 266 (1.6)
New Hampshire 271 (0.9) 270 (1.2) 270 (0.9) 271 (1.0) 272 (0.7) 274 (0.8) 84 (0.8) 44 (1.3) 260 (2.0) 277 (1.8) 273 (1.5) 278 (1.2)
                                                 
New Jersey 268 (1.2) 269 (1.2) 270 (1.1) 273 (1.3) 275 (1.2) 276 (1.1) 85 (1.0) 46 (1.4) 266 (4.5) 277 (1.2) (†) 280 (2.4)
New Mexico 252 (0.9) 251 (1.0) 251 (0.8) 254 (1.2) 256 (0.9) 256 (0.8) 67 (1.0) 22 (1.0) 257 (1.2) 258 (1.9) 257 (1.6) 253 (1.3)
New York 265 (1.3) 265 (1.0) 264 (1.1) 264 (1.2) 266 (1.1) 266 (1.1) 76 (1.0) 35 (1.6) 256 (1.3) 274 (2.2) 274 (5.3) 272 (2.5)
North Carolina 262 (1.0) 258 (0.9) 259 (1.1) 260 (1.2) 263 (0.9) 265 (1.1) 76 (1.1) 33 (1.6) 266 (2.2) 270 (5.4) 258 (2.0) 264 (1.5)
North Dakota 270 (0.8) 270 (0.6) 268 (0.7) 269 (0.6) 269 (0.7) 268 (0.6) 81 (1.0) 34 (0.9) 268 (1.2) 270 (2.0) 268 (1.2) 267 (0.8)
                                                 
Ohio 267 (1.3) 267 (1.3) 268 (1.2) 269 (1.3) 268 (1.1) 269 (1.0) 79 (1.0) 39 (1.5) 251 (3.7) 274 (1.2) 265 (2.0) 274 (1.6)
Oklahoma 262 (0.9) 260 (1.1) 260 (0.8) 259 (0.9) 260 (1.1) 262 (0.9) 75 (1.1) 29 (1.2) 257 (2.5) 265 (1.8) 261 (1.3) 263 (1.7)
Oregon 264 (1.2) 263 (1.1) 266 (0.9) 265 (1.0) 264 (0.9) 268 (0.9) 79 (1.1) 37 (1.3) 271 (1.5) 269 (2.0) 264 (2.0) 269 (2.0)
Pennsylvania. 264 (1.2) 267 (1.3) 268 (1.2) 271 (0.8) 268 (1.3) 272 (1.0) 81 (1.2) 42 (1.4) 246 (2.3) 280 (1.2) 273 (1.9) 275 (2.5)
Rhode Island 261 (0.7) 261 (0.7) 258 (0.9) 260 (0.6) 265 (0.7) 267 (0.6) 77 (0.9) 36 (1.2) 257 (1.3) 268 (1.0) 279 (4.5) 278 (1.3)
                                                 
South Carolina 258 (1.3) 257 (1.1) 257 (0.9) 257 (1.2) 260 (0.9) 261 (1.0) 73 (1.4) 29 (1.2) 264 (3.6) 262 (1.9) 258 (2.2) 261 (1.2)
South Dakota 270 (0.8) 269 (0.6) 270 (0.7) 270 (0.5) 269 (0.8) 268 (0.8) 81 (0.9) 36 (1.1) 269 (1.3) (†) 268 (1.3) 268 (1.2)
Tennessee 258 (1.2) 259 (0.9) 259 (1.0) 261 (1.1) 259 (1.0) 265 (1.1) 77 (1.2) 33 (1.5) 256 (3.1) 275 (2.4) 265 (2.6) 267 (1.3)
Texas 259 (1.1) 258 (0.6) 261 (0.9) 260 (1.1) 261 (1.0) 264 (1.1) 76 (1.4) 31 (1.6) 258 (1.9) 266 (2.0) 260 (3.3) 272 (2.2)
Utah 264 (0.8) 262 (0.8) 262 (1.0) 266 (0.8) 267 (0.8) 270 (0.9) 81 (1.0) 39 (1.2) 272 (3.1) 271 (1.0) 265 (2.0) 270 (2.2)
                                                 
Vermont 271 (0.8) 269 (0.7) 273 (0.8) 272 (0.6) 274 (0.9) 274 (0.7) 84 (0.9) 45 (1.0) (†) (†) (†) (†)
Virginia 268 (1.1) 268 (1.0) 267 (1.1) 266 (1.1) 267 (1.2) 268 (1.3) 78 (1.3) 36 (1.6) 262 (2.8) 272 (1.9) 260 (3.3) 267 (2.2)
Washington 264 (0.9) 265 (1.3) 265 (0.9) 267 (1.1) 268 (1.0) 272 (1.0) 81 (1.2) 42 (1.5) 270 (2.3) 275 (1.3) 270 (2.7) 270 (2.0)
West Virginia 260 (1.0) 255 (1.2) 255 (1.0) 255 (0.9) 256 (0.9) 257 (0.9) 70 (1.1) 25 (1.1) 260 (3.6) 260 (2.1) 256 (1.7) 257 (1.2)
Wisconsin 266 (1.3) 266 (1.1) 264 (1.0) 266 (1.0) 267 (0.9) 268 (0.9) 78 (0.9) 36 (1.4) 257 (2.0) 273 (2.3) 272 (1.6) 269 (1.6)
Wyoming 267 (0.5) 268 (0.7) 266 (0.7) 268 (1.0) 270 (1.0) 271 (0.6) 84 (0.7) 38 (1.0) 272 (1.1) (†) 272 (1.0) 268 (1.2)
Department of Defense
     dependents schools5
272 (0.6) 271 (0.7) 273 (1.0) 272 (0.7) 272 (0.7) 277 (0.7) 89 (0.8) 45 (1.2) 266 (2.6) 275 (1.6) (†) 275 (3.3)
†Not applicable.
‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or item response rates fell below the required standards for reporting.
1Scale ranges from 0 to 500.
2Basic denotes partial mastery of the knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work at the 8th-grade level.
3Proficient represents solid academic performance for 8th-graders. Students reaching this level have demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter.
4Did not satisfy one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 2003. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.
5Prior 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 2003 were recalculated for comparability.
NOTE: 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.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013 Reading Assessments, retrieved November 8, 2013, from the Main NAEP Data Explorer (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/). (This table was prepared November 2013.)