- Surveys & Programs
- Data & Tools
- Fast Facts
- News & Events
- Publications & Products
- About Us
(69KB)| 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 state: Selected years, 1998 through 2015 |
| [Standard errors appear in parentheses] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Average scale score1 | Percent attaining reading achievement levels, 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | 2002 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | At or above Basic2 |
At or above Proficient3 |
At Ad-vanced4 | |||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ||||||||||||
| United States | 261 | (0.8) | 263 | (0.5) | 261 | (0.2) | 260 | (0.2) | 261 | (0.2) | 262 | (0.3) | 264 | (0.2) | 266 | (0.2) | 264 | (0.2) | 75 | (0.3) | 33 | (0.3) | 3 | (0.1) |
| Alabama | 255 | (1.4) | 253 | (1.3) | 253 | (1.5) | 252 | (1.4) | 252 | (1.0) | 255 | (1.1) | 258 | (1.5) | 257 | (1.2) | 259 | (1.1) | 71 | (1.6) | 26 | (1.4) | 2 | (0.4) |
| Alaska | — | (†) | — | (†) | 256 | (1.1) | 259 | (0.9) | 259 | (1.0) | 259 | (0.9) | 261 | (0.9) | 261 | (0.8) | 260 | (1.1) | 71 | (1.4) | 31 | (1.5) | 3 | (0.4) |
| Arizona | 260 | (1.1) | 257 | (1.3) | 255 | (1.4) | 255 | (1.0) | 255 | (1.2) | 258 | (1.2) | 260 | (1.2) | 260 | (1.1) | 263 | (1.2) | 74 | (1.3) | 31 | (1.7) | 2 | (0.5) |
| Arkansas | 256 | (1.3) | 260 | (1.1) | 258 | (1.3) | 258 | (1.1) | 258 | (1.0) | 258 | (1.2) | 259 | (0.9) | 262 | (1.1) | 259 | (1.2) | 70 | (1.5) | 27 | (1.6) | 2 | (0.5) |
| California5,6 | 252 | (1.6) | 250 | (1.8) | 251 | (1.3) | 250 | (0.6) | 251 | (0.8) | 253 | (1.2) | 255 | (1.0) | 262 | (1.2) | 259 | (1.2) | 70 | (1.4) | 28 | (1.5) | 3 | (0.4) |
| Colorado | 264 | (1.0) | — | (†) | 268 | (1.2) | 265 | (1.1) | 266 | (1.0) | 266 | (0.8) | 271 | (1.4) | 271 | (1.1) | 268 | (1.4) | 78 | (1.3) | 38 | (2.0) | 3 | (0.6) |
| Connecticut | 270 | (1.0) | 267 | (1.2) | 267 | (1.1) | 264 | (1.3) | 267 | (1.6) | 272 | (0.9) | 275 | (0.9) | 274 | (1.0) | 273 | (1.1) | 82 | (1.0) | 43 | (1.7) | 6 | (0.9) |
| Delaware | 254 | (1.3) | 267 | (0.5) | 265 | (0.7) | 266 | (0.6) | 265 | (0.6) | 265 | (0.7) | 266 | (0.6) | 266 | (0.7) | 263 | (0.8) | 73 | (1.1) | 31 | (1.0) | 3 | (0.5) |
| District of Columbia | 236 | (2.1) | 240 | (0.9) | 239 | (0.8) | 238 | (0.9) | 241 | (0.7) | 242 | (0.9) | 242 | (0.9) | 248 | (0.9) | 248 | (1.0) | 56 | (1.4) | 19 | (1.0) | 3 | (0.5) |
| Florida | 255 | (1.4) | 261 | (1.6) | 257 | (1.3) | 256 | (1.2) | 260 | (1.2) | 264 | (1.2) | 262 | (1.0) | 266 | (1.1) | 263 | (1.0) | 75 | (1.1) | 30 | (1.4) | 2 | (0.4) |
| Georgia | 257 | (1.4) | 258 | (1.0) | 258 | (1.1) | 257 | (1.3) | 259 | (1.0) | 260 | (1.0) | 262 | (1.1) | 265 | (1.2) | 262 | (1.3) | 73 | (1.5) | 30 | (1.8) | 3 | (0.7) |
| Hawaii | 249 | (1.0) | 252 | (0.9) | 251 | (0.9) | 249 | (0.9) | 251 | (0.8) | 255 | (0.6) | 257 | (0.7) | 260 | (0.8) | 257 | (0.9) | 68 | (1.2) | 26 | (1.1) | 2 | (0.4) |
| Idaho | — | (†) | 266 | (1.1) | 264 | (0.9) | 264 | (1.1) | 265 | (0.9) | 265 | (0.9) | 268 | (0.7) | 270 | (0.8) | 269 | (0.9) | 81 | (1.0) | 37 | (1.4) | 3 | (0.5) |
| Illinois | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | 266 | (1.0) | 264 | (1.0) | 263 | (1.0) | 265 | (1.2) | 266 | (0.8) | 267 | (1.0) | 267 | (1.0) | 77 | (1.1) | 35 | (1.5) | 4 | (0.7) |
| Indiana | — | (†) | 265 | (1.3) | 265 | (1.0) | 261 | (1.1) | 264 | (1.1) | 266 | (1.0) | 265 | (1.0) | 267 | (1.2) | 268 | (1.1) | 80 | (1.1) | 37 | (1.6) | 4 | (0.6) |
| Iowa | — | (†) | — | (†) | 268 | (0.8) | 267 | (0.9) | 267 | (0.9) | 265 | (0.9) | 265 | (1.0) | 269 | (0.8) | 268 | (1.0) | 81 | (1.2) | 36 | (1.6) | 3 | (0.6) |
| Kansas5,6 | 268 | (1.4) | 269 | (1.3) | 266 | (1.5) | 267 | (1.0) | 267 | (0.8) | 267 | (1.1) | 267 | (1.0) | 267 | (1.0) | 267 | (1.2) | 79 | (1.3) | 35 | (1.8) | 3 | (0.5) |
| Kentucky | 262 | (1.4) | 265 | (1.0) | 266 | (1.3) | 264 | (1.1) | 262 | (1.0) | 267 | (0.9) | 269 | (0.8) | 270 | (0.8) | 268 | (1.0) | 78 | (1.2) | 36 | (1.5) | 4 | (0.6) |
| Louisiana | 252 | (1.4) | 256 | (1.5) | 253 | (1.6) | 253 | (1.6) | 253 | (1.1) | 253 | (1.6) | 255 | (1.5) | 257 | (1.0) | 255 | (1.2) | 66 | (1.8) | 23 | (1.4) | 2 | (0.3) |
| Maine | 271 | (1.2) | 270 | (0.9) | 268 | (1.0) | 270 | (1.0) | 270 | (0.8) | 268 | (0.7) | 270 | (0.8) | 269 | (0.8) | 268 | (0.9) | 81 | (1.0) | 36 | (1.5) | 2 | (0.5) |
| Maryland5 | 261 | (1.8) | 263 | (1.7) | 262 | (1.4) | 261 | (1.2) | 265 | (1.2) | 267 | (1.1) | 271 | (1.2) | 274 | (1.1) | 268 | (1.1) | 76 | (1.1) | 37 | (1.6) | 5 | (0.6) |
| Massachusetts | 269 | (1.4) | 271 | (1.3) | 273 | (1.0) | 274 | (1.0) | 273 | (1.0) | 274 | (1.2) | 275 | (1.0) | 277 | (1.0) | 274 | (1.1) | 83 | (1.2) | 46 | (1.5) | 6 | (0.8) |
| Michigan | — | (†) | 265 | (1.6) | 264 | (1.8) | 261 | (1.2) | 260 | (1.2) | 262 | (1.4) | 265 | (0.9) | 266 | (1.0) | 264 | (1.2) | 76 | (1.3) | 32 | (1.6) | 3 | (0.5) |
| Minnesota5 | 265 | (1.4) | ‡ | (†) | 268 | (1.1) | 268 | (1.2) | 268 | (0.9) | 270 | (1.0) | 270 | (1.0) | 271 | (1.0) | 270 | (1.1) | 81 | (1.1) | 40 | (1.5) | 4 | (0.8) |
| Mississippi | 251 | (1.2) | 255 | (0.9) | 255 | (1.4) | 251 | (1.3) | 250 | (1.1) | 251 | (1.0) | 254 | (1.2) | 253 | (1.0) | 252 | (1.0) | 63 | (1.5) | 20 | (1.1) | 1 | (0.3) |
| Missouri | 262 | (1.3) | 268 | (1.0) | 267 | (1.0) | 265 | (1.0) | 263 | (1.0) | 267 | (1.0) | 267 | (1.1) | 267 | (1.1) | 267 | (1.1) | 77 | (1.3) | 36 | (1.5) | 3 | (0.5) |
| Montana5,6 | 271 | (1.3) | 270 | (1.0) | 270 | (1.0) | 269 | (0.7) | 271 | (0.8) | 270 | (0.6) | 273 | (0.6) | 272 | (0.8) | 270 | (0.8) | 82 | (1.0) | 37 | (1.4) | 3 | (0.5) |
| Nebraska | — | (†) | 270 | (0.9) | 266 | (0.9) | 267 | (0.9) | 267 | (0.9) | 267 | (0.9) | 268 | (0.7) | 269 | (0.8) | 269 | (0.9) | 81 | (1.1) | 38 | (1.5) | 3 | (0.5) |
| Nevada | 258 | (1.0) | 251 | (0.8) | 252 | (0.8) | 253 | (0.9) | 252 | (0.8) | 254 | (0.9) | 258 | (0.9) | 262 | (0.7) | 259 | (0.9) | 71 | (1.2) | 27 | (1.4) | 2 | (0.4) |
| New Hampshire | — | (†) | — | (†) | 271 | (0.9) | 270 | (1.2) | 270 | (0.9) | 271 | (1.0) | 272 | (0.7) | 274 | (0.8) | 275 | (0.9) | 85 | (0.9) | 45 | (1.3) | 5 | (0.7) |
| New Jersey | — | (†) | — | (†) | 268 | (1.2) | 269 | (1.2) | 270 | (1.1) | 273 | (1.3) | 275 | (1.2) | 276 | (1.1) | 271 | (1.0) | 80 | (1.3) | 41 | (1.4) | 6 | (0.8) |
| New Mexico | 258 | (1.2) | 254 | (1.0) | 252 | (0.9) | 251 | (1.0) | 251 | (0.8) | 254 | (1.2) | 256 | (0.9) | 256 | (0.8) | 253 | (0.9) | 65 | (1.3) | 20 | (1.3) | 1 | (0.3) |
| New York5,6 | 265 | (1.5) | 264 | (1.5) | 265 | (1.3) | 265 | (1.0) | 264 | (1.1) | 264 | (1.2) | 266 | (1.1) | 266 | (1.1) | 263 | (1.4) | 73 | (1.4) | 33 | (1.7) | 4 | (0.7) |
| North Carolina | 262 | (1.1) | 265 | (1.1) | 262 | (1.0) | 258 | (0.9) | 259 | (1.1) | 260 | (1.2) | 263 | (0.9) | 265 | (1.1) | 261 | (1.3) | 72 | (1.4) | 30 | (1.6) | 3 | (0.6) |
| North Dakota6 | — | (†) | 268 | (0.8) | 270 | (0.8) | 270 | (0.6) | 268 | (0.7) | 269 | (0.6) | 269 | (0.7) | 268 | (0.6) | 267 | (0.6) | 80 | (0.9) | 34 | (1.1) | 2 | (0.4) |
| Ohio | — | (†) | 268 | (1.6) | 267 | (1.3) | 267 | (1.3) | 268 | (1.2) | 269 | (1.3) | 268 | (1.1) | 269 | (1.0) | 266 | (1.5) | 76 | (1.7) | 36 | (1.7) | 4 | (0.5) |
| Oklahoma | 265 | (1.2) | 262 | (0.8) | 262 | (0.9) | 260 | (1.1) | 260 | (0.8) | 259 | (0.9) | 260 | (1.1) | 262 | (0.9) | 263 | (1.3) | 76 | (1.5) | 29 | (1.6) | 2 | (0.4) |
| Oregon6 | 266 | (1.5) | 268 | (1.3) | 264 | (1.2) | 263 | (1.1) | 266 | (0.9) | 265 | (1.0) | 264 | (0.9) | 268 | (0.9) | 268 | (1.3) | 79 | (1.2) | 36 | (1.8) | 4 | (0.7) |
| Pennsylvania. | — | (†) | 265 | (1.0) | 264 | (1.2) | 267 | (1.3) | 268 | (1.2) | 271 | (0.8) | 268 | (1.3) | 272 | (1.0) | 269 | (1.5) | 78 | (1.6) | 39 | (2.0) | 5 | (0.7) |
| Rhode Island | 264 | (0.9) | 262 | (0.8) | 261 | (0.7) | 261 | (0.7) | 258 | (0.9) | 260 | (0.6) | 265 | (0.7) | 267 | (0.6) | 265 | (0.7) | 76 | (0.9) | 35 | (1.2) | 4 | (0.6) |
| South Carolina | 255 | (1.1) | 258 | (1.1) | 258 | (1.3) | 257 | (1.1) | 257 | (0.9) | 257 | (1.2) | 260 | (0.9) | 261 | (1.0) | 260 | (1.2) | 71 | (1.5) | 28 | (1.5) | 2 | (0.4) |
| South Dakota | — | (†) | — | (†) | 270 | (0.8) | 269 | (0.6) | 270 | (0.7) | 270 | (0.5) | 269 | (0.8) | 268 | (0.8) | 267 | (1.0) | 80 | (1.4) | 34 | (1.3) | 2 | (0.4) |
| Tennessee6 | 258 | (1.2) | 260 | (1.4) | 258 | (1.2) | 259 | (0.9) | 259 | (1.0) | 261 | (1.1) | 259 | (1.0) | 265 | (1.1) | 265 | (1.4) | 76 | (1.5) | 33 | (1.8) | 3 | (0.7) |
| Texas | 261 | (1.4) | 262 | (1.4) | 259 | (1.1) | 258 | (0.6) | 261 | (0.9) | 260 | (1.1) | 261 | (1.0) | 264 | (1.1) | 261 | (1.0) | 72 | (1.1) | 28 | (1.6) | 2 | (0.4) |
| Utah | 263 | (1.0) | 263 | (1.1) | 264 | (0.8) | 262 | (0.8) | 262 | (1.0) | 266 | (0.8) | 267 | (0.8) | 270 | (0.9) | 269 | (1.0) | 81 | (1.2) | 38 | (1.4) | 4 | (0.6) |
| Vermont | — | (†) | 272 | (0.9) | 271 | (0.8) | 269 | (0.7) | 273 | (0.8) | 272 | (0.6) | 274 | (0.9) | 274 | (0.7) | 274 | (0.8) | 83 | (1.0) | 44 | (1.4) | 6 | (0.7) |
| Virginia | 266 | (1.1) | 269 | (1.0) | 268 | (1.1) | 268 | (1.0) | 267 | (1.1) | 266 | (1.1) | 267 | (1.2) | 268 | (1.3) | 267 | (1.2) | 77 | (1.2) | 36 | (1.8) | 3 | (0.6) |
| Washington6 | 264 | (1.2) | 268 | (1.2) | 264 | (0.9) | 265 | (1.3) | 265 | (0.9) | 267 | (1.1) | 268 | (1.0) | 272 | (1.0) | 267 | (1.2) | 77 | (1.2) | 37 | (1.6) | 4 | (0.6) |
| West Virginia | 262 | (1.0) | 264 | (1.0) | 260 | (1.0) | 255 | (1.2) | 255 | (1.0) | 255 | (0.9) | 256 | (0.9) | 257 | (0.9) | 260 | (0.9) | 72 | (1.3) | 27 | (1.3) | 2 | (0.5) |
| Wisconsin5 | 265 | (1.8) | ‡ | (†) | 266 | (1.3) | 266 | (1.1) | 264 | (1.0) | 266 | (1.0) | 267 | (0.9) | 268 | (0.9) | 270 | (1.1) | 79 | (1.1) | 39 | (1.7) | 4 | (0.7) |
| Wyoming | 263 | (1.3) | 265 | (0.7) | 267 | (0.5) | 268 | (0.7) | 266 | (0.7) | 268 | (1.0) | 270 | (1.0) | 271 | (0.6) | 269 | (0.7) | 81 | (1.0) | 36 | (1.2) | 3 | (0.5) |
| Department of Defense dependents schools7 |
269 | (1.3) | 273 | (0.5) | 272 | (0.6) | 271 | (0.7) | 273 | (1.0) | 272 | (0.7) | 272 | (0.7) | 277 | (0.7) | 277 | (0.7) | 90 | (0.9) | 47 | (1.6) | 3 | (0.7) |
| —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 8th-grade level. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 Proficient represents solid academic performance for 8th-graders. Students reaching this level have demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 Advanced signifies superior performance. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 Did not meet one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 1998. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 Did not meet one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 2002. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 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: 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. Some data have been revised from previously published figures. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015 Reading Assessments, retrieved November 11, 2015, from the Main NAEP Data Explorer (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/). (This table was prepared November 2015.) |
