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Digest of Education Statistics
2016 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 227.50. Average National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and mathematics scale scores of 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-graders and percentage absent from school, by selected characteristics and number of days absent in the last month: 2015
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Grade level and days absent from school in the last month All students Sex Race/ethnicity Eligibility for free or
reduced-price lunch (public school students only)
Control of school
Male Female White Black Hispanic Asian Pacific Islander American Indian/
Alaska Native
Two or more races Eligible Not eligible Unknown Public Catholic Other private
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
  Average mathematics scale score1
4th-graders                                                                
0 days 245 (0.3) 246 (0.4) 244 (0.3) 252 (0.3) 229 (0.6) 235 (0.5) 264 (1.2) 240 (3.1) 232 (1.5) 249 (1.1) 233 (0.3) 257 (0.4) 250 (3.0) 245 (0.3) 250 (1.3) (†)
1-2 days 240 (0.4) 240 (0.5) 239 (0.4) 248 (0.4) 223 (0.7) 230 (0.7) 255 (1.4) 231 (3.5) 228 (1.7) 244 (1.3) 230 (0.4) 252 (0.4) 245 (2.6) 239 (0.4) 246 (1.6) (†)
3-4 days 233 (0.4) 234 (0.6) 232 (0.6) 241 (0.6) 220 (0.8) 225 (1.0) 250 (2.8) 223 (4.3) 226 (1.9) 240 (2.0) 225 (0.5) 247 (0.7) 238 (2.7) 233 (0.5) 240 (2.6) (†)
5-10 days 231 (0.6) 231 (0.8) 231 (0.8) 242 (0.7) 215 (1.1) 221 (1.6) 240 (5.4) 218 (5.3) 220 (4.6) 232 (4.4) 220 (0.9) 247 (1.1) 239 (4.4) 230 (0.6) (†) (†)
More than 10 days 216 (1.0) 215 (1.5) 216 (1.1) 227 (1.3) 204 (1.7) 208 (2.0) 232 (4.8) (†) 203 (4.1) 219 (3.4) 209 (1.0) 231 (1.8) (†) 215 (1.0) (†) (†)
8th-graders                                                                
0 days 288 (0.4) 288 (0.4) 288 (0.5) 297 (0.4) 266 (0.7) 275 (0.7) 311 (1.8) 282 (4.7) 272 (2.4) 292 (1.4) 274 (0.5) 300 (0.5) 299 (3.4) 288 (0.4) 296 (2.1) (†)
1-2 days 283 (0.4) 282 (0.5) 283 (0.5) 292 (0.4) 261 (0.8) 271 (0.8) 306 (1.9) 278 (6.0) 270 (2.8) 282 (1.6) 268 (0.4) 296 (0.4) 297 (3.5) 282 (0.4) 295 (1.9) (†)
3-4 days 272 (0.5) 271 (0.7) 272 (0.6) 282 (0.6) 252 (1.1) 261 (0.8) 295 (3.8) 270 (8.2) 262 (2.6) 281 (2.4) 260 (0.6) 287 (0.7) 281 (4.6) 271 (0.4) 281 (3.2) (†)
5-10 days 266 (0.8) 266 (1.0) 265 (1.1) 277 (1.0) 249 (1.5) 255 (1.7) 281 (5.9) 270 (7.4) 264 (5.6) 269 (6.0) 256 (0.9) 282 (1.1) 273 (6.0) 265 (0.8) (†) (†)
More than 10 days 251 (1.5) 250 (2.2) 252 (2.2) 264 (2.0) 235 (2.6) 240 (2.4) (†) (†) 236 (7.0) 261 (8.4) 241 (1.5) 269 (2.5) (†) 250 (1.5) (†) (†)
12th-graders                                                                
0 days 156 (0.8) 157 (1.0) 155 (1.0) 164 (0.9) 135 (1.3) 144 (1.3) 176 (2.1) (†) (†) 163 (4.8) 142 (1.0) 164 (1.1) (†) 155 (0.9) 175 (2.8) (†)
1-2 days 152 (0.6) 154 (0.8) 151 (0.9) 162 (0.9) 129 (1.3) 138 (1.2) 167 (3.1) (†) (†) 158 (4.0) 137 (0.9) 161 (1.0) (†) 151 (0.7) 174 (2.5) (†)
3-4 days 145 (0.9) 146 (1.3) 144 (1.2) 154 (1.1) 127 (2.0) 133 (1.6) 164 (4.9) (†) (†) (†) 133 (1.2) 154 (1.2) (†) 143 (0.9) 171 (3.9) (†)
5-10 days 141 (1.4) 144 (1.9) 138 (2.1) 151 (1.7) 125 (4.6) 128 (2.2) (†) (†) (†) (†) 131 (2.1) 151 (2.1) (†) 140 (1.4) (†) (†)
More than 10 days 130 (2.8) 129 (3.9) 131 (3.8) 135 (4.7) (†) 133 (4.0) (†) (†) (†) (†) 123 (3.3) 140 (3.5) (†) 131 (2.4) (†) (†)
  Average reading scale score2
4th-graders                                                                
0 days 227 (0.4) 224 (0.5) 231 (0.4) 236 (0.4) 212 (0.5) 213 (0.8) 244 (1.5) 216 (4.1) 212 (2.1) 233 (1.6) 213 (0.4) 240 (0.4) 232 (3.3) 226 (0.4) 240 (1.3) (†)
1-2 days 222 (0.5) 219 (0.7) 225 (0.6) 232 (0.5) 206 (0.8) 208 (1.1) 238 (2.7) 217 (8.5) 209 (2.7) 225 (2.0) 210 (0.6) 236 (0.6) 228 (4.3) 221 (0.5) 237 (1.8) (†)
3-4 days 215 (0.6) 211 (0.8) 219 (0.9) 226 (0.7) 200 (1.2) 202 (1.5) 230 (3.7) 218 (5.6) 200 (2.7) 222 (1.9) 204 (0.8) 232 (0.8) 225 (5.0) 214 (0.6) 232 (3.0) (†)
5-10 days 214 (0.7) 209 (1.4) 218 (1.0) 225 (0.9) 195 (2.1) 203 (1.8) 237 (4.4) 203 (6.2) 200 (5.5) 221 (3.8) 202 (1.1) 231 (1.2) (†) 213 (0.8) (†) (†)
More than 10 days 192 (1.4) 189 (2.2) 197 (1.7) 206 (1.6) 184 (2.7) 181 (2.6) 204 (7.7) (†) 182 (6.0) 199 (4.3) 186 (1.4) 208 (2.1) (†) 192 (1.3) (†) (†)
8th-graders                                                                
0 days 270 (0.3) 266 (0.4) 275 (0.4) 278 (0.4) 253 (0.6) 258 (0.6) 284 (1.4) 265 (3.1) 260 (2.2) 273 (1.4) 257 (0.5) 279 (0.4) 277 (3.0) 269 (0.3) 287 (1.2) (†)
1-2 days 266 (0.3) 261 (0.4) 271 (0.4) 275 (0.3) 248 (0.6) 254 (0.6) 280 (1.8) 249 (4.7) 256 (2.5) 271 (1.7) 254 (0.4) 277 (0.4) 276 (3.3) 265 (0.3) 283 (1.7) (†)
3-4 days 257 (0.5) 252 (0.8) 262 (0.7) 267 (0.6) 241 (1.0) 247 (1.1) 269 (3.0) 251 (4.6) 249 (2.8) 261 (3.1) 247 (0.6) 269 (0.8) 268 (4.6) 256 (0.5) 275 (3.1) (†)
5-10 days 251 (1.0) 244 (1.2) 257 (1.3) 262 (1.1) 236 (1.8) 240 (1.8) 271 (5.8) 236 (7.3) 239 (8.0) 257 (4.1) 241 (1.1) 266 (1.6) 250 (8.3) 250 (1.0) (†) (†)
More than 10 days 236 (1.5) 232 (2.0) 240 (2.1) 246 (2.2) 224 (2.7) 227 (2.6) 256 (7.8) (†) 223 (10.6) (†) 229 (1.7) 248 (2.7) (†) 235 (1.5) (†) (†)
12th-graders                                                                
0 days 291 (0.7) 286 (0.9) 297 (1.0) 299 (0.9) 269 (1.7) 280 (1.1) 298 (2.4) (†) (†) 297 (4.6) 276 (1.1) 298 (1.0) (†) 289 (0.8) 312 (2.5) (†)
1-2 days 289 (0.7) 284 (0.9) 293 (1.0) 297 (0.9) 267 (1.4) 278 (1.2) 301 (2.8) (†) 276 (7.2) 295 (5.0) 275 (0.9) 296 (0.9) 290 (8.0) 287 (0.8) 313 (3.6) (†)
3-4 days 283 (0.9) 276 (1.4) 288 (1.3) 291 (1.2) 263 (2.1) 272 (1.6) 293 (5.8) (†) (†) (†) 269 (1.2) 291 (1.1) (†) 281 (0.9) 307 (3.0) (†)
5-10 days 278 (1.6) 271 (2.5) 283 (1.8) 287 (2.1) 261 (3.3) 266 (3.2) (†) (†) (†) (†) 268 (2.2) 285 (2.3) (†) 276 (1.7) (†) (†)
More than 10 days 259 (3.4) 256 (5.3) 263 (3.7) 260 (5.2) 253 (5.6) 255 (4.1) (†) (†) (†) (†) 253 (3.7) 268 (5.4) (†) 259 (3.2) (†) (†)
  Percent of students absent3
4th-graders                                                                
0 days 52 (0.2) 54 (0.3) 50 (0.4) 52 (0.3) 49 (0.6) 51 (0.6) 67 (1.3) 45 (4.4) 44 (1.9) 49 (1.4) 48 (0.3) 56 (0.4) 59 (3.2) 52 (0.3) 55 (1.6) (†)
1-2 days 29 (0.2) 28 (0.2) 31 (0.3) 30 (0.3) 28 (0.5) 29 (0.5) 22 (1.0) 28 (3.0) 31 (1.8) 31 (1.4) 30 (0.3) 29 (0.3) 24 (2.2) 29 (0.2) 28 (1.3) (†)
3-4 days 11 (0.1) 11 (0.2) 12 (0.2) 11 (0.2) 13 (0.3) 12 (0.3) 7 (0.5) 17 (3.0) 15 (0.9) 12 (0.9) 13 (0.2) 9 (0.2) 12 (1.5) 11 (0.1) 11 (0.9) (†)
5-10 days 5 (0.1) 5 (0.1) 5 (0.2) 5 (0.1) 6 (0.3) 5 (0.2) 3 (0.3) 6 (1.8) 7 (0.8) 5 (0.5) 5 (0.1) 4 (0.2) 4 (1.1) 5 (0.1) 4 (0.6) (†)
More than 10 days 3 (0.1) 3 (0.1) 2 (0.1) 2 (0.1) 4 (0.3) 3 (0.2) 2 (0.2) 3 (0.7) 4 (0.6) 3 (0.4) 4 (0.1) 2 (0.1) 1 (0.4) 3 (0.1) 1 (0.4) (†)
8th-graders                                                                
0 days 45 (0.3) 47 (0.4) 43 (0.4) 44 (0.3) 45 (0.6) 44 (0.7) 65 (1.3) 47 (4.0) 32 (1.7) 45 (1.5) 41 (0.4) 49 (0.4) 45 (1.5) 45 (0.3) 51 (1.6) (†)
1-2 days 36 (0.2) 35 (0.3) 38 (0.3) 38 (0.3) 33 (0.4) 37 (0.5) 26 (1.1) 28 (2.7) 40 (1.7) 35 (1.2) 36 (0.3) 37 (0.3) 35 (1.4) 36 (0.2) 36 (1.4) (†)
3-4 days 12 (0.2) 12 (0.2) 13 (0.3) 12 (0.2) 14 (0.4) 13 (0.4) 6 (0.6) 14 (2.4) 20 (1.2) 14 (0.9) 15 (0.2) 10 (0.2) 14 (1.1) 13 (0.1) 10 (0.9) (†)
5-10 days 4 (0.1) 4 (0.1) 5 (0.1) 4 (0.1) 6 (0.3) 5 (0.2) 2 (0.3) 7 (1.5) 6 (0.9) 5 (0.5) 6 (0.1) 3 (0.1) 5 (0.9) 5 (0.1) 2 (0.5) (†)
More than 10 days 1 (0.1) 2 (0.1) 1 (0.1) 1 (0.1) 2 (0.2) 2 (0.1) 1 (0.1) 5 (1.8) 3 (0.6) 1 (0.3) 2 (0.1) 1 (0.1) 1 (0.3) 2 (0.1) 1 (0.2) (†)
12th-graders                                                                
0 days 36 (0.6) 40 (0.7) 32 (0.6) 35 (0.7) 38 (1.0) 34 (1.0) 49 (1.5) (†) 30 (3.1) 34 (2.5) 33 (0.8) 37 (0.7) 35 (5.2) 36 (0.6) 38 (1.9) (†)
1-2 days 41 (0.5) 40 (0.6) 43 (0.6) 43 (0.6) 37 (0.8) 40 (0.8) 37 (1.5) (†) 42 (4.9) 41 (3.2) 40 (0.7) 43 (0.7) 39 (4.8) 41 (0.5) 43 (1.7) (†)
3-4 days 15 (0.3) 14 (0.4) 17 (0.5) 15 (0.4) 17 (0.8) 17 (0.6) 10 (0.9) (†) 19 (3.1) 15 (2.1) 18 (0.6) 14 (0.5) 15 (2.3) 16 (0.4) 14 (1.1) (†)
5-10 days 6 (0.2) 5 (0.3) 6 (0.3) 5 (0.3) 7 (0.5) 6 (0.4) 3 (0.4) (†) 6 (1.5) 7 (1.3) 7 (0.4) 5 (0.3) 8 (2.1) 6 (0.2) 5 (0.6) (†)
More than 10 days 2 (0.1) 2 (0.2) 2 (0.2) 2 (0.2) 2 (0.3) 2 (0.3) 1 (0.4) (†) 3 (1.6) 3 (0.9) 2 (0.2) 1 (0.2) 3 (1.3) 2 (0.2) 1 (0.2) (†)
†Not applicable.
‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases for a reliable estimate).
1 For grades 4 and 8, the mathematics scale ranges from 0 to 500. For grade 12, the mathematics scale ranges from 0 to 300.
2 Reading scale ranges from 0 to 500.
3 Absenteeism percentages based on the reading assessment.
NOTE: Includes public and private schools except where otherwise noted. Includes students tested with accommodations (9 to 13 percent of all students, depending on assessment and grade level); excludes only those students with disabilities and English language learners who were unable to be tested even with accommodations (2 percent of all students). Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2015 Mathematics and Reading Assessments, retrieved April 19, 2017, from the Main NAEP Data Explorer (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/). (This table was prepared April 2017.)

2016 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest