Skip Navigation
Digest of Education Statistics
2017 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 221.40. Average National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading scale score of 4th-grade public school students, by state: Selected years, 1992 through 2017
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
State 19921 19941 1998 2002 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017
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) 221 (0.3) 221 (0.4) 221 (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) 219 (1.2) 217 (1.4) 216 (1.2)
Alaska (†) (†) (†) (†) 212 (1.6) 211 (1.4) 214 (1.0) 211 (1.2) 208 (1.1) 209 (1.0) 213 (1.3) 207 (1.2)
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) 213 (1.4) 215 (1.3) 215 (1.5)
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) 219 (0.9) 218 (1.1) 216 (1.2)
California2,3 202 (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) 213 (1.2) 213 (1.7) 215 (1.3)
                                                 
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) 227 (1.0) 224 (1.6) 225 (1.5)
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) 230 (0.9) 229 (1.1) 228 (1.2)
Delaware4 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) 226 (0.8) 224 (0.8) 221 (0.8)
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) 206 (0.9) 212 (0.9) 213 (0.8)
Florida 208 (1.2) 205 (1.7) 206 (1.4) 214 (1.4) 218 (1.1) 219 (0.9) 224 (0.8) 226 (1.0) 225 (1.1) 227 (1.1) 227 (1.0) 228 (1.1)
                                                 
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) 222 (1.1) 222 (1.2) 220 (1.2)
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) 215 (1.0) 215 (1.0) 216 (1.0)
Idaho 219 (0.9) (†) (†) 220 (1.1) 218 (1.0) 222 (0.9) 223 (0.8) 221 (0.9) 221 (0.8) 219 (0.9) 222 (1.0) 223 (1.0)
Illinois (†) (†) (†) (†) 216 (1.6) 216 (1.2) 219 (1.2) 219 (1.4) 219 (1.1) 219 (1.4) 222 (1.2) 220 (1.2)
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) 225 (1.0) 227 (1.1) 226 (1.1)
                                                 
Iowa2,3 225 (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) 224 (1.1) 224 (1.1) 222 (1.2)
Kansas2,3 (†) (†) 221 (1.4) 222 (1.4) 220 (1.2) 220 (1.3) 225 (1.1) 224 (1.3) 224 (1.0) 223 (1.3) 221 (1.5) 223 (1.2)
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) 224 (1.2) 228 (1.2) 224 (1.1)
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) 210 (1.3) 216 (1.5) 212 (1.4)
Maine4 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) 225 (0.9) 224 (0.9) 221 (1.1)
                                                 
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) 232 (1.3) 223 (1.3) 225 (1.3)
Massachusetts2 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) 232 (1.1) 235 (1.0) 236 (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) 217 (1.4) 216 (1.3) 218 (1.5)
Minnesota2,3 221 (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) 227 (1.2) 223 (1.3) 225 (1.3)
Mississippi 199 (1.3) 202 (1.6) 203 (1.3) 203 (1.3) 205 (1.3) 204 (1.3) 208 (1.0) 211 (1.1) 209 (1.2) 209 (0.9) 214 (1.0) 215 (1.2)
                                                 
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) 222 (1.0) 223 (1.1) 223 (1.1)
Montana2,3,5 (†) 222 (1.4) 225 (1.5) 224 (1.8) 223 (1.2) 225 (1.1) 227 (1.0) 225 (0.8) 225 (0.6) 223 (0.8) 225 (0.8) 222 (0.9)
Nebraska4,5 221 (1.1) 220 (1.5) (†) 222 (1.5) 221 (1.0) 221 (1.2) 223 (1.3) 223 (1.0) 223 (1.0) 223 (1.0) 227 (1.1) 224 (1.2)
Nevada (†) (†) 206 (1.8) 209 (1.2) 207 (1.2) 207 (1.2) 211 (1.2) 211 (1.1) 213 (1.0) 214 (1.1) 214 (1.2) 215 (1.6)
New Hampshire2,4,5 228 (1.2) 223 (1.5) 226 (1.7) (†) 228 (1.0) 227 (0.9) 229 (0.9) 229 (1.0) 230 (0.8) 232 (0.9) 232 (1.0) 229 (1.0)
                                                 
New Jersey4 223 (1.4) 219 (1.2) (†) (†) 225 (1.2) 223 (1.3) 231 (1.2) 229 (0.9) 231 (1.2) 229 (1.3) 229 (1.4) 233 (1.2)
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) 206 (1.1) 207 (1.0) 208 (1.1)
New York2,3,4 215 (1.4) 212 (1.4) 215 (1.6) 222 (1.5) 222 (1.1) 223 (1.0) 224 (1.0) 224 (1.0) 222 (1.1) 224 (1.2) 223 (1.1) 222 (1.3)
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) 222 (1.1) 226 (1.1) 224 (1.0)
North Dakota3 226 (1.1) 225 (1.2) (†) 224 (1.0) 222 (0.9) 225 (0.7) 226 (0.9) 226 (0.8) 226 (0.5) 224 (0.5) 225 (0.7) 222 (0.8)
                                                 
Ohio 217 (1.3) (†) (†) 222 (1.3) 222 (1.2) 223 (1.4) 226 (1.1) 225 (1.1) 224 (1.0) 224 (1.2) 225 (1.2) 225 (1.0)
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) 217 (1.1) 222 (1.1) 217 (1.1)
Oregon (†) (†) 212 (1.8) 220 (1.4) 218 (1.3) 217 (1.4) 215 (1.4) 218 (1.2) 216 (1.1) 219 (1.3) 220 (1.4) 218 (1.4)
Pennsylvania5 221 (1.3) 215 (1.6) (†) 221 (1.2) 219 (1.3) 223 (1.3) 226 (1.0) 224 (1.4) 227 (1.2) 226 (1.3) 227 (1.8) 225 (1.1)
Rhode Island5 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) 223 (0.9) 225 (0.9) 223 (1.0)
                                                 
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) 214 (1.2) 218 (1.4) 213 (1.2)
South Dakota (†) (†) (†) (†) 222 (1.2) 222 (0.5) 223 (1.0) 222 (0.6) 220 (0.9) 218 (1.0) 220 (0.9) 222 (1.0)
Tennessee3,5 212 (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) 220 (1.4) 219 (1.4) 219 (1.1)
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) 217 (1.1) 218 (1.7) 215 (1.1)
Utah 220 (1.1) 217 (1.3) 216 (1.2) 222 (1.0) 219 (1.0) 221 (1.0) 221 (1.2) 219 (1.0) 220 (1.0) 223 (1.1) 226 (1.1) 225 (1.1)
                                                 
Vermont (†) (†) (†) 227 (1.1) 226 (0.9) 227 (0.9) 228 (0.8) 229 (0.8) 227 (0.6) 228 (0.6) 230 (0.8) 226 (0.8)
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) 229 (1.3) 229 (1.7) 228 (1.5)
Washington3 (†) 213 1.5 218 (1.4) 224 (1.2) 221 (1.1) 223 (1.1) 224 (1.4) 221 (1.2) 221 (1.1) 225 (1.4) 226 (1.5) 223 (1.4)
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) 215 (0.8) 216 (1.2) 217 (1.2)
Wisconsin2,5 224 (1.0) 224 (1.1) 222 (1.1) (†) 221 (0.8) 221 (1.0) 223 (1.2) 220 (1.1) 221 (0.8) 221 (1.6) 223 (1.1) 220 (0.9)
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) 226 (0.6) 228 (0.7) 227 (0.9)
Department of Defense
     dependents
     schools6
(†) (†) 220 (0.7) 224 (0.4) 224 (0.5) 226 (0.6) 229 (0.5) 228 (0.5) 229 (0.5) 232 (0.6) 234 (0.7) 234 (0.6)
—Not available.
†Not applicable.
‡Reporting standards not met. Participation rates fell below the required standards for reporting.
1 Accommodations were not permitted for this assessment.
2 Did not meet one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 1998. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.
3 Did not meet one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 2002. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.
4 Did not meet one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 1992. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.
5 Did not meet one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 1994. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.
6 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: Scale ranges from 0 to 500. State-level data for 2000 are not available. For 1998 and later years, 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), 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 Reading Assessments, retrieved March 13, 2018, from the Main NAEP Data Explorer (https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/). (This table was prepared March 2018.)

2017 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest