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Digest of Education Statistics
2018 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 221.12. Average National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading scale score and percentage of students attaining NAEP reading achievement levels, by selected school and student characteristics and grade: Selected years, 1992 through 2017
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Grade and year Percent of students in school eligible for free or reduced-price lunch English language learner (ELL) status Disability status1 Percent of all students attaining reading achievement levels
Average reading scale score2 Gap between low-poverty and high-poverty score Average reading scale score2 Gap between non-ELL and ELL score Average reading scale score2 Gap between non-SD and SD score Below Basic3 At or above Basic3
0 to 25 percent eligible
(low poverty)
26 to 50 percent eligible 51 to 75 percent eligible 76 to 100 percent eligible
(high poverty)
ELL Non-ELL Identified as student with disability (SD) Not identified as SD Total at
or above Basic3
At Basic3 At or above Proficient4
Total at
or above
Profi-cient4
At Profi-cient4 At Advanced5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Grade 4                                                                    
19926 (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) 38 (1.1) 62 (1.1) 34 (0.9) 29 (1.2) 22 (0.9) 6 (0.6)
19946 (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) 40 (1.0) 60 (1.0) 31 (0.7) 30 (1.1) 22 (0.8) 7 (0.7)
1998 231 (1.4) 218 (1.6) 205 (1.8) 187 (3.1) 44 (3.4) 174 (5.2) 217 (1.0) 43 (5.3) 176 (4.6) 217 (1.1) 41 (4.7) 40 (1.2) 60 (1.2) 30 (0.8) 29 (0.9) 22 (0.8) 7 (0.5)
2000 231 (1.5) 218 (1.3) 205 (2.1) 184 (2.8) 48 (3.2) 167 (5.2) 216 (1.1) 49 (5.3) 167 (4.8) 217 (1.2) 50 (4.9) 41 (1.4) 59 (1.4) 30 (1.1) 29 (1.1) 23 (1.0) 7 (0.6)
2002 233 (0.4) 221 (0.5) 210 (0.7) 196 (0.7) 37 (0.9) 183 (2.1) 221 (0.3) 38 (2.1) 187 (0.8) 221 (0.5) 34 (0.9) 36 (0.5) 64 (0.5) 32 (0.3) 31 (0.4) 24 (0.3) 7 (0.2)
                                                                     
2003 233 (0.4) 221 (0.5) 211 (0.5) 194 (0.5) 39 (0.7) 186 (0.8) 221 (0.3) 35 (0.8) 185 (0.6) 221 (0.3) 36 (0.6) 37 (0.3) 63 (0.3) 32 (0.2) 31 (0.3) 24 (0.3) 8 (0.1)
2005 234 (0.3) 221 (0.3) 211 (0.4) 197 (0.4) 37 (0.5) 187 (0.5) 222 (0.2) 35 (0.6) 190 (0.5) 222 (0.2) 32 (0.6) 36 (0.3) 64 (0.3) 33 (0.2) 31 (0.2) 24 (0.2) 8 (0.1)
2007 235 (0.4) 223 (0.4) 212 (0.4) 200 (0.5) 35 (0.7) 188 (0.6) 224 (0.3) 36 (0.6) 191 (0.6) 224 (0.3) 33 (0.7) 33 (0.3) 67 (0.3) 34 (0.2) 33 (0.3) 25 (0.2) 8 (0.2)
2009 237 (0.4) 223 (0.5) 215 (0.5) 202 (0.5) 35 (0.6) 188 (0.8) 224 (0.3) 36 (0.8) 190 (0.7) 224 (0.3) 35 (0.7) 33 (0.3) 67 (0.3) 34 (0.3) 33 (0.4) 25 (0.3) 8 (0.2)
2011 238 (0.5) 226 (0.5) 217 (0.4) 203 (0.5) 35 (0.7) 188 (0.8) 225 (0.3) 36 (0.9) 186 (0.5) 225 (0.3) 39 (0.6) 33 (0.3) 67 (0.3) 34 (0.2) 34 (0.4) 26 (0.3) 8 (0.2)
                                                                     
2013 240 (0.4) 227 (0.5) 218 (0.6) 203 (0.4) 37 (0.6) 187 (0.7) 226 (0.3) 38 (0.7) 184 (0.6) 227 (0.3) 42 (0.7) 32 (0.3) 68 (0.3) 33 (0.2) 35 (0.3) 27 (0.3) 8 (0.2)
2015 241 (0.5) 228 (0.5) 219 (0.6) 205 (0.6) 36 (0.8) 189 (1.1) 226 (0.3) 37 (1.1) 187 (0.7) 228 (0.3) 41 (0.8) 31 (0.4) 69 (0.4) 33 (0.3) 36 (0.4) 27 (0.3) 9 (0.2)
2017 240 (0.6) 228 (0.6) 218 (0.6) 205 (0.5) 35 (0.8) 189 (0.8) 226 (0.3) 37 (0.9) 187 (0.5) 227 (0.3) 40 (0.6) 32 (0.3) 68 (0.3) 31 (0.3) 37 (0.3) 27 (0.3) 9 (0.2)
                                                                     
Grade 8                                                                    
19926 (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) 31 (1.0) 69 (1.0) 40 (0.7) 29 (1.1) 26 (1.0) 3 (0.3)
19946 (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) 30 (0.9) 70 (0.9) 40 (0.7) 30 (0.9) 27 (0.8) 3 (0.3)
1998 273 (1.1) 262 (1.3) 252 (2.1) 240 (1.8) 33 (2.1) 218 (2.5) 264 (0.7) 46 (2.6) 224 (3.7) 266 (0.7) 42 (3.7) 27 (0.8) 73 (0.8) 41 (0.9) 32 (1.1) 30 (0.9) 3 (0.3)
2000 (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†)
2002 276 (0.6) 264 (0.6) 254 (0.8) 240 (1.1) 36 (1.3) 224 (1.4) 266 (0.4) 42 (1.4) 228 (1.0) 268 (0.4) 39 (1.0) 25 (0.5) 75 (0.5) 43 (0.4) 33 (0.5) 30 (0.5) 3 (0.2)
                                                                     
2003 275 (0.4) 263 (0.4) 253 (0.6) 239 (1.0) 36 (1.1) 222 (1.5) 265 (0.3) 43 (1.5) 225 (0.6) 267 (0.3) 42 (0.6) 26 (0.3) 74 (0.3) 42 (0.2) 32 (0.3) 29 (0.2) 3 (0.1)
2005 274 (0.3) 262 (0.3) 252 (0.4) 240 (0.6) 34 (0.7) 224 (0.9) 264 (0.2) 40 (0.9) 227 (0.5) 266 (0.2) 39 (0.5) 27 (0.2) 73 (0.2) 42 (0.2) 31 (0.2) 28 (0.2) 3 (0.1)
2007 275 (0.4) 263 (0.4) 253 (0.5) 241 (0.7) 34 (0.8) 223 (1.1) 265 (0.2) 42 (1.1) 227 (0.6) 266 (0.2) 39 (0.6) 26 (0.2) 74 (0.2) 43 (0.2) 31 (0.2) 28 (0.2) 3 (0.1)
2009 277 (0.5) 265 (0.4) 256 (0.6) 243 (0.7) 34 (0.8) 219 (1.0) 266 (0.2) 47 (1.0) 230 (0.6) 267 (0.3) 37 (0.7) 25 (0.3) 75 (0.3) 43 (0.4) 32 (0.4) 30 (0.4) 3 (0.1)
2011 279 (0.4) 268 (0.4) 258 (0.5) 247 (0.5) 32 (0.7) 224 (1.0) 267 (0.2) 44 (1.0) 231 (0.5) 269 (0.2) 38 (0.6) 24 (0.3) 76 (0.3) 42 (0.3) 34 (0.3) 30 (0.2) 3 (0.1)
                                                                     
2013 282 (0.5) 270 (0.5) 261 (0.4) 249 (0.5) 33 (0.7) 225 (0.9) 270 (0.2) 45 (1.0) 232 (0.6) 272 (0.2) 39 (0.7) 22 (0.3) 78 (0.3) 42 (0.3) 36 (0.3) 32 (0.3) 4 (0.1)
2015 281 (0.5) 269 (0.5) 261 (0.6) 248 (0.6) 33 (0.8) 223 (0.9) 268 (0.2) 45 (0.9) 230 (0.6) 270 (0.2) 40 (0.6) 24 (0.3) 76 (0.3) 42 (0.3) 34 (0.3) 31 (0.3) 4 (0.1)
2017 281 (0.5) 270 (0.4) 261 (0.5) 250 (0.5) 31 (0.7) 226 (0.8) 269 (0.3) 43 (0.8) 232 (0.6) 271 (0.3) 39 (0.6) 24 (0.3) 76 (0.3) 40 (0.3) 36 (0.3) 32 (0.3) 4 (0.1)
                                                                     
Grade 12                                                                    
19926 (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) 20 (0.6) 80 (0.6) 39 (0.7) 40 (0.8) 36 (0.8) 4 (0.3)
19946 (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) 25 (0.7) 75 (0.7) 38 (0.7) 36 (1.0) 32 (0.9) 4 (0.5)
1998 296 (0.9) 284 (1.7) 275 (2.0) 272 (3.3) 23 (3.4) 244 (2.6) 291 (0.6) 46 (2.7) 244 (3.2) 292 (0.6) 48 (3.2) 24 (0.7) 76 (0.7) 36 (0.6) 40 (0.7) 35 (0.8) 6 (0.4)
2000 (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†)
2002 293 (0.9) 282 (1.6) 275 (2.6) 268 (2.4) 25 (2.6) 245 (2.4) 288 (0.7) 43 (2.5) 247 (2.0) 289 (0.7) 42 (2.1) 26 (0.8) 74 (0.8) 38 (0.6) 36 (0.8) 31 (0.8) 5 (0.3)
                                                                     
2003 (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†)
2005 292 (1.1) 282 (1.1) 273 (1.8) 266 (2.0) 26 (2.3) 247 (2.4) 288 (0.6) 40 (2.4) 244 (1.8) 289 (0.6) 45 (1.9) 27 (0.8) 73 (0.8) 37 (0.9) 35 (0.7) 31 (0.5) 5 (0.3)
2007 (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†)
2009 299 (1.1) 286 (0.8) 276 (1.1) 266 (1.0) 33 (1.5) 240 (2.1) 290 (0.7) 50 (2.2) 253 (1.4) 291 (0.7) 38 (1.6) 26 (0.6) 74 (0.6) 36 (0.5) 38 (0.8) 33 (0.7) 5 (0.3)
2011 (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†)
                                                                     
2013 302 (1.1) 289 (0.9) 280 (0.9) 268 (1.5) 35 (1.9) 237 (1.9) 290 (0.5) 53 (2.0) 252 (1.4) 292 (0.6) 40 (1.5) 25 (0.6) 75 (0.6) 37 (0.6) 38 (0.7) 32 (0.6) 5 (0.3)
2015 298 (1.5) 289 (1.0) 282 (1.2) 266 (1.7) 32 (2.2) 240 (2.0) 289 (0.5) 49 (2.0) 252 (1.8) 291 (0.5) 39 (1.9) 28 (0.5) 72 (0.5) 35 (0.6) 37 (0.6) 31 (0.6) 6 (0.3)
2017 (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†)
—Not available.
†Not applicable.
‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.
1 The student with disability (SD) variable used in this table includes students who have a 504 plan, even if they do not have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
2 Scale ranges from 0 to 500.
3 Basic denotes partial mastery of the knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work at a given grade.
4 Proficient represents solid academic performance. Students reaching this level have demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter.
5 Advanced signifies superior performance.
6 Accommodations were not permitted for this assessment.
NOTE: Includes public and private schools. For 1998 and later years, includes students tested with accommodations (1 to 13 percent of all students, depending on grade level and year); excludes only those students with disabilities and English language learners who were unable to be tested even with accommodations (2 to 6 percent of all students).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1992, 1994, 1998, 2000, 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.)

2018 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest