Reading Proficiency
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Headline

Average reading proficiency scores for white, black, and Hispanic students in both fourth and eighth grade were significantly higher in 2007 than in 1992, when assessment began. (See Table 1, Table 2)

Importance

The ability to read proficiently is a fundamental skill that affects the learning experiences and school performance of children and adolescents. Students who are competent readers, as measured by their performance on reading tests, are more likely to perform well in other subjects, such as math and science.^1,2 Reading achievement also predicts one's likelihood of graduating from high school and attending college.³

Reading skills also influence students' well-being as adults. For instance, illiterate adults find it difficult to function in society, as many basic decision-making skills require reading proficiency.⁴ People who are not able to fill out an application because of limited reading or writing skills are likely to have difficulty finding a job. Strong reading skills protect against unemployment in early adulthood.⁵ Research has confirmed that performance on adult literacy tests helps to explain differences in wages.⁶ Further, adults with limited reading abilities are likely to pass these limitations on to their children.⁷

Trends

Between 1992 and 2002, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading scores for eighth graders rose slightly from 260 to 264, before declining slightly to 263 in 2007. (See Figure 1) Fourth grade reading scores are significantly higher than in any other assessment year, with a national average of 221 in 2007, as compared to 217 in 1992. (See Figure 1) Reading scores for twelfth grade students decreased significantly from 292 in 1992 to 286 in 2005, the last year for which data are available.

Note: In 1996, NAEP started allowing testing accommodations for students with disabilities and for limited English proficient students. Accommodations may include extra time, one-on-one administration, use of magnifying equipment, translation of assessments, or the use of bilingual dictionaries and are determined by state and district policies. Beginning in 2002, all NAEP assessments allow accommodations.

Differences by Race and Ethnicity⁸

In 2007, white and Asian/Pacific Islander students had significantly higher reading scores than blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians in the fourth and eighth grades, with average scores ranging from 24 to 29 points higher. (See Figure 2) White and Asian American twelfth graders scored significantly higher than black and Hispanic students by 15 to 26 points in 2005. The performance gap between white and black students consistently decreased from 1992 to 2007, while the gap between white and Hispanic students has not changed significantly since 1992. (See Table 1, Table 2, Table 3)

Differences by Free/Reduced-Price School Lunch Program Eligibility

At all three grade levels, lower-income students who were eligible for free- and reduced-price lunches had lower NAEP reading scores, on average, than students who were not eligible. In 2007, differences in performance were 27 points in the fourth grade and 24 points in the eighth grade. Among twelfth grade students, performance differed by 19 points in 2005.(See Table 1, Table 2, Table 3)

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Differences by Gender

Girls had higher NAEP reading scores, on average, than boys. This gender gap increased modestly at higher grade levels. In 2007, in the fourth grade the gap was 6 points, increasing to 10 points by the eighth grade. (See Figure 3) Among twelfth graders, girls had significantly higher NAEP reading scores than boys (13 points).

Differences by Region

Reading scores also differed by geographical region. In 2007, fourth graders from the Northeast, on average, scored 14 points higher than fourth graders in the West, 8 points higher than fourth graders in the South, and 4 points higher that fourth graders in the Midwest (228 versus 214, 220, and 224 respectively). Eighth graders in the Northeast scored, on average, 11 points higher than eighth graders in the West, 8 points higher than eighth graders in the South, and 3 points higher than eighth graders in the Midwest (269 versus 258, 261, and 266, respectively). (See Figure 4)

Related Indicators

Mathematics Proficiency, Science Proficiency, Writing Proficiency

State and Local Estimates

2007 reading estimates for 4th and 8th graders for states participating in NAEP are available at: http://nationsreportcard.gov/reading_2007/r0005.asp

2007 reading estimates for 4th and 8th graders by region are available at http://nationsreportcard.gov/reading_2007/r0037.asp

2007 state estimates for 4th graders who scored below the basic reading level are available at http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/sld/compare_results.jsp?i=550

2007 state estimates for 4th graders who scored at or above the proficient reading level are available at http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/sld/compare_results.jsp?i=560

2007 state estimates for 8th graders who scored below the basic reading level are available at http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/sld/compare_results.jsp?i=630

2007 state estimates for 8th graders who scored at or above the proficient reading level are available at http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/sld/compare_results.jsp?i=640

2007 estimates for 4th and 8th graders in 11 large urban districts participating in NAEP are available at http://nationsreportcard.gov/tuda_reading_2007

International Estimates

International estimates of reading literacy for 4th grade students are available from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessment, which compares the scores of U.S fourth graders to their peers in 44 different countries. Available at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008017

International estimates of reading literacy for 4th grade students and 15 year olds are available from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) Education at a Glance 2004 report at: http://www.oecd.org/document/11/0,2340,en_2649_34515_33712011_1_1_1_1,00.html (See Tables A6.1-A6.3)

National Goals

The No Child Left Behind Act, signed into law in January 2002, requires states to set performance standards for multiple subjects, including reading, and requires that each state measure students' progress in reading and mathematics every year from grades 3 to 8, and at least once in grades 10 to 12. Each state is expected to make adequate yearly progress toward meeting standards, and all children are expected to meet or exceed minimum proficiency standards, as defined by the state, within twelve years.

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What Works: Programs and Interventions that May Influence this Indicator

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Research References

¹Jordan, W.J., & Nettles, S.M. (1999). How Students Invest Their Time Out of School: Effects on School Engagement, Perceptions of Life Chances, and Achievement. Report No. 29. Washington, D.C.: Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk. http://www.csos.jhu.edu/crespar/techReports/Report29.pdf

² Carnine, Linda, and Carnine, Douglas. (2004). "The Interaction of Reading Skills and Science Content Knowledge When Teaching Struggling Secondary Students." Reading and Writing Quarterly 20: 203-218.

³ Ludwig, J. (1999). "Information and Inner City Educational Attainment." Economics of Education Review, 18, 17-30; Zaff, J.F., Moore, K.A., Papillo, A.R., & Williams, S. (2003). Implications of extracurricular activity participation during adolescence on positive outcomes. Journal of Adolescent Research, 18(06).

⁴ Kirsch, I., Jungeblut, A., Jenkins, L. & Kolstad, A. (1993). Adult Literacy in America: A First Look at the Findings of the National Adult Literacy Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. [On-line]. Available: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs93/93275.pdf; Humboldt Literacy Project. N.D. Fast Facts on Literacy. Eureka, CA. Author. [On-line]. Available: http://www.eurekawebs.com/humlit/fast_facts.htm

⁵ Caspi, A., Wright, B.E., Moffit, T.E., & Silva, P.A. (1998). "Childhood Predictors of Unemployment in Early Adulthood." American Sociological Review, 63 (3), 424-451.

⁶ Blau, F. & Kahn, L. (2000). Do Cognitive Test Scores Explain US Wage Inequality? National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc (RePEc:nbr:nberwo:8210).

⁷Moore, K., Glei, D., Driscoll, A., Zaslow, M., and Redd, Z. (2002). "Poverty and Welfare Patterns: Implications for Children." Journal of Social Policy.

⁸Note that none of the race groups include Hispanics of those races. Special analyses by the NCES of the 12th grade American Indian and Alaska Native data raised concerns about accuracy so these results are not discussed in this paper.

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Definition

Reading proficiency refers to performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Reading Assessments. Scale scores range from 0 to 500, with a standard deviation of 100. In 1996, NAEP started allowing testing accommodations for students with disabilities and for limited English proficient students. Accommodations may include extra time, one-on-one administration, use of magnifying equipment, translation of assessments, or the use of bilingual dictionaries and are determined by state and district policies. Beginning in 2002, all NAEP assessments allow accommodations.

Data Sources

U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. National Assessment of Educational Progress Mathematics Assessments (NAEP), 2007, 2005, 2003, 2000, 1996, 1992, and 1990 Mathematics Assessments. Accessed through the NAEP data tool at
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nde/criteria.asp

Raw Data Source

National Assessment of Educational Progress
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

Approximate Date of Next Update

2009

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