Skip navigation

The Nation's Report Card


Long-Term Trend Overall Results Executive Summary Mathematics Overall Results Reading Overall Results Student Groups Contextual Variables Sample Questions About the Assessment Information For… Media Parents Educators Researchers Policymakers Resources About the Nation's Report Card Data Tools FAQ Contacts
 

No significant change in reading scores for 17-year-olds at any performance level

 Average Scale Score
Performance Level
 Percentile

Trend in NAEP reading performance-level results for 9-year-old students

Key. Original assessment format. Top bar percent at level 250 or above. Middle bar percent at level 200 or above. Bottom bar percent at level 150 or above. Revised assessment format. Top bar percent at level 250 or above. Middle bar percent at level 200 or above. Bottom bar percent at level 150 or above.

Findings

  • Ninety-six percent of 9-year-olds in 2008 were able to perform the simple, discrete reading tasks described for performance level 150.
  • The percentage of 9-year-olds in 2008 who demonstrated the partially developed skills and understandings described for performance level 200 was higher than the percentages in either 2004 or 1971.

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2008.
NOTE: View complete data with standard errors.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 1971–2008 Long-Term Trend Reading Assessments.

Learn more about the reading performance levels.

To read more details on comparisons across years, see About the Long-Term Trend Assessment.

2008 Long-Term Trend Report Card 2008 Long-Term Trend Report Card