Average scale scores and percentages for age 9 long-term trend reading, by read for fun on your own time, grade level and jurisdiction: 2012, 2008, 2004, 1999, 1996, 1994, 1992, 1990, 1988, and 1984
Grade levelYearJurisdictionAlmost every dayOnce or twice a weekOnce or twice a monthA few times a yearNever or hardly ever
Average scale scoreStandard ErrorPercentageStandard ErrorAverage scale scoreStandard ErrorPercentageStandard ErrorAverage scale scoreStandard ErrorPercentageStandard ErrorAverage scale scoreStandard ErrorPercentageStandard ErrorAverage scale scoreStandard ErrorPercentageStandard Error
† Not applicable.
‡ Reporting standards not met.
NOTE: The NAEP Long-Term Trend Reading scale ranges from 0 to 500. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Some apparent differences between estimates may not be statistically significant. Analyze results with NAEP Data Explorer.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2008, and 2012 Long-Term Trend Reading Assessments.
3rd grade or below2012National212(1.3)54(1.2)211(1.6)20(0.9)206(3.4)7(0.6)200(3.1)7(0.6)197(2.4)12(0.8)
3rd grade or below 2008National212(1.8)51(0.9)213(2.3)21(0.9)208(2.6)7(0.6)200(3.4)8(0.6)198(1.9)15(0.8)
3rd grade or below 2004¹National206(2.5)57(2.6)209(3.6)23(2.3)(†)4(0.9)(†)5(1.1)(†)11(1.7)
3rd grade or below 1999¹National195(3.6)57(2.4)202(5.3)21(2.5)(†)6(1.2)(†)4(1.0)(†)12(1.8)
3rd grade or below 1996¹National198(4.1)56(2.4)197(4.1)22(2.5)(†)7(1.6)(†)4(1.3)(†)10(1.4)
3rd grade or below 1994¹National197(3.8)58(2.7)199(4.6)24(2.4)(†)5(1.1)(†)4(1.1)(†)9(1.4)
3rd grade or below 1992¹National196(2.8)57(1.9)196(3.2)27(1.7)(†)5(0.9)(†)3(0.7)(†)9(1.3)
3rd grade or below 1990¹National197(3.7)50(2.6)187(4.5)25(2.3)(†)6(1.1)(†)4(1.1)179(5.1)15(1.4)
3rd grade or below 1988¹National194(2.9)54(2.5)192(5.8)25(2.2)(†)9(1.6)(†)2(0.7)(†)11(1.5)
3rd grade or below 1984¹National190(1.9)55(1.4)190(2.9)24(1.2)179(5.3)7(1.0)(†)3(0.6)183(3.8)11(1.1)
4th grade2012National234(0.8)52(1.0)232(1.1)24(0.8)227(2.4)7(0.4)219(2.4)6(0.4)215(1.9)11(0.5)
4th grade 2008National233(1.0)46(0.9)230(1.4)25(0.7)228(1.8)8(0.4)220(2.2)7(0.4)219(1.5)14(0.7)
4th grade 2004¹National228(1.9)52(1.7)230(2.6)28(1.4)222(5.2)8(0.9)(†)6(0.8)215(4.3)7(0.9)
4th grade 1999¹National224(2.9)53(1.8)219(2.7)27(1.8)(†)6(0.7)(†)4(0.8)200(4.0)10(1.1)
4th grade 1996¹National220(2.0)53(1.9)217(3.0)29(2.3)214(5.6)8(1.2)(†)3(0.5)(†)7(0.9)
4th grade 1994¹National226(2.1)57(1.6)223(3.4)26(1.4)(†)6(0.6)(†)2(0.6)199(4.2)9(0.9)
4th grade 1992¹National229(2.0)56(1.5)223(2.4)29(1.6)216(5.6)6(0.8)(†)4(0.4)(†)5(0.7)
4th grade 1990¹National227(2.9)56(1.8)228(2.8)25(1.4)(†)6(0.7)(†)3(0.6)205(4.6)9(1.0)
4th grade 1988¹National223(2.0)54(2.1)223(3.2)27(1.6)(†)6(0.6)(†)5(0.8)207(3.7)8(1.0)
4th grade 1984¹National227(1.3)52(1.2)220(1.7)30(1.0)217(4.0)7(0.6)208(4.4)3(0.4)209(2.5)8(0.5)
5th grade or above2012National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
5th grade or above 2008National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
5th grade or above 2004¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
5th grade or above 1999¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
5th grade or above 1996¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
5th grade or above 1994¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
5th grade or above 1992¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
5th grade or above 1990¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
5th grade or above 1988¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
5th grade or above 1984¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)