Average scale scores and percentages for age 13 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.
7th grade or below2012National263(1.8)28(0.9)253(1.9)26(1.0)255(2.6)14(0.6)247(2.6)10(0.7)240(1.6)22(0.9)
7th grade or below 2008National263(2.4)24(1.0)257(1.7)26(1.0)253(2.2)12(0.7)245(2.3)12(0.8)240(1.5)25(1.1)
7th grade or below 2004¹National259(4.2)30(3.5)257(4.6)31(2.9)(†)15(2.6)(†)8(1.7)(†)16(1.7)
7th grade or below 1999¹National253(5.1)28(2.3)252(5.4)38(3.3)(†)16(3.4)(†)12(2.6)(†)7(1.6)
7th grade or below 1996¹National253(4.8)35(2.6)240(3.7)29(3.2)(†)14(1.8)(†)9(1.6)(†)12(2.5)
7th grade or below 1994¹National255(5.2)29(3.2)242(4.3)34(3.6)(†)16(2.9)(†)8(1.3)(†)13(2.7)
7th grade or below 1992¹National257(7.0)32(4.1)246(5.2)36(3.2)(†)14(2.3)(†)8(2.3)(†)9(2.3)
7th grade or below 1990¹National250(6.0)30(2.4)237(6.6)32(3.4)(†)17(2.5)(†)10(2.1)(†)11(2.3)
7th grade or below 1988¹National248(6.4)33(3.1)245(5.0)29(3.7)(†)20(2.3)(†)10(2.2)(†)8(2.1)
7th grade or below 1984¹National246(2.9)33(1.6)239(2.1)36(2.1)238(2.9)14(1.2)237(5.2)7(0.7)223(3.1)10(0.9)
8th grade2012National285(1.7)27(0.9)275(1.7)25(0.7)269(1.6)14(0.6)264(1.7)12(0.4)255(1.4)22(0.8)
8th grade 2008National281(1.4)26(0.8)270(1.3)25(0.7)266(1.6)13(0.6)260(1.7)12(0.5)252(1.4)23(0.7)
8th grade 2004¹National278(3.6)29(2.1)263(2.6)35(2.2)262(5.2)15(1.5)(†)9(1.3)(†)12(1.6)
8th grade 1999¹National283(4.0)28(2.1)269(3.8)35(2.6)272(4.2)18(1.3)(†)9(1.5)(†)10(1.6)
8th grade 1996¹National279(4.4)30(2.4)267(3.7)32(2.6)267(6.0)16(2.0)(†)9(1.8)(†)13(2.0)
8th grade 1994¹National283(3.3)34(1.9)266(3.6)31(2.5)(†)13(1.5)(†)11(1.7)(†)11(1.7)
8th grade 1992¹National276(3.1)42(2.2)268(3.6)28(2.2)(†)12(1.9)(†)9(1.2)(†)9(1.3)
8th grade 1990¹National277(3.0)38(2.0)265(2.6)32(1.9)(†)11(1.3)(†)8(1.2)(†)11(1.5)
8th grade 1988¹National273(3.3)37(2.7)269(4.0)33(2.3)(†)12(2.3)(†)7(1.6)(†)11(1.7)
8th grade 1984¹National273(1.3)37(1.1)264(1.2)34(1.2)264(2.6)15(1.0)261(3.8)7(0.6)250(3.6)8(0.7)
9th grade or above2012National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
9th grade or above 2008National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
9th grade or above 2004¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
9th grade or above 1999¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
9th grade or above 1996¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
9th grade or above 1994¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
9th grade or above 1992¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
9th grade or above 1990¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
9th grade or above 1988¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
9th grade or above 1984¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)