Average scale scores and percentages for age 17 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.
10th grade or below2012National279(2.9)17(1.3)272(2.6)20(1.0)269(2.9)15(0.9)271(2.4)16(0.7)254(2.0)31(1.4)
10th grade or below 2008National281(3.2)20(0.9)267(2.4)22(0.9)266(2.3)17(0.8)263(2.9)15(0.8)252(2.4)26(0.8)
10th grade or below 2004¹National(†)20(3.5)(†)31(3.8)(†)14(2.7)(†)14(2.9)(†)21(4.0)
10th grade or below 1999¹National(†)25(4.2)(†)26(5.4)(†)14(3.1)(†)10(2.2)(†)25(6.1)
10th grade or below 1996¹National(†)17(3.7)(†)33(5.0)(†)19(3.3)(†)14(3.2)(†)16(4.0)
10th grade or below 1994¹National(†)26(5.5)(†)32(4.5)(†)14(2.8)(†)10(3.1)(†)19(4.0)
10th grade or below 1992¹National(†)23(3.2)(†)32(3.9)(†)19(3.4)(†)12(2.7)(†)13(2.5)
10th grade or below 1990¹National(†)22(4.0)(†)33(4.5)(†)16(3.7)(†)17(3.7)(†)13(2.9)
10th grade or below 1988¹National(†)20(3.9)(†)34(5.5)(†)20(5.1)(†)16(3.9)(†)10(2.9)
10th grade or below 1984¹National267(3.5)27(1.9)263(2.9)36(2.7)264(5.0)15(1.3)258(5.7)12(1.6)244(4.0)9(1.2)
11th grade2012National308(1.1)20(0.7)300(1.5)21(0.7)295(1.4)16(0.4)292(1.4)18(0.7)278(1.4)26(0.6)
11th grade 2008National309(1.2)21(0.6)299(1.7)22(0.6)296(1.5)17(0.6)294(1.4)17(0.5)275(1.2)24(0.7)
11th grade 2004¹National310(3.7)22(2.4)298(4.0)29(2.3)295(4.2)16(2.1)280(4.9)14(1.9)274(6.2)18(1.9)
11th grade 1999¹National309(4.0)23(1.9)296(2.8)29(2.7)296(3.8)22(2.1)294(5.1)14(1.3)(†)12(1.4)
11th grade 1996¹National312(4.0)24(2.7)300(4.7)32(2.1)302(5.0)16(2.0)(†)12(1.8)279(5.1)17(2.1)
11th grade 1994¹National312(3.8)31(2.8)297(3.5)32(1.9)293(5.9)17(1.7)(†)11(1.8)(†)10(1.6)
11th grade 1992¹National312(3.0)28(2.1)302(2.7)32(1.9)295(3.8)18(1.5)289(5.9)12(1.4)(†)10(1.6)
11th grade 1990¹National311(3.0)33(2.6)304(3.4)30(2.3)297(5.2)16(1.5)(†)10(1.3)(†)10(1.6)
11th grade 1988¹National303(4.1)31(2.4)295(3.3)33(3.6)290(3.7)21(3.0)(†)8(1.0)(†)7(1.2)
11th grade 1984¹National302(1.6)32(0.9)297(1.9)33(0.9)296(2.0)17(0.6)287(3.3)10(0.6)276(3.1)9(0.6)
12th grade2012National307(6.9)21(2.3)298(5.5)20(2.0)(†)15(1.8)291(5.7)22(2.7)277(5.8)22(1.8)
12th grade 2008National309(5.3)21(2.1)296(4.5)27(1.9)279(5.0)17(2.4)290(7.1)18(2.0)278(4.8)18(2.4)
12th grade 2004¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
12th grade 1999¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
12th grade 1996¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
12th grade 1994¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
12th grade 1992¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
12th grade 1990¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
12th grade 1988¹National(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
12th grade 1984¹National315(3.8)31(2.8)304(4.2)34(3.1)(†)19(3.2)(†)8(1.3)(†)8(2.1)