NAEP Reading: National Student Group Scores and Score Gaps

National Student Group Scores and Score Gaps

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Student Group Score Trends

Scores lower on average for many student groups compared to 2019

While many student groups had lower average scores in 2022, the average score for fourth-grade Asian/Pacific Islander students, students of Two or More Races, students attending charter schools or schools in rural locations, students identified as students with disabilities, and students identified as English learners did not differ significantly from 2019. 

Across student groups, average fourth-grade reading scores in 2022 were lower for the following student groups:

American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic and White students;
male and female students;
students eligible and not eligible for the National School Lunch Program;
students attending public schools;
students attending public, noncharter schools;
students attending schools in city, suburban, and town locations;
students attending schools in the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West regions;
students who were not identified as students with disabilities; and
students who were not identified as English learners.

In comparison to 1992, however, average fourth-grade reading scores in 2022 were higher for Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, and White students.

See trends in average scores for selected student groups by clicking on the thumbnails within the drop-downs below. Scroll down the page to find out how percentages of student groups have changed over time.

The Type of School results below include data for public schools and Catholic schools (a subcategory of private schools). In 2022, results for private schools overall did not meet the minimum participation rate guideline for reporting, and therefore are not included here. See more information about years with available data by type of school and other student demographic groups.

Figure Trend in fourth-grade NAEP reading average scores, by selected student groups

Legend

NAEP Proficient

Score Gap Trends

Larger score gap between White and Asian/Pacific Islander students compared to 2019

In 2022, the average reading score for Asian/Pacific Islander students at grade 4 was 12 points higher than the average score for their White peers. This 12-point score gap was larger compared to the 7-point gap in 2019, as well as to the point 8-score difference in 1992. In 1992, however, White fourth-grade students had outperformed Asian/Pacific Islander students. There was no significant change in 2022 for the White–Black or White–Hispanic score gaps in comparison to 2019 and 1992.

See the score of one student group ...

White

minus ...

another student group

Black

Figure Trend in fourth-grade NAEP reading average scores and score gaps, by race/ethnicity

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Display Significance markers for:

Score trend lines

Gap trends

Legend

Trend Lines

White

Black

Gaps

Significant difference within year

No significant difference within year

Group Population Percentages

Demographic changes in student populations

Compared to the previous assessment year in 2019, the population of fourth-grade students has changed for a few student groups. For example, the percentage of students who were identified as students with disabilities was higher in 2022 compared to 2019, as was the percentage of students who were identified as English learners. In comparison to the first assessment year in 1992, the percentages of fourth-graders in various student groups have also changed in 2022. For example, the percentages of White and Black students were lower while the percentages of Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander students and students of Two or More Races were higher compared to 1992. Select a student group from the drop-down menu to view changes in the percentage distribution for that group over time.

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Race/ethnicity

Figure Percentage distribution of students in fourth-grade NAEP reading, by race/ethnicity and assessment year

Year	American Indian/Alaska Native	Asian	Asian/Pacific Islander	Black	Hispanic	Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	White
2022
2019
2017
2015
2013
2011
2009
2007
2005
2003
2002
2000
1998
1998¹
1994¹
1992¹

Select a focal year

2022

Related to this topic

Next page: National Achievement-Level Results

NOTE: Beginning with the 2017 assessment, NAEP reading results at grades 4 and 8 are from a digitally based assessment; prior to 2017, results were from a paper-and-pencil-based assessment for grades 4 and 8. In 2019, the digitally based NAEP reading assessment at grade 12 was administered for the first time. The 2019 grade 12 reading report includes results from students who took the digitally based assessment and students who took the paper-based assessment. For more information, see the About page. The NAEP reading scale ranges from 0 to 500. Accommodations were not permitted in NAEP reading assessments prior to 1998. Results are not shown for data points where the sample sizes are insufficient to permit a reliable estimate or where data are not available. Black includes African American, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. In compliance with new standards from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget for collecting and reporting data on race/ethnicity, additional information was collected beginning in 2011 so that results could be reported separately for Asian students and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students. Students who identified with two or more of the racial/ethnic groups (e.g., White and Black) would have been classified as "other" and reported as part of the "unclassified" category prior to 2011, and classified as "Two or More Races" in 2011 and later assessment years. Results for these students are presented under the "Two or More Races" category in the graphics and tables in this report. Trend results for "White," "Black," "Hispanic," "Asian/Pacific Islander," and "Two or More Races" presented in this report are based on the 6-category race/ethnicity variable with data available starting in early 1990s. For the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) eligibility category, results have been reported since 2003 when the quality of the data on students' eligibility for the program improved. Because students' eligibility for NSLP may be underreported at grade 12, the NSLP results at grade 12 are not included in this report. Beginning in the 2014–15 school year, states could additionally categorize students as eligible for NSLP by including them in their Community Eligibility Provision; therefore, the percentage of students categorized as eligible has increased in comparison to 2013. Readers should interpret NSLP trend results with caution. The information about "Eligibility for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)" variable is based on available school records. If school records were not available, the student was classified as "Information not available." The category "students with disabilities" includes students identified as having either an Individualized Education Program or protection under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The results for students with disabilities and English learners are based on students who were assessed and cannot be generalized to the total population of such students. See more information about student group variables. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding or the omission of categories. Although the estimates (e.g., average scores or percentages) are shown as rounded numbers, the positions of the data points in the graphics are based on the unrounded numbers. Unrounded numbers were used for calculating the differences between the estimates, and for the statistical comparison test when the estimates were compared to each other. Not all apparent differences between estimates are statistically significant.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 1992–2022 Reading Assessments.