Reading scores at all five selected percentiles for students who were eligible for free lunch through the National School Lunch Program were higher in 2011 than in 2003, and scores at the 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles were higher in 2011 when compared to 2009.
Because of the improved quality of the data on students' eligibility for NSLP, the percentage of students for whom information was not available has decreased compared to the percentages reported prior to the 2003 assessment. See the proportion of students in each category in the NAEP Data Explorer.