NAEP Reading Grade 12 : National Trends and Student Skills

National Trends and Student Skills

National Score Trends

Lower average reading score in 2024 reflected in score declines at all but the 90th percentile

Average scores are reported on the NAEP reading scale that ranges from 0 to 500. NAEP scores are also reported at five selected percentiles to show the progress made by lower- (10th and 25th percentiles), middle- (50th percentile), and higher- (75th and 90th percentiles) performing students. The percentile is defined by the percentage of students scoring lower than a particular scale score. For example, if the 25th percentile score is 255, it means that 25 percent of the students scored below 255.

The average reading score for twelfth-grade students in 2024 was lower by three points compared to 2019 and was lower by 10 points in comparison to the first reading assessment in 1992.
Compared to 2019, the 2024 reading scores were lower for lower-, middle-, and higher-performing twelfth-grade students at all but the 90th percentile.
Compared to 1992, the 2024 reading scores for twelfth-grade students were lower for lower-, middle-, and higher-performing twelfth-grade students at all but the 90th percentile. Scores for twelfth-graders at the 10th and 25th percentiles were lower by 24 and 15 points, respectively. The score for twelfth-graders at the 50th percentile was 8 points lower and the score for students at the 75th percentile was 2 points lower in 2024 compared to 1992.

The chart below shows the trends in average reading scores and scores for lower- (10th and 25th percentiles) and higher- (75th and 90th percentiles) performing students beginning in 1992 along with the cut score indicating the lower end of the score range for each NAEP achievement level: NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, and NAEP Advanced. Read a description of each NAEP achievement level by clicking the question mark icons. Read more about NAEP achievement levels and how they are set. Please note, NAEP achievement levels are to be used on a trial basis and should be interpreted and used with caution.

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Figure Average and selected percentile scores in NAEP reading for twelfth-grade students: Various years, 1992‒2024

Legend

Click on a data point or key for more details. Click again to return to the overview for all categories.

National Achievement-level Trends

Lower percentage of twelfth-graders at or above NAEP Proficient in reading compared to 2019

Thirty-five percent of twelfth-grade students performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level on the reading assessment in 2024—two percentage points¹ lower compared to 2019 and 5 percentage points lower compared to 1992, the first reading assessment year.
Sixty-eight percent of twelfth-grade students performed at or above the NAEP Basic level in 2024—two percentage points lower compared to 2019 and 12 percentage points lower compared to 1992.
Five percent of twelfth-graders performed at the NAEP Advanced level in 2024, which was 1 point lower than 2019 and 2 points higher in comparison to 1992.
Thirty-two percent of twelfth-grade students performed in the range of the scale below the NAEP Basic level in 2024, two percentage points larger compared to 2019 and 12 percentage points larger compared to 1992.

¹ The percentage-point differences cited in this report are based on the differences between unrounded data as opposed to the rounded percentages shown in the graphic.

NAEP achievement levels are performance standards that represent what students should know and be able to do. Results are reported as percentages of students performing at or above three achievement levels (NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, and NAEP Advanced). Students performing at or above the NAEP Proficient  level on NAEP assessments demonstrate solid academic performance and competency over challenging subject matter. It should be noted that the NAEP Proficient achievement level does not represent grade-level proficiency as determined by other assessment standards (e.g., state or district assessments). NAEP achievement levels are to be used on a trial basis and should be interpreted and used with caution. Find out more about the NAEP reading achievement levels.

NAEP achievement-level setting is based on the judgments of a broadly representative panel of teachers, education specialists, and members of the general public. The authorizing legislation for NAEP requires that the achievement levels be used on a trial basis until the Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) determines that the achievement levels are reasonable, valid, and informative to the public (20 USC § 9622[e][2][C]). The NCES Commissioner's determination is to be based on a congressionally mandated, rigorous, and independent evaluation. The latest evaluation of the achievement levels was conducted by a committee convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in 2016. The evaluation concluded that further evidence should be gathered to determine whether the achievement levels are reasonable, valid, and informative. Accordingly, the NCES Commissioner determined that the trial status of the achievement levels should be maintained at this time. Read more about how NAEP achievement levels are set. In 2018, the National Assessment Governing Board issued a revised Policy Statement clarifying that the NAEP Proficient level is not intended to reflect grade-level performance expectations but is specific to performance on NAEP assessments. Read the Governing Board Policy Statement.

The chart below lists the percentages of twelfth-grade students performing at each of the NAEP reading achievement levels in 2024 and previous assessment years. Set the baseline at either NAEP Basic or NAEP Proficient to see the percentages of students performing at or above that NAEP achievement level. Click "Hide all achievement levels" to see the percentages of students at or above the selected baseline NAEP achievement level. Click "Show all achievement levels" to see the percentages of twelfth-grade students at each of the NAEP achievement levels. Use the slider to change focal years.

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Baseline

Figure Achievement-level results in NAEP reading for twelfth-grade students: Various years, 1992‒2024

NOTE: NAEP achievement levels are to be used on a trial basis and should be interpreted and used with caution. It should be noted that the NAEP Proficient achievement level does not represent grade level proficiency as determined by other assessment standards (e.g., state or district assessments).

National Student Skills

Student performance and skills on reading assessment questions

The NAEP reading assessment measures students’ reading comprehension of literary and informational texts. Students read grade-appropriate texts and answer questions about them that require both literal and interpretive understanding as well as critical thinking skills. The NAEP reading framework guides the content and development of the reading assessment at grades 4, 8, and 12. The 2024 reading assessment at grade 12 used discrete question sets as well as scenario-based tasks (SBTs). The assessment comprised  selected-response and constructed-response questions. All reading assessment questions are classified by one of three  NAEP reading cognitive targets. Read more about the NAEP reading assessment.

To better understand twelfth-graders’ reading performance, students read an essay, titled “Simplicity,” and responded to a set of ten questions about the essay. Student performance on all ten questions about the essay are presented below. Click on “show details” below each listed description to see the question type, cognitive target, and reading-related skills that were assessed.

The essay argues for clear and direct writing free of unnecessary clutter or jargon. Of the ten questions in the set, 6 were selected-response questions with a single correct response option and 4 were constructed-response questions. Students were asked about the ideas presented in the essay, about how those ideas were presented, and to evaluate how well the author argued his point.

In 2024, the percentage of students who received the full credit across the questions ranged from 15 percent for a constructed-response question that required students to provide and support a critical evaluation to 76 percent for a selected-response question that asked students to recognize the meaning of a word as used in the context of a persuasive essay.

Student performance below is expressed using two different metrics as follows:

As the skills demonstrated by students performing at different points on the NAEP reading scale and within the score range for each NAEP achievement level. The descriptions below indicate what students at the designated score point were likely able to do when successfully answering the question as part of the 2024 reading assessment. For example, twelfth-grade students with a score of 314 (NAEP Proficient range) were likely able to “recognize the best description of the way an author presents ideas in a persuasive essay” when answering a critique/evaluate question.
As the percentage of all students who received full credit for each question in 2024 compared to performance on the same set of questions that were administered as part of the 2019 assessment.

Please note, while there is no direct relationship between the position of a question on the scale and the percentage of students receiving full credit at the associated level in any given assessment year, both metrics are provided as different perspectives on student performance.

Figure National grade 12 NAEP reading item map and percentage of twelfth-grade students who received full credit for the listed sample questions in 2024 and 2019

NOTE: The position of a question on the scale represents the scale score attained by students who had a 65 percent probability of obtaining credit at a specific level of constructed-response questions or polytomously scored selected-response questions, a 74 percent probability of correctly answering a four-option single-selection multiple-choice type of selected-response question, or a 72 percent probability of correctly answering a five-option single-selection multiple-choice type of selected-response question in certain subjects. For dichotomously scored, non-single-selection multiple-choice type of selected-response questions, the position reflects the scale score for students with a 65 percent probability of obtaining credit, unless evidence indicates a high rate of guessing, in which case the probability is recalculated as for a single-selection multiple-choice question. Selected-response question includes question types such as single-selection multiple-choice, matching, grid, zone, and in-line choice. There is no direct relationship between the position of a question on the scale and the percentage of students attaining credit at the associated level in any given assessment year. The percentage differences between the assessment years are based on unrounded numbers as opposed to the rounded numbers shown in the report.

Additional NAEP Sample Question Resources

NAEP Questions Tool

Learn more about released reading questions, including examples of students’ answers, scorer comments, and the percentage of students answering questions correctly.

Detailsfor NAEP Questions Tool

Experience NAEP Assessment Questions

You can try test questions that were administered to students as part of the 2024 reading grade 12 assessment. After completing the questions, you can see the correct answers, scoring rubrics, and student performance results.

Detailsfor Experience NAEP Assessment Questions

NAEP Item Maps

One way to understand the NAEP reading scale is by seeing the types of questions that students performing at different points on the scale are likely to answer correctly. See the 2024 item map with a range of skills demonstrated on the reading scale and within the score range for each NAEP achievement level.

Detailsfor NAEP Item Maps

NOTE: The NAEP reading scale ranges from 0 to 500. In 2019, the digitally based NAEP reading assessment at grade 12 was administered for the first time. The 2019 grade 12 reading results in this report are from students who took the digitally based assessment and students who took the paper-based assessment. For more information, see the About page. Accommodations were not permitted in NAEP reading assessments prior to 1998. 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. Comparison results are based on a statistical significance level set at .05, with appropriate adjustments for multiple comparisons. 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, 1992–2024 Reading Assessments.

NAEP Report Card: Grade 12 Reading