National Trends and Student Skills
National Score Trends
Lower average reading score in 2024 reflected in score declines at all but 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 average reading score for fourth-grade students in 2024 was lower by two points compared to 2022, but was not significantly different in comparison to the first reading assessment in 1992.
- Compared to 2022, the 2024 reading scores were lower for fourth-grade students performing at all selected percentiles, except the 90th, where the score for highest-performing students did not differ from 2022.
- Compared to 1992, the reading scores for fourth-grade students at the 10th and 25th percentiles were lower in 2024. The score for fourth-graders at the 50th percentile was not significantly different from 1992. Scores for students at the 75th and 90th percentiles were higher in 2024 compared to 1992.
Figure Trend in fourth-grade NAEP reading average and selected percentile scores
National Achievement-level Trends
Lower percentage of fourth-graders at or above NAEP Proficient in reading compared to 2022
- Thirty-one percent of fourth-grade students performed at or above the NAEP Proficient
- Sixty percent of fourth-grade students performed at or above the NAEP Basic
- Eight percent of fourth-graders performed at the NAEP Advanced
- Forty percent of fourth-grade students performed in the range of the scale below the NAEP Basic level in 2024, a larger percentage of students compared to 2022 but not significantly different from 1992.
1 The percentage-point difference cited in this report is based on the difference between unrounded data as opposed to the rounded percentages shown in the graphic.
NAEP achievement levels are performance standards that describe 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.
The chart below lists the percentages of fourth-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 "Show all achievement levels" to see the percentages of fourth-grade students at each of the NAEP achievement levels. Click "Hide all achievement levels" to see the percentages of students at or above the selected baseline NAEP achievement level. Use the slider to change focal years.
Figure Trend in fourth-grade NAEP reading achievement-level results
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 grades 4 and 8 used discrete question sets as well as scenario-based tasks
To illustrate students’ performance on the NAEP reading assessment, a set of publicly released questions from the 2024 assessments at grades 4 and 8 are presented below. The range of skills demonstrated by students on these released questions are shown at different points on the NAEP reading scale and within the score range for each NAEP reading achievement level. Also presented is the percentage of students receiving a full credit for each question in 2024 compared to the percentages on the same questions in the 2022 and 2019 assessments. Click on "show details" for each question to see the question type, cognitive target, and a description of the skills demonstrated by students who responded correctly.
Some fourth-grade students read and responded to a literary SBT that included a short poem by Shel Silverstein and a chapter from The Tale of Despereaux, a novel by Kate DiCamillo. The SBTs in the NAEP reading assessment begin with a specific purpose for reading and conclude with a question that reflects the stated purpose. The questions leading up to the final question are designed to help the students build the understandings that are important to the specific purpose and the final question. In this task, the specific purpose tells students they will answer questions that will help them think about how the message of the poem and the story relate to each other. The final question then asks students to explain how a story character reflects an idea from the poem using details from both texts. In 2024, the percentage of students who received the full credit across the sample questions ranged from 12 percent for a question asking students to select from highlighted text the section that supports an idea from the story to 71 percent for a selected-response question about the reason for a character’s action.