NAEP Reading — US Reading Score Trends
NAEP Reading Scores Decline in 2022
- Between 2019 and 2022, average reading scores for students in 4th grade and 8th grade declined by 3 points.
- Reading scores for most participating large urban school districts showed no declines.
2022 Reading Survey Findings
- 4th graders reported spending less time reading outside of school and expressed less interest in reading than 4th graders in 2019.
- Teachers reported feeling less inspired and more overworked and reported lacking confidence with helping students close knowledge and skill gaps.
US Reading Achievement Level Examples
4th Grade
Achievement Level |
Example of Knowledge or Skill |
|---|---|
NAEP Basic |
Sequence or categorize events from a literary text. |
NAEP Proficient |
Provide an opinion using relevant information from the text. |
NAEP Advanced |
Distinguish the theme of a text. |
8th Grade
Achievement Level |
Example of Knowledge or Skill |
|---|---|
NAEP Basic |
Identify basic literary elements such as the order of events, character traits, and main idea. |
NAEP Proficient |
Identify one or both sides of an argument in an informational text. |
NAEP Advanced |
Use text evidence from multiple sources to substantiate claims made by an author. |
NAEP Reading Assessment Framework
What reading knowledge and skills should students in 4th grade, 8th grade, and 12th grade be able to demonstrate? The NAEP Reading Assessment Framework provides a detailed blueprint of skills by topic and grade.
Reading Assessment Schedule
2026 |
National, state, and TUDA scores for 4th grade and 8th grade |
2028 |
National and state scores for 4th, 8th, and 12th grades; TUDA scores for 4th grade and 8th grade |
2030 |
National, state, and TUDA scores for 4th grade and 8th grade |
2032 |
National and state scores for 4th, 8th, and 12th grades; TUDA scores for 4th grade and 8th grade |