The National Center for Educational Statistics released the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report this week.

Nationally representative samples of 213,100 fourth-graders and 168,200 eighth-graders participated in the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading. At each grade, students responded to questions designed to measure their reading comprehension across two types of texts: literary and informational.

At grade 4, the average reading score in 2011 was unchanged from 2009 but 4 points higher than in 1992. Scores were higher in 2011 than in 2009 for students from both higher-income families (i.e., students not eligible for the National School Lunch Program) and lower-income families (i.e., students eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch). At grade 8, the average reading score in 2011 was 1 point higher than in 2009, and 5 points higher than in 1992.

Scores were higher in 2011 than in 2009 for White, Black, and Hispanic students but did not change significantly for Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian/Alaska Native students. While the White – Hispanic score gap was smaller in 2011 than in 2009, there was no significant change in the White – Black gap over the same period. 

At grade 4, the percentages of students performing at or above Basic, at or above Proficient, or at Advanced did not change significantly from 2009 to 2011 but were higher in 2011 than in 1992. At grade 8, the percentage of students performing at or above the Proficient level in 2011 was higher than in 2009 and 1992. The percentage of students at Advanced in 2011 (3.4) was higher than in 2009 (2.8). The percentage of students at or above Basic did not change significantly from 2009 to 2011 but was higher in 2011 than in 1992.

For more information about the "The Nation's Report Card: Reading 2011," see http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/main2011/2012457.asp.