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Only 31% Of U.S. Fourth Graders Read at NAEP Proficient Level

NAEP Proficient reading results show low fourth-grade achievement in the U.S.

About 31% of U.S. fourth graders scored at or above NAEP Proficient in reading, according to the most recent NAEP reading results.

The most recent results are from 2024; reading proficiency rates were low across tested grades:

Bar chart shows 2024 NAEP reading proficiency rates for fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders
Most fourth graders missed NAEP Proficient in 2024, and 40% scored Below Basic

Roughly 7 in 10 fourth graders did not reach NAEP Proficient.

In 2024, 69% of fourth graders scored below NAEP Proficient, compared with 70% of eighth graders and 65% of twelfth graders at Basic or below.

Among fourth graders, 40% scored Below Basic, meaning they did not reach NAEP’s lowest achievement benchmark.

What NAEP Measures


NAEP means the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Often called The Nation’s Report Card, it tests representative samples of students across the United States.

NAEP assesses reading and math for fourth and eighth-graders about every two years. Twelfth-grade students are assessed about every four years.

Public, private, and charter school students are included, giving the assessment broad national coverage.

Several features make NAEP useful for tracking student performance over time:

  • Same national framework is used across years
  • Results allow comparisons among states, districts, and student groups
  • Data are reported for the nation, individual states, and about two dozen large urban districts
  • Student results are grouped on a 0 to 500 point scale

NAEP uses those scores to place students into four achievement levels: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, and Advanced.

Because the assessment uses a consistent national structure, it is one of the clearest tools for tracking reading performance over time.

What NAEP Proficient Actually Means

NAEP achievement levels include Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. Each level describes a different degree of academic performance.

NAEP Proficient is a high benchmark. It should not be treated as exactly the same as “on grade level.”

Students at or above NAEP Proficient demonstrate solid academic performance and competency over challenging subject matter.

A few details are important when reading the proficiency numbers:

  • NAEP Proficient is higher than what many people may casually call grade-level reading
  • State tests and district assessments may define grade-level proficiency differently
  • NAEP Proficient should not be used as a direct match for state or local grade-level labels
  • NAEP achievement levels are used on a trial basis

NAEP results should be read carefully because of those cautions. Even so, the data are valuable because they show how many students meet a nationally consistent reading benchmark.

Breakdown of The 2024 Fourth-Grade Reading Results

2024 fourth-grade reading results were divided into four achievement levels:

Chart showing 2024 fourth-grade reading achievement levels with 40% Below Basic and 23% Proficient
Fourth-grade reading slipped in 2024, with 40% Below Basic and only 31% at NAEP Proficient or higher

Adding Proficient and Advanced gives the headline figure of 31%. That means less than one-third of fourth graders reached NAEP Proficient or higher.

Results also worsened compared with 2022. Below Basic rose from 37% in 2022 to 40% in 2024. Basic stayed at 29%. Proficient fell, falling 24% in 2022 to 23% in 2024.

Advanced declined, falling 9% in 2022 to 8% in 2024, although that change was not statistically different.

Several changes show why the 2024 result raised concern:

  • Below Basic was the only category that increased
  • Proficient and Advanced both moved lower
  • Basic did not improve
  • At or above Basic reached 60%, leaving 40% below Basic

Most concerning, 40% of fourth graders scored Below Basic. Students in that category may struggle to understand a simple story or determine the meaning of familiar words in context.

For students who struggle with foundational reading skills, an online reading tutor, like Brighterly can provide targeted support in phonics, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and writing through one-on-one lessons.

Trend Over Time – Reading Performance Has Declined

Fourth-grade reading proficiency has fallen compared with earlier years. In 2024, 31% of fourth graders were at or above NAEP Proficient.

In 2022, the figure was about 33%. In 2019, it was about 34% to 35%. In 2017, proficiency reached a recent peak of 37%.

Average scores show the same pattern:

Line chart shows fourth-grade NAEP reading scores declining from 220 in 2019 to 215 in 2024
Reading scores fell after the pandemic years, but the NAEP alone does not prove one cause

A 2024 average of 215 also matched the 1992 level, suggesting that decades of progress have been lost.

Eighth-grade reading also declined. In 2024, eighth-grade reading proficiency was 30%. The average eighth-grade reading score was 258, lower than 260 in 2022 and lower than 263 in 2019.

Timing adds important context for the post-pandemic period:

  • Fourth graders tested in 2024 were in kindergarten and first grade during the main COVID-19 pandemic school years
  • Eighth graders tested in 2024 were in fourth and fifth grade during that same period
  • NAEP results alone do not prove one cause for the decline

Post-pandemic learning loss may be part of the context, but reading scores had already become a major national concern before the 2024 results.

State-By-State Variation

National averages hide major differences among states and jurisdictions. Reading proficiency varies widely across the country.

In 2022, fourth-grade public-school reading proficiency was 32% nationally.

During that same year, 8 states had a higher percentage of fourth-grade students at or above NAEP Proficient than the nation, while 7 states had a lower percentage.

Fourth-grade public-school reading proficiency spanned 21% to 50% across states and jurisdictions in 2022.

2024 results also showed a large state gap:

Chart comparing fourth-grade reading proficiency rates in Massachusetts and New Mexico in 2024
State results varied widely, so the national NAEP figure does not show the full reading picture

Grade-level patterns also differed by state. In 2024, fourth-grade reading proficiency was higher than eighth-grade proficiency in 37 states and Washington, DC.

Nine states had the same rate for fourth and eighth graders. Four states had higher eighth-grade proficiency than fourth-grade proficiency.

State results make one point clear: a single national figure cannot show the full scope of student outcomes across the country.

Equity Gaps and Student-Group Differences

 

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Reading proficiency also differs by race, ethnicity, gender, income, disability status, English learner status, and school context.

NAEP data can be broken down by race and ethnicity, gender, school type, disability status, and English Learner status, which helps show where achievement gaps have widened or narrowed.

Student-group comparisons show large differences in fourth-grade reading performance:

  • Asian/Pacific Islander and white fourth graders had proficiency rates at least double those of Black and American Indian/Alaska Native students in recent NAEP years
  • In 2024, the fourth-grade reading proficiency rate for Asian/Pacific Islander students was 3.6 times higher than the rate for American Indian/Alaska Native students
  • American Indian/Alaska Native students were the lowest-performing group in that comparison
  • Female fourth graders have had reading proficiency rates 4% to 8% points higher than male students in every NAEP test year since 1992

Large urban district results show even wider gaps. NAEP gathered 2024 data in 26 large urban school districts.

San Diego Unified had the highest fourth-grade reading proficiency rate among those districts at 39%.

Detroit Public Schools had the lowest rate at 5%.

District results show how sharply outcomes can differ inside large urban systems:

  • 2 of the 26 districts were above the U.S. average of 31%
  • 12 districts were not statistically different compared with the national average
  • 12 districts were below the national average
  • Gap between San Diego Unified and Detroit Public Schools was 34 percentage points

FAQs

Why can NAEP results differ compared with state test results?
State tests use different standards, formats, cut scores, and grade-level expectations. NAEP uses one national framework, so its results may look lower than state proficiency rates.
What skills matter most for fourth-grade reading?
Strong fourth-grade readers usually need accurate decoding, fluent oral reading, vocabulary knowledge, background knowledge, and the ability to explain main ideas, details, character actions, and word meaning in context.
Why is fourth grade an important point for reading?
Fourth grade often marks a shift toward using reading to learn new material. Students who still struggle with basic reading skills may have trouble in science, social studies, math word problems, and written assignments.
How can schools respond to weak reading results?
Schools can screen students early, use evidence-based reading instruction, provide small-group intervention, monitor progress often, and train teachers in structured literacy practices.

Summary

@businessinsider US 4th graders’ #reading proficiency hit record lows last year. Can AI and parenting turn things around? #genalpha #education ♬ original sound – Business Insider

About 31% of U.S. fourth graders reached NAEP Proficient or Advanced in reading in the most recent reported data. At the same time, 40% scored Below Basic.

Fourth-grade reading proficiency also declined over time, falling after a 2017 peak of 37% to 31% in 2024.

Average fourth-grade reading scores also dropped, dropping from 220 in 2019 to 217 in 2022 and 215 in 2024.

NAEP Proficient is a high standard and is not identical to grade-level reading on state or district tests.

Still, the 31% figure points to a major national reading problem, especially as Below Basic rose to 40% and state, district, and demographic gaps stayed wide.

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