Rockford's Independent Newspaper

Illinois fourth-graders below national average in reading

Staff Report

Fourth-graders in Illinois on average scored 218 on a standardized reading test administered last year, which is one point below the 2019 national average calculated by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

The Illinois students’ average score ranked in a tie for 32nd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Among the fourth-graders in Illinois who took the assessment, 64 percent tested at or above the basic achievement level, while 34 percent tested at or above the proficient level, according to the analysis.

In total, fourth-graders in 17 of the jurisdictions had average scores above the national average. And 23 jurisdictions had average scores that didn’t vary significantly with the U.S. average, according to the study, while 12 posted average scores that were well below the national average.

The NAEP uses the academic results of such tests to improve public education in the U.S. The effort is carried out under the direction of the U.S. Department of Education.

Fourth Grade Reading Scores, State by State

Rank Jurisdiction Average Score Points Above or Below Average Score At or Above Basic Achievement Level (%) At or Above Proficient Achievement (%)
1 Massachusetts 231 12 76 45
2 New Jersey 227 8 72 42
2 Wyoming 227 7 73 41
4 Utah 225 6 72 40
4 Colorado 225 5 71 40
4 Florida 225 5 70 38
7 Connecticut 224 5 70 40
7 New Hampshire 224 5 71 38
7 Virginia 224 4 69 38
10 Pennsylvania 223 4 68 40
10 Idaho 223 3 69 37
12 Minnesota 222 3 69 38
12 Nebraska 222 3 69 37
12 South Dakota 222 3 69 36
12 Ohio 222 3 68 36
12 Vermont 222 2 68 37
12 Indiana 222 2 67 37
12 Montana 222 2 69 36
19 North Carolina 221 2 67 36
19 Maine 221 2 67 36
19 North Dakota 221 2 69 34
19 Kentucky 221 1 67 35
19 Iowa 221 1 68 35
24 Rhode Island 220 1 66 35
24 Maryland 220 0 64 35
24 Wisconsin 220 0 66 36
24 Washington 220 0 65 35
24 New York 220 0 66 34
29 Mississippi 219 0 65 32
29 Kansas 219 0 66 34
29 Tennessee 219 0 66 35
32 Michigan 218 -1 64 32
32 Illinois 218 -1 64 34
32 Missouri 218 -1 64 34
32 Georgia 218 -1 63 32
32 Oregon 218 -2 64 34
32 Delaware 218 -2 62 33
32 Nevada 218 -2 64 31
32 Hawaii 218 -2 63 34
40 California 216 -3 63 32
40 Oklahoma 216 -3 63 29
40 Texas 216 -3 61 30
40 South Carolina 216 -3 61 32
40 Arizona 216 -4 61 31
45 Arkansas 215 -4 62 31
46 District of Columbia 214 -5 57 30
47 West Virginia 213 -6 60 30
48 Alabama 212 -8 58 28
49 Louisiana 210 -10 55 26
50 New Mexico 208 -12 53 24
51 Alaska 204 -15 53 25

Sources: The Center Square; National Assessment of Educational Progress

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