Basic Educational Proficiency
Rationale
The National Assessment of Educational Progress test, given in several subjects at several grade levels, measures students' proficiency levels in vital skills such as reading and math. Like other standardized tests, some biases may exist. However, this is the only measure of student performance that is uniform across the participating states.
About Measure
Percentage of fourth-grade students proficient in reading (using 1998 test results) and math (using 1996 test results).
Source
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (1999). National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1998 reading report card for the states. Washington, D.C.: Author; and U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2001). National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2001 mathematics report card for the nation and states. Washington, D.C.: Author.
| State | Reading | Rank | Math | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 24 | 28 | 14 | 35 |
| Alaska | — | — | — | — |
| Arizona | 22 | 32 | 17 | 30 |
| Arkansas | 23 | 30 | 13 | 38 |
| California | 20 | 36 | 15 | 34 |
| Colorado | 34 | 8 | — | — |
| Connecticut | 46 | 1 | 32 | 3 |
| Delaware | 25 | 26 | — | — |
| Florida | 23 | 30 | — | — |
| Georgia | 24 | 28 | 18 | 26 |
| Hawaii | 17 | 39 | 14 | 35 |
| Idaho | — | — | 21 | 24 |
| Illinois | — | — | 21 | 24 |
| Indiana | — | — | 31 | 4 |
| Iowa | 35 | 7 | 28 | 8 |
| Kansas | 34 | 8 | 30 | 5 |
| Kentucky | 29 | 15 | 17 | 30 |
| Louisiana | 19 | 37 | 14 | 35 |
| Maine | 36 | 5 | 25 | 12 |
| Maryland | 29 | 15 | 22 | 22 |
| Massachusetts | 37 | 3 | 33 | 2 |
| Michigan | 28 | 22 | 29 | 6 |
| Minnesota | 36 | 5 | 34 | 1 |
| Mississippi | 18 | 38 | 9 | 40 |
| Missouri | 29 | 15 | 23 | 19 |
| Montana | 37 | 3 | 25 | 12 |
| Nebraska | — | — | 24 | 17 |
| Nevada | 21 | 35 | 16 | 32 |
| New Hampshire | 38 | 2 | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | 22 | 32 | 12 | 39 |
| New York | 29 | 15 | 22 | 22 |
| North Carolina | 28 | 22 | 28 | 8 |
| North Dakota | — | — | 25 | 12 |
| Ohio | — | — | 26 | 11 |
| Oklahoma | 30 | 12 | 16 | 32 |
| Oregon | 28 | 22 | 23 | 19 |
| Pennsylvania | — | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | 32 | 11 | 23 | 19 |
| South Carolina | 22 | 32 | 18 | 26 |
| South Dakota | — | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | 25 | 26 | 18 | 26 |
| Texas | 29 | 15 | 27 | 10 |
| Utah | 28 | 22 | 24 | 17 |
| Vermont | — | — | 29 | 6 |
| Virginia | 30 | 12 | 25 | 12 |
| Washington | 29 | 15 | — | — |
| West Virginia | 29 | 15 | 18 | 26 |
| Wisconsin | 34 | 8 | — | — |
| Wyoming | 30 | 12 | 25 | 12 |
