Seniors' Reading and Math NAEP Scores on Rise

State Results Provided for First Time on Math and Reading Achievement

Washington

Twelfth graders’ reading and mathematics scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress have improved only modestly in the past four years, according to results from the latest administration, prompting renewed recognition that too few students leave high school well equipped for a promising future.

The report also marks the first time that state outcomes on NAEP were made available at the 12th grade level for those states that volunteered.

Results of NAEP, often called “the nation’s report card,” show that between 2005 and 2009, the two most recent administrations of the exam, 12th graders’ average reading score rose 2 points, from 286 to 288,...