Executive Summary: Reading Results for Grade 12

Reading performance declines for all but top performers

In 2005, the average reading score for high school seniors was 286 on a 0–500 scale. This score was lower than in 1992, although it was not significantly different from the score in 2002. With the exception of the score for students performing at the 90th percentile, declines were seen across most of the performance distribution in 2005 as compared to 1992. More...

The percentage of students performing at or above Basic decreased from 80 percent in 1992 to 73 percent in 2005, and the percentage of students performing at or above the Proficient level decreased from 40 to 35 percent. Retrieving information from a highly detailed document is an example of the knowledge and skills demonstrated by students performing at the Basic level. Making a critical judgment about a detailed document and explaining their reasoning is an example of the knowledge and skills associated with students’ performance at the Proficient level. More...

White and Black students were the only racial/ethnic groups to show a statistically significant change in reading performance, scoring lower in 2005 than in 1992. The score gaps between White and Black students and White and Hispanic students were relatively unchanged since 1992. More...

Both male and female students’ scores have declined in comparison to 1992, and the performance gap between the genders widened with female students outscoring male students. More...