Below is an analysis of 8th grade reading proficiency for 2007 for the 50 states and how it interacts with other important education indicators such as funding, demographics, and achievement.

8th grade reading proficiency varies by region.

On average, 8th graders in the Northeast and the Midwest perform better on NAEP reading tests than 8th graders in the South and the West. In the Northeastern states, approximately 36 percent of 8th graders are reading at the proficient level, while in the Southern states, only 26 percent are reading at the proficient level. The 10 lowest-performing states in the country are all located in the South or the West, while all but one of the 10 highest-performing states are located in the Northeast or Midwest. 1

In Arizona, only 24 percent of 8th graders are reading-proficient, ranking the state 42nd in the country. Compare this to top-ranking, similar-sized (and also much wealthier) Massachusetts, where 43 percent of 8th graders are reading-proficient. This means that Massachusetts has approximately 14,400 more 8th graders reading at the proficient level than Arizona—around 19 percent of each state’s 4th grade population.

8th grade reading proficiency is roughly correlated with student poverty and statewide per-pupil expenditure levels.

In general, states that perform better in 8th grade reading proficiency have lower student poverty rates. Research by the RAND corporation has found that NAEP performance is linked to student background and family characteristics. 2 In the states that rank in the bottom 10 in 8th grade reading proficiency, 19.5 percent of students are living in poverty, in comparison to the states that rank in the top 10, where 12.3 percent of students are living in poverty.

Mississippi, Louisiana, and New Mexico rank in the bottom five states in both 8th grade reading proficiency and student poverty. In contrast, Vermont and New Hampshire rank in the top five states in both categories.

In addition, there is a relationship between 8th grade reading proficiency and statewide per-pupil expenditure. While this correlation is not as strong as the correlation with student poverty, states that have more reading-proficient 8th graders generally spend more on education. This relationship could also be a reflection of student demographics and relative state poverty. The states that rank in the bottom 10 in 8th grade reading proficiency spend, on average, $8,113 per-pupil, while the states that rank in the top 10 spend $10,988 per-pupil.

8th grade reading proficiency has improved little over the past decade and slightly declined in recent years.

The percent of 8th graders performing proficient or better in reading increased only two percentage points between 1992 and 2007 (29 percent to 31 percent). In addition, nationwide 8th grade reading proficiency declined one percentage point between 2003 (32 percent) and 2005 (31 percent) and remained the same between 2005 and 2007.

The achievement gap among 8th graders in reading has been closing since 1992, but remains significant.

Reading proficiency has increased by four percentage points for 8th grade black students (9 percent to 13 percent proficient). Hispanic students are also performing better on 8th grade reading tests—their proficiency increased three percentage points (12 percent to 15 percent proficient). White students’ proficiency increased as well (35 percent to 40 percent proficient). The scale score gap between white and minority students, while still significant, is in decline.

1. 1. Regions. Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont. Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin. South: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
2. 2. David W. Grissmer, Ann Flanagan, Jennifer H. Kawata, & Stephanie Williamson, RAND Corporation, Improving Student Achievement: What State NAEP Test Scores Tell Us