Proficient Readers
The National Assessment of Educational Progress found that only 20% of California’s fourth-graders were deemed proficient readers last year, meaning they had a solid command of challenging course work. The exam revealed that white and Asian students outperformed their black and Latino counterparts, a gap that remained constant over a six-year span. And girls consistently did better than boys. The following graphic shows the percentage of proficient readers by racial and ethnic group since the federal government began tracking state-by-state test scores in 1992. Only 1998 scores were provided by gender. The exam also revealed that California fourth-graders ranked second to last among their peers in 39 states, based on average scores. The Times recently published those state-by-state results.
1998
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Male Female Nation 27 31 Alabama 22 26 Arizona 18 26 Arkansas 22 24 California 18 22 Colorado 30 37 Connecticut 41 49 Delaware 21 28 Florida 19 26 Georgia 22 27 Hawaii 15 20 Iowa 29 40 Kansas 29 39 Kentucky 27 31 Louisiana 16 22 Maine 32 41 Maryland 24 34 Massachusetts 31 42 Michigan 23 33 Minnesota 32 40 Mississippi 16 19 Missouri 23 35 Montana 31 44 Nevada 18 24 New Hampshire 35 41 New Mexico 19 25 New York 27 31 North Carolina 24 31 Oklahoma 29 31 Oregon 24 32 Rhode Island 31 33 South Carolina 20 24 Tennessee 23 28 Texas 25 32 Utah 24 32 Virginia 26 33 Washington 25 33 West Virginia 26 31 Wisconsin 32 37 Wyoming 26 34
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White
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1992 1994 1998 Nation 33 35 Alabama 28 32 34 Arizona 29 32 32 Arkansas 29 30 29 California 30 25 29 Colorado 30 35 41 Connecticut 42 48 55 Delaware 32 30 31 Florida 29 31 32 Georgia 34 36 38 Hawaii 26 34 25 Iowa 38 37 37 Kansas -- -- 39 Kentucky 25 28 32 Louisiana 23 25 31 Maine 37 42 38 Maryland 32 37 40 Massachusetts 41 42 43 Michigan 32 -- 34 Minnesota 34 35 39 Mississippi 26 31 27 Missouri 35 35 34 Montana -- 39 41 Nevada -- -- 27 New Hampshire 39 37 40 New Mexico 35 30 35 New York 36 39 39 North Carolina 33 39 37 Oklahoma 33 -- 36 Oregon -- -- 33 Rhode Island 33 37 38 South Carolina 32 31 33 Tennessee 29 32 31 Texas 35 38 43 Utah 32 33 32 Virginia 40 35 38 Washington -- 31 33 West Virginia 26 28 31 Wisconsin 37 39 39 Wyoming 36 35 33
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Black
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1992 1994 1998 Nation 8 8 9 Alabama 5 8 8 Arizona 16 10 10 Arkansas 6 6 7 California 8 8 7 Colorado 12 11 17 Connecticut 9 9 13 Delaware 9 10 12 Florida 7 7 9 Georgia 9 10 9 Hawaii 10 10 13 Iowa 17 7 7 Kansas -- -- 14 Kentucky 8 12 11 Louisiana 6 4 6 Maine * * * Maryland 9 8 11 Massachusetts 10 13 12 Michigan 6 -- 8 Minnesota 5 9 13 Mississippi 5 7 8 Missouri 9 12 8 Montana -- * * Nevada -- -- 6 New Hampshire * * * New Mexico 12 11 6 New York 12 9 9 North Carolina 9 11 11 Oklahoma 10 -- 9 Oregon -- -- 10 Rhode Island 11 12 9 South Carolina 7 6 10 Tennessee 8 9 10 Texas 8 10 11 Utah * * * Virginia 12 8 13 Washington -- 11 13 West Virginia 12 13 6 Wisconsin 10 9 7 Wyoming * * *
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Latino
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1992 1994 1998 Nation 24 42 34 Alabama 7 4 7 Arizona 10 13 8 Arkansas 8 14 10 California 6 6 8 Colorado 13 12 15 Connecticut 8 14 17 Delaware 7 10 11 Florida 14 13 17 Georgia 15 13 12 Hawaii 11 13 9 Iowa 17 16 22 Kansas -- -- 20 Kentucky 13 11 11 Louisiana 7 6 9 Maine 14 25 17 Maryland 12 12 18 Massachusetts 11 10 14 Michigan 11 -- 11 Minnesota 14 21 19 Mississippi 3 6 4 Missouri 12 17 15 Montana -- 20 19 Nevada -- -- 12 New Hampshire 25 21 11 New Mexico 13 15 14 New York 9 13 11 North Carolina 14 11 13 Oklahoma 15 -- 14 Oregon -- -- 11 Rhode Island 9 12 8 South Carolina 11 8 10 Tennessee 14 12 15 Texas 12 13 15 Utah 14 15 9 Virginia 12 20 13 Washington -- 9 12 West Virginia 16 11 14 Wisconsin 17 14 16 Wyoming 17 20 18
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Asian / Pacific Islander
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1992 1994 1998 Nation 24 42 34 Alabama * * * Arizona * * * Arkansas * * * California 24 29 31 Colorado 37 27 40 Connecticut * * 16 Delaware * * * Florida * * * Georgia * * * Hawaii 16 17 17 Iowa * * * Kansas -- -- * Kentucky * * * Louisiana * * * Maine * * * Maryland 36 49 41 Massachusetts 27 17 26 Michigan * -- * Minnesota * 36 38 Mississippi * * * Missouri * * * Montana -- * * Nevada -- -- 27 New Hampshire * * * New Mexico * * * New York 34 42 50 North Carolina * * * Oklahoma * -- * Oregon -- -- 25 Rhode Island 16 17 24 South Carolina * * * Tennessee * * * Texas * 36 * Utah * 25 22 Virginia 39 42 38 Washington -- 28 31 West Virginia * * * Wisconsin * * * Wyoming * * *
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American Indian
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1992 1994 1998 Nation 16 18 12 Alabama * * * Arizona 6 10 15 Arkansas 16 * * California * * * Colorado 16 22 * Connecticut * * * Delaware * * * Florida * * * Georgia * * * Hawaii * * 9 Iowa * * * Kansas -- -- 22 Kentucky * * * Louisiana * * * Maine * * * Maryland * * * Massachusetts * * * Michigan * -- * Minnesota * 15 * Mississippi * * * Missouri * 22 * Montana -- 17 19 Nevada -- -- 12 New Hampshire * * * New Mexico 9 8 9 New York * * * North Carolina 19 11 * Oklahoma 26 -- 22 Oregon -- -- 9 Rhode Island * * * South Carolina * * * Tennessee * * * Texas * * * Utah * 9 10 Virginia * * * Washington -- 20 19 West Virginia * * * Wisconsin 16 * * Wyoming 17 20 16
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*
* Insufficient sample size
-- test not given
Source: National Center for Education Statistics
