Forty-one states and Guam participated in the test, but the sample size in two states was insufficient to permit a reliable estimate. Data not shown for students who did not know parents' level of education.
Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.
The NAEP scores have been evaluated at certain performance levels. A score of 300 implies an ability to find, understand, summarize, and explain relatively complicated literary and informational material. A score of 250 implies an ability to search for specific information, interrelate ideas, and make generalizations about literature, science, and social studies materials. A score of 200 implies an ability to understand, combine ideas, and make inferences based on short uncomplicated passages about specific or sequentially related information. A score of 150 implies an ability to follow brief written directions and carry out simple, discrete reading tasks.