Fourth-graders in Arizona on average scored 216 on a standardized reading test administered last year, which is four points below the 2019 national average calculated by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). 

The Arizona students’ average score ranked in a tie for 40th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Among the fourth-graders in Arizona who took the assessment, 61 percent tested at or above the basic achievement level, while 31 percent tested at or above the proficient level, according to the analysis.

In total, fourth-graders in 17 of the jurisdictions had average scores above the national average. And 23 jurisdictions had average scores that didn’t vary significantly with the U.S. average, according to the study, while 12 posted average scores that were well below the national average.

The NAEP uses the academic results of such tests to improve public education in the U.S. The effort is carried out under the direction of the U.S. Department of Education.

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4th-Grade Reading Scores, State by State

Rank	Jurisdiction	Average Score	Points Above or Below Average Score	At or Above Basic Achievement Level (%)	At or Above Proficient Achievement (%)
1	Massachusetts	231	12	76	45
2	New Jersey	227	8	72	42
2	Wyoming	227	7	73	41
4	Utah	225	6	72	40
4	Colorado	225	5	71	40
4	Florida	225	5	70	38
7	Connecticut	224	5	70	40
7	New Hampshire	224	5	71	38
7	Virginia	224	4	69	38
10	Pennsylvania	223	4	68	40
10	Idaho	223	3	69	37
12	Minnesota	222	3	69	38
12	Nebraska	222	3	69	37
12	South Dakota	222	3	69	36
12	Ohio	222	3	68	36
12	Vermont	222	2	68	37
12	Indiana	222	2	67	37
12	Montana	222	2	69	36
19	North Carolina	221	2	67	36
19	Maine	221	2	67	36
19	North Dakota	221	2	69	34
19	Kentucky	221	1	67	35
19	Iowa	221	1	68	35
24	Rhode Island	220	1	66	35
24	Maryland	220	0	64	35
24	Wisconsin	220	0	66	36
24	Washington	220	0	65	35
24	New York	220	0	66	34
29	Mississippi	219	0	65	32
29	Kansas	219	0	66	34
29	Tennessee	219	0	66	35
32	Michigan	218	-1	64	32
32	Illinois	218	-1	64	34
32	Missouri	218	-1	64	34
32	Georgia	218	-1	63	32
32	Oregon	218	-2	64	34
32	Delaware	218	-2	62	33
32	Nevada	218	-2	64	31
32	Hawaii	218	-2	63	34
40	California	216	-3	63	32
40	Oklahoma	216	-3	63	29
40	Texas	216	-3	61	30
40	South Carolina	216	-3	61	32
40	Arizona	216	-4	61	31
45	Arkansas	215	-4	62	31
46	District of Columbia	214	-5	57	30
47	West Virginia	213	-6	60	30
48	Alabama	212	-8	58	28
49	Louisiana	210	-10	55	26
50	New Mexico	208	-12	53	24
51	Alaska	204	-15	53	25

Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress