Why has NHREADS chosen to focus on grades 4-12?
While there is reason for some optimism regarding growth in reading achievement in grades 1-3 in the United States, the same cannot yet be said for grades 4-12. During the period from 1992 to 2005, the percentage of students performing at or above Basic on The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) decreased from 80% to 73%. The percentage of students performing at or above Proficient decreased from 40% to 35%. The gap between males and females widened. As the RAND Report (2004) on reading points out, that decline is at odds with the heightened literacy requirements of the Information Age.
