State education
Montana
NAEP Grade 4 reading mean scale score · data as of July 21, 2026.
Reading score (2024)
217
Basic
Change since prior NAEP
-1.5 pts
2022 → 2024
vs. U.S. average
+2.2 pts
U.S. score 215 (2024)
NAEP Grade 4 reading since 2013
Mean scale score (0-500). Montana compared with the U.S. national average over the same period. NAEP administered every two years.
Year-by-year
| Year | Montana | U.S. | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 223 | 222 | +1.2 |
| 2015 | 225 | 223 | +2.3 |
| 2017 | 222 | 222 | +0.4 |
| 2019 | 222 | 221 | +1.2 |
| 2022 | 219 | 218 | +1.2 |
| 2024 | 217 | 215 | +2.2 |
Methodology
Source: NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress), the federal assessment run by NCES (National Center for Education Statistics). NAEP is the only assessment with a single methodology applied across all 50 states, which makes cross-state comparisons defensible.
Subject: Grade 4 reading. Scale: 0-500. NCES achievement bands: Basic 208, Proficient 238, Advanced 268.
"Change since prior NAEP" compares the two most-recent administrations. NAEP runs every two years.