State education
New Jersey
NAEP Grade 4 reading mean scale score · data as of June 8, 2026.
Reading score (2024)
222
Basic
Change since prior NAEP
-1.1 pts
2022 → 2024
vs. U.S. average
+6.6 pts
U.S. score 215 (2024)
NAEP Grade 4 reading since 2013
Mean scale score (0-500). New Jersey compared with the U.S. national average over the same period. NAEP administered every two years.
Year-by-year
| Year | New Jersey | U.S. | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 229 | 222 | +6.9 |
| 2015 | 230 | 223 | +7.0 |
| 2017 | 233 | 222 | +11.0 |
| 2019 | 227 | 221 | +6.7 |
| 2022 | 223 | 218 | +5.2 |
| 2024 | 222 | 215 | +6.6 |
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.