Latest / The Reading Instruction Show
How NAEP Created a Perpetual Reading Crisis
The NAEP proficiency levels were arbitrarily defined (Bracey, 2008; Ravitch, 2012; Reinking, Hruby, & Risko, 2023). These levels should be interpreted with extreme caution (Vaulton, 2025). The National Center for Education Statistics website provides three reasons for this (NCES, 2025):
1. Proficiency levels are based on desired expectations. Meaning that these levels are aspirational not mathematical.
2. These proficiency levels are currently being used on a trial basis.
3. Further evidence is needed to determine if these proficiency levels are “reasonable, valid, and informative”.
If you’re…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.