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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Increase the proportion of 4th-graders with reading skills at or above the proficient level — AH‑05 Infographic

This objective is a Leading Health Indicator (LHI). Learn about LHIs.

Status: Getting worse

  Getting worse

Most Recent Data:
33.3 percent (2022)

Target:
41.5 percent

Desired Direction:
Increase desired

Baseline:
36.6 percent of 4th grade students attending public and private schools had reading skills at or above the proficient achievement level for their grade in 2017

Elementary school children with low literacy and numeracy skills often struggle academically through middle and high school. Research shows that academic success, risky behaviors, and health status are linked. Children experiencing food insecurity are at higher risk of poor physical and mental health, obesity, increased hospitalizations, poor academic performance, and behavioral problems. School lunch programs can remove barriers by providing more consistent access to free and healthy foods for students from households with lower incomes.

In 2022, 33.3 percent of 4th-grade students attending public and private schools had reading skills at or above the proficient achievement level for their grade.

Data Source:  National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), ED/NCES

Disparities in reading proficiency rates by school lunch program eligibility ‡

In 2022, 4th-graders who were eligible for school lunch programs had the lower group rate of reading proficiency (19.3 percent). 4th-graders who were not eligible for school lunch programs (reference group) had the higher group rate (46.4 percent).

The reading proficiency rate among 4th-graders who were not eligible for school lunch programs was more than twice the rate among 4th-graders who were eligible for school lunch programs (maximal rate ratio). The difference between the higher and lower group rates was 27.1 percentage points (maximal rate difference).

Learn about how we calculate disparities data.

Find data for additional demographic groups.