What percentage of students in Jefferson County Public Schools are proficient in reading?
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About 26% of 4th graders and 23% of 8th graders were considered proficient in reading in 2024, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The NAEP, also known as the Nation’s Report Card, assesses 4th and 8th graders’ progress in reading and math approximately every two years.
26%
of Jefferson County Public Schools 4th graders were proficient in reading in 2024
23%
of Jefferson County Public Schools 8th graders were proficient in reading in 2024
The NAEP uses a scale of 0-500 points to group 4th and 8th students into three achievement levels (basic, proficient, or advanced). "Proficient" is the benchmark used to describe students who demonstrate competency with challenging subject matter. However, NAEP proficiency is not the same as being on "grade level," which is often assessed by other state and district tests. More information on NAEP skill expectations at each grade level is available here.
In 2024, 7% of 4th graders in Jefferson County Public Schools were advanced in reading and 19% were proficient, which means that about 3 out of 4 (74%) scored at basic or below. In 8th grade, 77% scored at basic or below.
In Jefferson County Public Schools, 4th grade reading proficiency scores in 2024 were lower than Kentucky overall. 8th grade proficiency was also lower than the Kentucky average.
In 2024, the percentage of Jefferson County Public Schools 4th graders at a proficient or advanced reading level was lower than the Kentucky average.
Percentage of students at each NAEP achievement level in 4th and 8th grade in 2024 in Jefferson County Public Schools and Kentucky
How has reading proficiency changed over time?
From this point onward, “proficiency” includes students who were at or above proficient in reading (proficient and advanced students).
Among 4th graders, reading proficiency in Jefferson County Public Schools was lower than Kentucky in 3 test years (2009, 2019, and 2024). In all other test years, there was not a significant difference between Jefferson County Public Schools and Kentucky. Among 8th graders, reading proficiency in Jefferson County Public Schools was lower than Kentucky in 5 test years (2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2024). In all other test years, there was not a significant difference between Jefferson County Public Schools and Kentucky.
Data are available in Jefferson County Public Schools beginning in 2009.
Jefferson County Public Schools 4th graders had a similar level of reading proficiency as Kentucky in 5 out of 8 test years
Percentage of 4th and 8th graders proficient in reading in Jefferson County Public Schools, Kentucky, and the US, 2009–2024
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How do Jefferson County Public Schools students compare to other districts in reading proficiency?
The NAEP collected data in 25 other large urban school districts in 2024. Jefferson County Public Schools had 94,793 students enrolled as of the 2023-24 school year, making it the 13th-smallest district in this sample.
Among 4th grade students, Jefferson County Public Schools had the 12th-lowest reading proficiency rate compared to other districts. It was 13 percentage points lower in proficiency than San Diego Unified School District, the district with the highest rate (39%).
Among 8th grade students, Jefferson County Public Schools had the 12th-lowest reading proficiency rate compared to other districts. It was 14 percentage points lower in proficiency than San Diego Unified School District, the district with the highest rate (37%).
Jefferson County Public Schools is 12th-lowest in 4th grade reading proficiency and 12th-lowest in 8th grade among the 26 districts tested
Percentage of 4th and 8th graders in each district who were proficient in reading in 2024
Why is there data for Jefferson County Public Schools but not all districts?
The NAEP randomly chooses public, private, and charter schools from across the country and in each state and Washington, DC to participate in testing. This random process ensures that the test scores from students in these schools represent how the US and each state are performing as a whole. In addition to national- and state-level reporting, for several years the NAEP has also administered the test to a random sample of schools within 26 of the nation's largest school districts in 2024, of which Jefferson County Public Schools was one.
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
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USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
