Official measure

Washington

The atlas separates official achievement and skills measures from Pesta's published 2022 research-derived estimate.

WA · FIPS 53
Evidence ledger

Available measures

Every card keeps the measure, year, method, and limitations attached to the number—or explains why no number is shown.

Research estimate2022
101.5published estimate points (M=100, SD=15)

Pesta 2022 published state IQ estimate

A research-derived state aggregate standardized to mean 100 and standard deviation 15, not an administered statewide IQ test.

Method and limits

Pesta standardized PIAAC literacy/numeracy and 2015, 2017, and 2019 NAEP reading/math state scores, derived separate PIAAC and NAEP estimates, and averaged them.

  • This is an ecological proxy built from achievement and adult-skills assessments, not a representative IQ test of every resident.
  • The source populations, years, constructs, and sampling frames differ.
  • Do not infer an individual's ability from a state aggregate or treat small state differences as precise.

Uncertainty: The article reports a point estimate but does not provide a state-specific confidence interval in Table 2.

Official measure2024
Source availableNAEP scale score or achievement-level percentage

NAEP 2024 reading and mathematics achievement

Official state assessment results for grades 4 and 8, retained as separate subject and grade series in the source.

Method and limits

NCES reports results from nationally representative samples using common NAEP assessment frameworks.

  • NAEP measures educational achievement and is not an IQ test.
  • Grade, subject, accommodations, exclusions, and sampling error must remain visible.

Uncertainty: No numeric value is frozen because subject, grade, statistic, and plausible-value uncertainty must be selected together.

Official model2020
Source availablePIAAC scale score or proficiency-level percentage

PIAAC adult literacy and numeracy state estimates

NCES small-area estimates of adult literacy and numeracy proficiency.

Method and limits

NCES combines PIAAC survey data with auxiliary small-area data to produce state and county estimates.

  • Small-area estimates are modeled, not direct tests of all state residents.
  • Literacy and numeracy are distinct skills and should not be collapsed into IQ.

Uncertainty: A numeric value is withheld until domain, estimate type, model release, and interval are versioned.

Official model2024
Source availablepercent

ACS 2024 educational attainment context

Official survey estimates describing educational attainment; included only as context.

Method and limits

The Census Bureau weights ACS survey responses to estimate population characteristics.

  • Educational attainment is not cognitive ability.
  • ACS estimates require margins of error and exact table universes for valid comparisons.

Uncertainty: No percentage is frozen without its ACS table, universe, release, estimate, and margin of error.