PISA 2010 focus gropus appendix D--sample school newspaper article

SAMPLE SCHOOL NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

< Insert School Name> High School: Contributing To The Nation’s Report Card

Soon you may notice some of your classmates receiving hall passes to excuse them from class on < insert assessment date>. You may wonder: What are they for? Where are these students going?

These students have been chosen to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as NAEP. NAEP is the only national assessment that shows what students across the country know and can do in subjects like mathematics and reading. It is different from our state assessments and even the SAT and ACT because it represents all high school students across the country, not just those who plan to go on to college.

Most importantly, NAEP is what the general public will hear about on the news when reporters talk about what high school students are learning. The results are released in The Nation’s Report Card and they also help the President, Congress, and all of our educators make decisions about how to improve our educational system.

Participating in NAEP takes about 90 minutes. During that time, most students will be assessed in civics, geography, or U.S. history. A few students may participate in field tests for writing. All students will be asked questions about their educational experiences that may be related to performance, such as homework and reading habits. While student scores are anonymous, they will be combined with the scores of other students to produce overall results for the nation.

Students who are selected to participate in NAEP have an important job to do. In order to provide an accurate picture of student performance, it is essential that students try their best and answer all the questions they can.

If you would like to see results from past NAEP assessments and learn more about NAEP and why it is important for students, please visit http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard.