Appendix J 2017-2019 Communication Materials

Appendix J NAEP 2017-2019 Communication Materials.pdf

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2017-2019

Appendix J 2017-2019 Communication Materials

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NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS
NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS
Appendix J
2017 Communications and Recruitment Materials

Request for Clearance for
NAEP Assessments for 2017-2019

OMB# 1850-0928 v.1

August 15, 2016

Table of Contents
Appendix J-1 NAEP Participation Letter for Chiefs..................................................................3
Appendix J-2 NAEP Sample Endorsement Letter for Private School Organizations ...........6
Appendix J-3 NAEP State Coordinator Selection Notification Letter to Principal ...............8
Appendix J-4 NAEP Facts for Districts Brochure ...................................................................11
Appendix J-5 NAEP Facts for Principals Brochure ................................................................14
Appendix J-6 Introduction to NAEP Brochure .......................................................................19
Appendix J-7 An Overview of NAEP ........................................................................................40
Appendix J-8 An Overview of NAEP for Private Schools ......................................................44
Appendix J-9 NAEP Save-the-Date Letter from NAEP State Coordinator to School
Principal .......................................................................................................................................47
Appendix J-10 NAEP in Your School Brochure ......................................................................49
Appendix J-11 NAEP in Your Private School ..........................................................................54
Appendix J-12 NAEP Assessment Details Letter from NAEP State Coordinator to
Principal .......................................................................................................................................59
Appendix J-13 NAEP Assessment Details Letter from NAEP State Coordinator to School
Coordinator .................................................................................................................................61
Appendix J-14 School Coordinator Responsibilities: A Guide to MyNAEP .........................64
Appendix J-15 Template for State-Specific SD Inclusion Policy ............................................69
Appendix J-16 Template for State-Specific ELL Inclusion Policy .........................................74
Appendix J-17 NAEP DBA Sample Parent Letter ..................................................................78
Appendix J-18 NAEP Facts for Teacher Brochure .................................................................80
Appendix J-19 NAEP State Coordinator Selection Notification Letter to Principal,
Writing Comparability Study ....................................................................................................85
Appendix J-20 NAEP Facts for Principals Brochure, Writing Comparability Study .........87
Appendix J-21 NAEP in Your School Brochure, Writing Comparability Study .................90
Appendix J-22 An Introduction to NAEP for Private School .................................................93

Appendix J-1: NAEP Participation Letter for Chiefs

Early May NAEP 2017 Notification Letter From
CHIEF STATE SCHOOL OFFICER TO DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT
Red text should be customized before mail merge: highlighted text represents mail merge fields
Dear District Superintendent name,
I am pleased to notify you that number schools in your district have been selected to participate in the 2017
administration of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is the largest nationally
representative and continuing assessment of what students in the United States know and can do in various subjects.
Selected schools represent schools across state name and the nation, and their participation provides NAEP an
accurate picture of student performance. School District will play an important role by participating, and I know that
we can count on your full support to make this a meaningful experience for your schools and students.
Selected schools are notified in advance so that principals can place the assessment window (January 30 to March
10, 2017) on their calendars and incorporate NAEP into the planned school program. A few additional schools
within School District may be selected for the NAEP 2017 assessments. Your NAEP State Coordinator will contact
you soon should this happen. Starting in June, each school will receive its assessment date. Schools may work with
the NAEP State Coordinator if there is a conflict with the scheduled assessment date.
Note: Only need to include the red text below for districts that have both assessment programs.
The NAEP 2017 administration will include two main assessment programs. Each school will participate in only one
program. The attached List of District Schools Selected for NAEP shows the assessment program for each selected
school in School District.
• Program 1
o Grades 4 and 8: Mathematics and reading
• Program 2
o Grade 4: Mathematics, reading, and writing
o Grade 8: Civics, geography, mathematics, reading, U.S. history, and writing
For Program 1, NAEP will administer mathematics and reading assessments to students in grades 4 and 8. National
and state-level results will be released as The Nation’s Report Card. Most students will take the assessment on
tablets with keyboards provided by NAEP representatives. A small subset of students will take paper-and-pencil
versions of the assessment. NAEP is administering the assessments via both tablets and paper booklets to evaluate
any differences in student performance.
Note: Only need to include the red text in this paragraph for districts with writing/pilot assessment schools.
For Program 2, NAEP will also administer writing assessments on tablets with keyboards at grades 4 and 8.
National-level results from the writing assessments will be included in The Nation’s Report Card. Some students in
these schools will be selected for pilot assessments on tablets for mathematics and reading at grades 4 and 8, and
civics, geography, and U.S. history at grade 8 only. Results from these pilot assessments will not be released but will
be used to inform future NAEP assessments.
Other special studies may occur in a few schools as well. As in previous years, NAEP representatives will provide
significant support to schools, bring all necessary materials and equipment, including tablets, and administer the
assessment.
The list of selected schools from your district is attached and includes the assessment program for each school.
Please include the NAEP assessment window (January 30 to March 10, 2017) on your district test calendar.
Information about NAEP can be found in the enclosures listed below and at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard.
Name, our NAEP State Coordinator, will contact your staff with additional information.
Thank you for supporting this important assessment, and for helping accomplish our goal of 100 percent
participation.

Sincerely,

Name of Chief State School Officer
Enclosures:

List of District Schools Selected for NAEP
Facts for Districts

CC:

State Testing Director
District Testing Director
NAEP State Coordinator

Appendix J-2: NAEP Sample Endorsement Letter for Private School
Organizations

NAEP 2017 Sample Endorsement Letter
From Private School Organization to Private School Administrator
Red text should be customized and letter should be finalized on organization letterhead

Spring 2016

Dear Administrator:
I am writing to encourage you to participate in the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP). Your decision has important implications for the entire private school community.
First administered in 1969, NAEP is the largest continuing and nationally representative measure of
private and public school student achievement across the country. Teachers, principals, parents,
policymakers, and researchers all use NAEP results to assess progress and develop ways to improve
education in the United States. Your school’s participation will help make it possible for private school
data to be reported and contribute to the picture of education across the nation and to future policy
decisions. NAEP has consistently shown across subjects and over time that students in private schools
score higher than students in public schools.
Private schools account for about 23 percent of all schools in the nation and educate approximately 9
percent of all school children across the country; therefore, it is important that our students' performance
be included in all data that describe the condition of education in the United States. The participation of a
single private school in NAEP can be the determining factor in whether or not data are reported for our
nation’s students who receive their instruction in private schools. With your support, private schools can
achieve excellent participation, and private school results can be reported.
A NAEP representative will contact you to discuss assessment details. In the meantime, please visit the
NAEP website at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard for complete information about NAEP, including
sample questions and previous results. For information specifically for private schools, including a short
video in which heads of school and teachers discuss their experiences with NAEP, visit
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/nonpublicschools.asp.
Note that NAEP representatives will administer the assessment and provide all materials and equipment
necessary to conduct the assessment. All NAEP representatives submit to an FBI clearance process and
sign an oath of confidentiality. In addition, the scores of individual schools and students are never
identified, as results are only reported for categories of schools and students.
For the benefit of the private school community and to provide the most accurate information about
student achievement in the United States, I strongly urge you to participate. Our goal is 100 percent
participation, and I am counting on you to help us reach that goal.
If you have questions or concerns about participating in NAEP, please contact [private school
organization contact person and contact information or] Donna Biggerstaff at 1-866-442-0695 or at
[email protected].

Sincerely,
[Name]
Private School Organization
Title

Appendix J-3: NAEP State Coordinator Selection Notification Letter to
Principal

May NAEP 2017 Notification Letter From
NAEP STATE COORDINATOR TO SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: For Mathematics & Reading Operational Schools
Red text should be customized before mail merge; highlighted text represents mail merge fields
Dear Principal,
I am pleased to inform you that school name has been selected to represent schools across state name and the nation by
participating in the 2017 administration of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is the
largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students in the United States know and can do in
various subjects. It is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department
of Education. As part of the NAEP 2017 program, students will participate in mathematics and reading assessments.
National and state-level results will be released as The Nation’s Report Card.
Most students will take the assessment on tablets with keyboards provided by NAEP representatives. A subset of
students will take paper-and-pencil versions of the assessment. NAEP is administering the assessments via both tablets
and paper booklets to evaluate any differences in student performance. Each student will be assessed in only one
subject.
For now, I am writing only to notify you of the assessment. In June, I will send you an assessment date. If the date
presents a conflict for your school, we will work together to identify an alternate. Our goal is to schedule the assessment
prior to the beginning of the school year so that you may include it on your 2016-2017 school calendar.
At the beginning of the school year, I will send you detailed assessment information and will ask you to identify a
school coordinator, provide a student list, and submit additional information. NAEP representatives will provide
significant support to your school, bring all materials and equipment, including the tablets, and administer the
assessment. Outlined below is a broad overview of the assessment:
•
•
•

Subjects:
Grade:
Tablet sessions:

•

Paper booklet sessions:

•
•

Assessment administrator:
Assessment window:

Mathematics and reading
4 or 8
Two sequential sessions of about 25 students each. Each session
will last approximately 120 minutes (including transition time and
instructions).
One session of about 12 students. The session will last
approximately 90 minutes, and must be conducted in a separate space from
the tablet sessions.
NAEP representatives
January 30–March 10, 2017

More information about NAEP can be found in the enclosures listed below and at
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/schools.asp. If you have questions, please contact me at telephone number or
via email at email address.
Our chief state school officer, name, and your district superintendent, name, support NAEP and look forward to your
school’s participation. We know that we can count on you to help reach our goal of 100 percent participation.

Sincerely,

NAEP State Coordinator
Enclosures:

Facts for Principals – Link for electronic mailing

CC:

District Test Director

May NAEP 2017 Notification Letter From
NAEP STATE COORDINATOR TO SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: For Writing & Pilot Schools
Red text should be customized before mail merge; highlighted text represents mail merge fields
Dear Principal,
I am pleased to inform you that school name has been selected to represent schools across the nation by participating in
the 2017 administration of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is the largest nationally
representative and continuing assessment of what students in the United States know and can do in various subjects. It is
administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education. As part
of the NAEP 2017 program, students will participate in a writing assessment. Results from the writing assessment will
be reported in The Nation’s Report Card. In addition, some students may also be selected to take civics, geography,
mathematics, reading, and U.S. history pilot assessments. Results from the pilots will be used to inform future NAEP
assessments.
Students will use tablets with keyboards provided by NAEP to complete the assessment. Each student will be assessed
in only one subject. As NAEP transitions to digitally based assessments, results from the pilots will help determine how
to maximize the use of tablets.
For now, I am writing only to notify you of the assessment. In June, I will send you an assessment date. If the date
presents a conflict for your school, we will work together to identify an alternate. Our goal is to schedule the assessment
prior to the beginning of the school year so that you may include it on your 2016-2017 school calendar.
At the beginning of the school year, I will send you detailed assessment information and will ask you to identify a
school coordinator, provide a student list, and submit additional information. NAEP representatives will provide
significant support to your school, bring all materials and equipment, including the tablets, and administer the
assessment. Outlined below is a broad overview of the assessment:
•
•
•
•

Subjects:
Grade:
Sessions:
Session Duration:

•
•

Assessment administrator:
Assessment window:

Civics, geography, mathematics, reading, U.S. history, and writing
4 or 8
Two sequential sessions of approximately 25 students each
Approximately 120 minutes for students, including transition time
and instructions
NAEP representatives
January 30–March 10, 2017

Sincerely,

NAEP State Coordinator
Enclosures:

Facts for Principals – Link for electronic mailing

CC:

District Test Director

Appendix J-4: NAEP Facts for Districts Brochure

NAEP 2017

Facts for Districts

NAEP is an integral part
of education in the
United States.
Elected officials, policymakers, and
educators all use NAEP results to
develop ways to improve education.
NAEP is a congressionally mandated
project administered by the National
Center for Education Statistics, within
the U.S. Department of Education and
the Institute of Education Sciences.
NAEP serves a different role than
state assessments. While states have
their own unique assessments with
different content standards, the same
NAEP assessment is administered
in every state, providing a common
measure of student achievement.
Depending on the type of NAEP
assessment that is administered,
the data can be used to compare
and understand the performance
of demographic groups within your
state, the nation, other states, and
districts that participate in the Trial
Urban District Assessment (TUDA).
Students, teachers, and principals
who participate in NAEP are asked to
complete contextual questionnaires
that provide a better understanding
of educational experiences and
factors that may be related to
students’ learning.

“The NAEP representatives were informative and provided
specific instructions when administering the assessment.
Their professionalism and knowledge before the
assessment ensured that the students had a positive
experience with NAEP.”
- Amneris Montalvo, NAEP School Coordinator, Citrus Grove Middle School,
Miami, FL
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally
representative and continuing assessment of what our nation’s students know and
can do in subjects such as civics, geography, mathematics, reading, U.S. history, and
writing. The results of NAEP are released as The Nation’s Report Card.
District staff play an essential role in NAEP. Superintendents and district staff can
work closely with principals to explain the importance of the assessment to teachers
and students selected for participation. When students take part in NAEP and give
their best effort, we get the most accurate measure possible of student achievement
across the country.
In 2017, students participating in NAEP will be assessed on tablets with
keyboards in mathematics, reading, and writing. A small number of fourth- and
eighth-grade students will take paper-and-pencil versions of the mathematics and
reading assessments to help NAEP evaluate any differences in student performance
between the two types of administration. It will be the first time that NAEP will
report state and TUDA data collected via tablets. Some eighth-grade students may
participate in pilot digitally based assessments in civics, geography, and U.S. history.
National, state, and TUDA-level results will be released for the mathematics and
reading assessments. National results for the writing assessment will also be
released. Information collected from the pilots will be used to prepare for the full
transition to digitally based assessments by the end of the decade.
Each student will be assessed in only one subject and in one type of administration.
NAEP representatives will bring all necessary materials and equipment to schools on
assessment day. Schools will only need to provide space for students to take the
assessment, desks or tables, and an adequate number of electrical outlets in the
assessment location. Schools will not need to provide internet access.

For more information about NAEP, visit:
www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

It’s important to know...
NAEP was first administered in 1969 to measure student achievement nationally. In 1990, NAEP was administered at the state level
for the first time. Students in grades 4 and 8 are currently assessed at the national and state levels in mathematics and reading
every 2 years and in other subjects in alternating years. In 2002, NAEP began the TUDA program, which measures what students
know and can do in some of the nation’s large urban districts. Students, teachers, and schools are asked to complete a survey
questionnaire in order to provide a more complete understanding of the results and overall student performance. NAEP is not
designed to collect or report results for individual students, classrooms, or schools.
Special studies are also conducted periodically. They are administered as part of NAEP and often involve special data collection
procedures in the field, secondary analyses of NAEP results, and evaluations of various technical procedures.
NAEP is considered the gold standard of assessments because of its high technical quality. From the development of
frameworks and questions to the reporting of results, NAEP represents the best thinking of assessment and content specialists,
state education staff, and teachers from around the nation. NAEP is a trusted resource that measures student progress and helps
inform policy decisions that improve education in the United States.
NAEP reports on results for different demographic groups rather than for individual students or schools. NAEP uses a carefully
designed sampling process to ensure that the schools and students selected are representative of schools and students across the
United States. To ensure that the sample represents all students in the nation’s schools, NAEP allows a broad range of
accommodations for students with disabilities and English language learners.
NAEP is designed to cause minimal disruption of classroom instruction. It takes 90 to 120 minutes for students to complete
NAEP assessment activities, including transition time and directions. Teachers do not need to prepare their students to take the
assessment but should encourage them to do their best. NAEP representatives provide significant support to your district’s
schools by working with the designated coordinator in each school to organize assessment activities.
NAEP items can be used as a helpful educational resource in the classroom. Teachers and district staff can use the NAEP
Questions Tool at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nqt to see how students’ performance compares nationally on specific
items. Released NAEP items come with a scoring guide, sample student responses, and performance data.
District and school staff can also
view results for the nation, states, and selected urban districts over time,
compare results for various demographic groups, and
access information designed for teachers, students, and parents.
Visit the NAEP website at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard to access this information and more.

Get NAEP on the go with the NAEP Results mobile app
Download it today on the iTunes or Google Play stores

Find us on:

This publication was prepared for the National Assessment of Educational Progress by Hager Sharp under contract ED-IES-13-C-0025 to the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education.

Appendix J-5: NAEP Facts for Principals Brochures

NAEP 2017

Facts for Principals
Mathematics and Reading

NAEP is an integral part
of education in the
United States.
Elected officials, policymakers, and
educators all use NAEP results to
develop ways to improve education.
NAEP is a congressionally mandated
project administered by the National
Center for Education Statistics, within
the U.S. Department of Education and
the Institute of Education Sciences.
NAEP serves a different role than
state assessments. While states have
their own unique assessments with
different content standards, the same
NAEP assessment is administered
in every state, providing a common
measure of student achievement.
Depending on the type of NAEP
assessment that is administered,
the data can be used to compare
and understand the performance
of demographic groups within your
state, the nation, other states, and
districts that participate in the Trial
Urban District Assessment (TUDA).
To provide a better understanding of
educational experiences and factors
that may be related to students’
learning, students, teachers, and
principals who participate in NAEP
are asked to complete contextual
questionnaires.

“As an assistant principal and school assessment
coordinator who has experienced NAEP at two schools, I
enjoyed working with the NAEP representatives. Their
professionalism, responsiveness, and guidance made life
simple for me and my students.”
- Timothy Fifer, Assistant Principal, Delta Middle School, Delta County
School District, CO
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally
representative and continuing assessment of what our nation’s students know and
can do in subjects such as civics, geography, mathematics, reading, U.S. history, and
writing. The results of NAEP are released as The Nation’s Report Card.
NAEP is designed to be minimally disruptive to schools, and NAEP representatives
will provide significant support to your school on assessment day. As principals, you
make an important contribution to the program by selecting and empowering a
NAEP school coordinator, meeting with teachers and students who will participate in
the assessment, and encouraging your students to participate and do their best. You
are essential partners in NAEP. When students participate and give their best effort,
we get the most accurate measure possible of student achievement across the
country.
In 2017, the NAEP mathematics and reading assessments will be administered
on tablets with keyboards to students at grades 4 and 8. A small number of
students, in a session separate from those taking the assessment on tablets, may
take paper-and-pencil assessments in these subjects. Administering these
assessments via both tablet and paper and pencil will help NAEP evaluate any
differences in student performance between the two types of administration.
Results will be released at the national, state, and TUDA levels. It will be the first time
that NAEP will report state and TUDA data collected via tablets. Each student will be
assessed in only one subject and in one type of administration. NAEP
representatives will bring all necessary materials and equipment to schools on
assessment day. Schools will only need to provide space for students to take the
assessment, desks or tables, and an adequate number of electrical outlets in the
assessment location. Schools will not need to provide internet access.

For more information about NAEP, visit:
www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

It’s important to know...
NAEP was first administered in 1969 to measure student achievement nationally. In 1990, NAEP was administered at the state level
for the first time. Students in grades 4 and 8 are currently assessed at the national and state level in mathematics and reading
every 2 years and in other subjects in alternating years. In 2002, NAEP began the TUDA program, which measures what students
know and can do in some of the nation’s large urban districts. Students, teachers, and schools are asked to complete a
questionnaire in order to provide a more complete understanding of the results and overall student performance. NAEP is not
designed to collect or report results for individual students, classrooms, or schools.
Special studies are also conducted periodically. They are administered as part of NAEP and often involve special data collection
procedures in the field, secondary analyses of NAEP results, and evaluations of various technical procedures.
NAEP is considered the gold standard of assessments because of its high technical quality. From the development of
frameworks and questions to the reporting of results, NAEP represents the best thinking of assessment and content specialists,
state education staff, and teachers from around the nation. NAEP is a trusted resource that measures student progress and helps
inform policy decisions that improve education in the United States.
NAEP reports on results for different demographic groups rather than for individual students or schools. NAEP uses a carefully
designed sampling process to ensure that the schools and students selected are representative of schools and students across the
United States. To ensure that the sample represents all students in the nation’s schools, NAEP allows a broad range of
accommodations for students with disabilities and English language learners.
NAEP is designed to cause minimal disruption of classroom instruction. It takes up to 120 minutes for students to complete
NAEP assessment activities, including transition time and directions and completion of a student questionnaire. Teachers do not
need to prepare their students to take the assessment but should encourage them to do their best. NAEP representatives provide
significant support to your school by working with the designated coordinator in your school to organize assessment activities.
NAEP items can be used as a helpful educational resource in the classroom. Teachers and district staff can use the NAEP
Questions Tool at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nqt to see how students’ performance compares nationally on specific
items. Released NAEP items come with a scoring guide, sample student responses, and performance data.
District and school staff can also
view results for the nation, states, and selected districts over time,
compare results for various demographic groups, and
access information designed for teachers, students, and parents.
Visit the NAEP website at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard to access this information and more.

Get NAEP on the go with the NAEP Results mobile app
Download it today on the iTunes or Google Play stores

Find us on:

NAEP 2017

Facts for Principals
Writing and Pilot Digitally Based Assessments

NAEP is an integral part
of education in the
United States.
Elected officials, policymakers, and
educators all use NAEP results to
develop ways to improve education.
NAEP is a congressionally mandated
project administered by the National
Center for Education Statistics, within
the U.S. Department of Education and
the Institute of Education Sciences.
NAEP serves a different role than
state assessments. While states have
their own unique assessments with
different content standards, the same
NAEP assessment is administered
in every state, providing a common
measure of student achievement.
Depending on the type of NAEP
assessment that is administered,
the data can be used to compare
and understand the performance
of demographic groups within your
state, the nation, other states, and
districts that participate in the Trial
Urban District Assessment (TUDA).
To provide a better understanding of
educational experiences and factors
that may be related to students’
learning, students, teachers, and
principals who participate in NAEP
are asked to complete contextual
questionnaires.

“As an assistant principal and school assessment
coordinator who has experienced NAEP at two schools, I
enjoyed working with the NAEP representatives. Their
professionalism, responsiveness, and guidance made life
simple for me and my students.”
- Timothy Fifer, Assistant Principal, Delta Middle School, Delta County
School District, CO
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally
representative and continuing assessment of what our nation’s students know and
can do in subjects such as civics, geography, mathematics, reading, U.S. history, and
writing. The results of NAEP are released as The Nation’s Report Card.
NAEP is designed to be minimally disruptive to schools, and NAEP representatives
will provide significant support to your school on assessment day. As principals, you
make an important contribution to the program by selecting and empowering a
NAEP school coordinator, meeting with teachers and students who will participate in
the assessment, and encouraging your students to participate and do their best. You
are essential partners in NAEP. When students participate and give their best effort,
we get the most accurate measure possible of student achievement across the
country.
In 2017, NAEP will be administered on tablets with keyboards at grades 4 and 8.
Students will participate in writing assessments as well as pilot digitally based
assessments in mathematics and reading. Students in grade 8 will also participate in
pilot assessments in civics, geography, and U.S. history. Each student will be
assessed in only one subject. Only results from the writing assessment will be
released. Information collected from the pilots will be used to prepare for the full
transition to digitally based assessments by the end of the decade. NAEP
representatives will bring all necessary materials and equipment to schools on
assessment day. Schools will only need to provide space for students to take the
assessment, desks or tables, and an adequate number of electrical outlets in the
assessment location. Schools will not need to provide internet access.

For more information about NAEP, visit:
www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

It’s important to know...
NAEP was first administered in 1969 to measure student achievement nationally. In 1990, NAEP was administered at the state level
for the first time. Students in grades 4 and 8 are currently assessed at the national and state level in mathematics and reading
every 2 years and in other subjects in alternating years. In 2002, NAEP began the TUDA program, which measures what students
know and can do in some of the nation’s large urban districts. Students, teachers, and schools are asked to complete a
questionnaire in order to provide a more complete understanding of the results and overall student performance. NAEP is not
designed to collect or report results for individual students, classrooms, or schools.
Special studies are also conducted periodically. They are administered as part of NAEP and often involve special data collection
procedures in the field, secondary analyses of NAEP results, and evaluations of various technical procedures.
NAEP is considered the gold standard of assessments because of its high technical quality. From the development of
frameworks and questions to the reporting of results, NAEP represents the best thinking of assessment and content specialists,
state education staff, and teachers from around the nation. NAEP is a trusted resource that measures student progress and helps
inform policy decisions that improve education in the United States.
NAEP reports on results for different demographic groups rather than for individual students or schools. NAEP uses a carefully
designed sampling process to ensure that the schools and students selected are representative of schools and students across the
United States. To ensure that the sample represents all students in the nation’s schools, NAEP allows a broad range of
accommodations for students with disabilities and English language learners.
NAEP is designed to cause minimal disruption of classroom instruction. It takes up to 120 minutes for students to complete
NAEP assessment activities, including transition time and directions and completion of a student questionnaire. Teachers do not
need to prepare their students to take the assessment but should encourage them to do their best. NAEP representatives provide
significant support to your school by working with the designated coordinator in your school to organize assessment activities.
NAEP items can be used as a helpful educational resource in the classroom. Teachers and district staff can use the NAEP
Questions Tool at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nqt to see how students’ performance compares nationally on specific
items. Released NAEP items come with a scoring guide, sample student responses, and performance data.
District and school staff can also
view results for the nation, states, and selected districts over time,
compare results for various demographic groups, and
access information designed for teachers, students, and parents.
Visit the NAEP website at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard to access this information and more.

Get NAEP on the go with the NAEP Results mobile app
Download it today on the iTunes or Google Play stores

Find us on:

Appendix J-6: Introduction to NAEP Brochure

U.S. Department of Education
NCES 2010-468

An Introduction to

NAEP

National Assessment of
Educational Progress

“NAEP is a necessary tool and way
for my colleagues and me to make
sure that the expectations that
we have for teaching, learning, and
ultimately student achievement,
are where they belong.”
Brian Dassler, Principal
KIPP Renaissance High School, New Orleans, LA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Development

Participation

Reporting

Resources

INTRODUCTION

DEVELOPMENT

PARTICIPATION

REPORTING

RESOURCES

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a continuing and
nationally representative assessment of what our nation’s students know and
can do. NAEP has often been called the “gold standard” of assessments because
it is developed using the best thinking of assessment and content specialists,
education experts, and teachers from around the nation.
NAEP pr
proovides a ccoommon measur
measuree of student achievement acr
acrooss
the coun
countr
tryy. B
Beeca
cause
use sta
stattes ha
have their own unique assessments
with diﬀer
eren
entt co
conten
ntentt and standar
standardds, it is impossible to
to u
use
se them
as a means ffoor co
compar
mparing
ing sta
statte achievement
achievement.. Su
Such
ch co
compar
mparis
isons
ons
are possible with NAEP
NAEP,, however
however,, because the questions and
administra
dministration of the assessment are
are tthe
he same across
across all sta
stattes
es..
NAEP re
results ar
aree rreeleased ffoor a var
variiety of sub
subjjects as The N
Naation’
ion’ss Report
Report
Car
ard
d, and ar
aree av
available ffoor the nat
nation, and in some cases, sta
stattes and
urban distri
districts. There ar
aree no re
results ffoor individual students, classro
classrooms,
or schools. NAEP re
repor
portts rreesults ffoor diﬀerent demog
demographic gr
groups,
including gender,
gender, socioeco
socioeconomic stat
status,
us, and ra
race/et
/ethnicity.
hnicity. As
Assessments
are gi
given most fre
frequently in mat
mathemat
hematics and re
reading.
ading. Ot
Other subj
subjects,
such as wri
writing
ting,, scienc
sciencee, U
U..S. hist
histoory, civics,
civics, geog
geography
phy, eco
economics,
nomics, and
the art
arts, ar
aree assessed per
periiodically
odically..
NAEP is a co
congr
ngressionally
essionally mand
mandaated pr
prooject administ
administer
ered
ed by the
National Cente
Center fo
for Educat
Education Stat
Statistics (NCE
(NCES), within the Institute
Institute
of Educa
Educattion Scienc
Sciencees of the U
U.S
.S.. Depar
Department
tment of Educa
Educattion. NC
NCE
ES
is res
responsible
ponsible ffoor developing ttest
est questions,
questions, administ
administer
ering
ing the
the
assessment
ssessment,, sco
scoring student re
responses, ccoonducting analyses of the
data, and re
repor
portting the re
results. The N
Naational A
Asssessment Gover
Govern
ning
Boar
Bo
ard
d set
sets polic
policyy ffoor NAEP
NAEP..

“NAEP is an important part of
schools across the country today.
With NAEP, we can see how
students in the United States
are performing in various
subject areas.”
Nicole B. Brown, Assistant Principal
Montgomery County Public Schools, Silver Spring, MD

Teachers, pri
principals, pare
parents, policy
policymakers, and re
researc
searchers all use
NAEP rreesults ttoo assess pr
proogress and develop wa
ways
ys ttoo impr
improove educa
educattion
in the Unite
United Stat
States. NAEP is a tr
tru
ust
steed rreesour
sourcce and has been pr
providing
oviding
valid and re
relia
liable da
data on student perf
performanc
ancee sinc
sincee 1969.
NAEP Components
There are
are two types of assessments, main NAEP and longlong-tterm
trend NAEP.
NAEP.
Main NAEP is administ
administeered ttoo ffoour
urtth-, eig
eighth-,
hth-, and twelfth-g
twelfth-grraders
across
cross tthe
he coun
countr
tryy in a vvar
ariiety ooff subje
subjects.
cts. Na
National res
results
ults are
are
available
ailable ffoor all aassessments
ssessments and sub
subje
jects.
cts. Results ar
aree aavvailable ffoor
stat
tates and select urban distr
distriicts in some sub
subjjects ffoor ggrrades 4 and 8.
The Tr
Trial Urban Distr
Distriict As
Assessment (T
(TUDA
UDA) is a special pr
prooject
developed ttoo det
determine the fe
feasibility of rreepor
portting distr
district
ict-level
-level NAEP
results ffoor large urban distr
distriicts. IIn
n 2009 a tr
triial sta
statte assessment w
waas
administe
dministered aatt ggrrade 12.
Longg-tterm tr
treend NAEP is administ
administeered ttoo 9-, 13-, and 1717-yyear
ar--olds
ever
veryy ffour
our yyear
earss nat
nationally.
ionally. L
Loongng-tter
erm
m tr
tren
end
d assessments measure
measure
student
stu
dent perf
performanc
ancee in ma
mathema
hemattics and rreading
eading,, and
and allow the
per
erfformanc
ancee of ttooday’s students to
to be co
compare
pared with students sinc
sincee
the early 1970s.
In aaddition
ddition to
to m
main
ain and long-t
long-ter
erm
m tr
tren
end
d assessments, ther
theree ar
aree a
number of NAEP special studies tha
thatt ar
aree cconduct
onducteed peri
periodically
dically.. These
include re
research
search and development eﬀ
eﬀorts such as the High
High Sc
School
Transcr
nscriipt Study and the N
Naational Indi
Indiaan Educa
Educattion Study
Study.. F
Foor mor
moree
infoormation on NAEP special studies, visit http://n
inf
ttp://ncces
es.ed.gov/
.ed.gov/
nationsr
ionsreepor
porttcar
card/stu
d/studies
dies.

MAIN

Nation
al
Public
&
Non-p
ublic
Grades
4, 8 &
12

LONG-TERM TREND

Nation
al
Public
&
Non-p
ublic
Ages: 9
13 & 17 ,

State
Public
Grades
Trial: G 4 & 8
rade 12

Trial U
rb
Distric an
t
Public
Grades
4&8

INTRODUCTION

DEVELOPMENT

PARTICIPATION

REPORTING

RESOURCES

The development of a NAEP assessment takes a substantial amount of time
and incorporates feedback from a wide array of experts. The process for
developing NAEP assessments is comprehensive, deliberate, and inclusive.
NAEP Frameworks
Each NAEP assessment is built fr
froom a ccoont
nten
entt fr
fram
ameework tha
thatt
speciﬁes wha
whatt students
students should kkn
now and be able ttoo do
do in a ggiv
iven
en
grade. The Na
National A
Asssessment Gover
Govern
ning Bo
Board
ard, which set
sets NAEP
polic
olicyy, oversees the cre
creation of the NAEP fra
framew
meworks
rks. The Gover
overn
ning
Board
ard, appointe
appointed by the U.
U.S. Secre
Secretary
ar y of Educa
Educattion, co
consists of 26
members, including gover
govern
nors, sta
statte le
legi
gisla
slattors, local and sta
statte school
oﬃcials, educa
educattors, business rreepresenta
sentattives, and members of the
genera
eneral public.
public.
The fram
frameeworks
rks reﬂ
reﬂect ideas and input fro
from subje
subject
ct area
area eexxpert
erts,
school administr
administraators, polic
policyymakers
makers,, tea
teachers,
chers, paren
parents,
ts, and ot
others.
NAEP fra
framewo
meworks also descr
descriibe the types of questions tha
thatt should
be included and how they
they sh
should
ould be design
designed and sco
scored. Multiplechoice
hoice and open-ended questions te
test a wide rraange of students
students’’
knowledge and sk
skiills and ar
aree pre
presente
sented in a vari
variety of fo
formats. M
Moost
assessments ar
aree administ
administeered in a paperpaper-and-pencil based fo
format.
However,
ever, NAEP is beg
beginning to
to move in the dire
direction of co
compute
puterbased assessments, star
starting
ting with the wr
writing
iting assessment aatt ggrrades 8
and 12. The fr
fram
ameeworks
rks ar
aree p
per
eriiodically upd
updaated by the G
Gooverning
Boar
ard
d ttoo rreeﬂect a va
variety of ffaact
ctor
ors,
s, such as curr
curriculum and asse
assessment
reform. They ar
aree aavvailable online aatt http
ttp://www.
://www.nag
nagb.org/.
org/

“NAEP makes state-to-state
comparisons reliable. Right now
every state has different state
standards and different criteria
for meeting those standards.”
Barbara Browning, Principal
Rockton District #140, Rockton, IL

Question Development
Once a fr
fraame
mew
work is ccoomple
pletted, NC
NCE
ES develops the questions that
that
students will be asked on the assessment.
assessment. Mo
More than 300 people
are inv
involved
lved in developing and rreevie
iew
wing the questions ffoor each
assessment
ssessment,, including re
representat
sentatives fro
from the fra
framew
mework co
committe
mittee,
representat
sentativ
ivees fro
from stat
states and distri
districts, curr
curriculum specialists,
university educat
education fa
faculty,
ulty, stat
state assessment dir
direect
ctoors, sta
statte ccoont
nteent
specialists, and exper
expertts in the assessment
assessment’’s subject ar
areea.
After the questions are
are wri
writte
tten, a pro
process of re
review
iews and upda
updates
begins to
to ensur
ensuree co
complexity
mplexity,, diversity of opinions and input,
input, an
and
d
attention ttoo quality.
quality. Revie
Review
wers ex
exaamine each question fo
for:
> consist
sisteency
ncy with the fr
fraame
mew
work
rk,,
> consider
sideraation ffoor wha
whatt students ar
aree being tau
taugght
ht,, and
> bias tha
thatt would make a question more
more diﬃcult fo
for a part
particular ggrroup

of students ttoo answer
answer..
Questions also undergo ex
exttensive pilo
pilott tteesting
sting,, in which actual
responses fr
from
om students ar
aree ga
gather
thereed ttoo ensur
ensuree the questions are
are
measuri
easuring sk
skiills with ffair
airness
ness and appr
appropr
opriiate levels of diﬃculty
culty..
After each assessment,
assessment, some NAEP questions ar
aree rreeleased ttoo the gener
general
al
public
ublic.. These questions ar
aree aavvailable online in the NAEP Qu
Questions
Tool (http
ttp://nce
://nces.ed.gov/nat
s.ed.gov/nationsre
onsreport
portcard
ard/itmrlsx)
/itmrlsx) along with da
data
on how students perf
performed on each question. Te
Teachers may
may use these
questions in their classro
classrooms ttoo see how their students ccoompar
paree ttoo the
nation, their stat
state, or urban distri
district (as re
results allow).

matics
e Mathe
d
a
r
G
h
t
4
uestion
Sample Q

e
that hav
e points
th
t
lo
p
,
rid below , 3), and (D, 5).
On the g
, (B
tes (B, 1)
coordina
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

G
D E F
A B C

hen you
so that w gle.
d
ri
g
e
rectan
ts on th
ore poin
l make a
Plot 3 m 6 points you wil
ts.
all
new poin
connect
for the 3
s
te
a
in
oord
List the c
.
rectangle
ow your
h
s
to
ts
in
the 6 po
Connect

8th Grad
e
Sample Reading
Questio
n
Fo

r the foll
o
about ho wing question,
students
w a youn
read a sto
g
gauging
ry
the accu girl’s science fair
racy of h
project o
ended u
e
n
r city’s p
p impac
ting the
a
through
lives of m rking meters
out her s
any citiz
tate.
ens
Choose
two thin
gs Ellie L
what tho
amm
se
from the things tell abou er did and expla
t her. Us
in
article to
e examp
support
les
y
o
u
r
a
nswer.
Respons
e rated a
s “Exten
sive”

How are assessments scored?
To make sure the scoring is reliable
and consistent, NCES:
> develops detailed scoring guides,
> recruits and trains qualiﬁed and

experienced scorers, and
> monitors and reviews the quality and

consistency of each scorer’s decisions.

Respons
e rated a
s “Essen
tial”

Computers score multiple-choice
questions. Open-ended questions
require written answers and a different
approach to scoring. Using the scoring
guides, trained scorers evaluate openended responses. For example, the
guidelines explain how to decide
whether a student’s response to the
question is “extended,” “satisfactory,”
“partial,” “minimal,” or “incorrect.”
Scoring guides for released questions are
available in the NAEP Questions Tool.

nce
ade Scie
12th Gr uestion
om the
stion fr
tual
Q
e
u
q
le
p
e
ic
concep
Sam
iple-cho
equired

ult
nt r
owing m
sessme
The foll ade science as f life science.
o
-gr
twelfth ding in the ﬁeld
n
a
t
s
r
unde
euron?
n of a n
io
t
c
n
s.
is a fu
her cell
Which
en to ot
g
y
x
o
s
rie
s.
.
A It car
enzyme
stream
igestive
e blood
d
h
t
s
e
t
m
e
o
r
s fr
B It sec
particle
ternal
foreign
l and ex
a
s
n
e
r
v
e
o
t
m
e in
C It re
from th
s signals
e
iv
e
c
e
It r
ments.
environ

Questionnaires for Students, Teachers and Schools
In addition to
to assessing student achievement in vari
various subj
subjects,
NAEP co
collects inf
infoormation fr
froom students, tteeachers, and schools in
order to
to pro
provide a more
more co
complet
plete understanding of the re
results and
overa
verall student perf
performanc
ancee. This info
information is co
collecte
lected thro
through
the fo
following:
> Student questionnaires collect inf
infoormation on students
students’’

demog
emographic chara
characte
cteristics, classro
classroom ex
exp
per
eriienc
encees and educa
educattional
suppor
upportt.
> Teacher questionnaires gat
gather da
data on tteeacher tra
training and

instr
nstru
uctional pra
practice
ctices.
> School questionnaires ga
gatther info
information on school policies

and chara
characte
cteristics.
The rreesults of these questionnair
questionnaires
es help ttoo pr
provide
ovide ccont
ontex
extual
tual
info
nformation fo
for the assessments, as well as inf
infoormation about ffaact
ctors
ors
that
hat m
maay bbee rrel
elaated to
to students
students’’ llear
earning
ning.. Thes
esee rres
esults
ults can be
analyz
an
alyzeed using the NAEP D
Daata Ex
Explor
lorer
er:: http://n
ttp://ncces
es.ed.gov/
.ed.gov/
nationsr
ionsreepor
porttcard/n
card/naepd
aepdaata
ta.

INTRODUCTION

DEVELOPMENT

PARTICIPATION

REPORTING

RESOURCES

NAEP is able to provide valuable information on student performance, thanks to
the voluntary participation of selected schools and students. Their participation
enables NAEP to provide the most accurate and representative picture of how
students are performing across the country.
Who takes NAEP?
Sinc
incee NAEP does not
not re
repor
portt d
daata ffoor individual schools or students,
it is no
nott nece
necessar
ssaryy ttoo assess ever
everyy student in the Unite
United Stat
States. NC
NCE
ES
uses a sampling pr
proocedur
eduree ttoo ensur
ensuree tha
thatt those select
selected
ed ttoo par
participa
ticipatte
in NAEP will be rreepr
presenta
esentative
tive of the geo
geoggraphical, rraaci
cial,
al, eetthnic
hnic,, and
socioec
ocioeconomic
onomic diversity of schoo
schoolls and students acro
across the nat
nation.
First,
irst, schools are
are selecte
selected ttoo be rreepr
presenta
esentative
tive of schools acr
acrooss
the stat
states and nat
nation, on the basis of char
charaacte
cteristics such as school
locat
ocation, minor
minoriity enr
enrollment
ollment,, lev
level
el of
of school achievement
achievement,, an
and
d
aver
eraage inc
income of the geog
geographic
aphic area
area.. Then, within
within each school,
students
stu
dents are
are rran
andomly
domly selecte
selected to
to par
partticipa
icipatte.

“I was very impressed with NAEP’s
implementation. All the parents,
teachers, and the children at the
school felt very comfortable.”
Linda Cobb, Principal
Fair Lawn School Districts, Fair Lawn, NJ

How many students participate in NAEP?
When aassessing
ssessing per
perffor
ormanc
mancee ffoor the na
nattion only
only,, appr
approxima
oximattely
6,000 to
to 20,000 students
students per ggrrade fr
froom acr
across
oss tthe
he coun
countr
tryy ar
aree
assessed ffoor each subj
subject
ct.. The numbers of schools and students var
varyy
from ye
year to
to ye
year,
ar, depending on the number of subj
subjects and questions
to be assessed. F
Foor assessments tha
thatt rrepor
eportt sta
statte rreesults, NAEP
typically selects 3,000 students in ap
app
proximat
ximately 100 schools in each
sta
tatte ffoor each gr
grade and subj
subject.
ect.
Why is participation important?
NAEP is the only measure
measure of how the students acro
across the nat
nation
are p
are
per
erfforming in var
variiou
ouss sub
subje
ject
ct ar
areas.
eas. IItt inf
infor
orms
ms us how student
per
erfformanc
ancee has changed over time, and allows stat
states to
to co
compare
pare
their pro
progress with tha
thatt of oother
ther sta
stattes and the nat
nation as a whole.
Without student part
participat
icipation, NAEP would not
not be as rreepresenta
sentative
tive
as it needs ttoo be ttoo pr
provide
ovide ffair
air,, ac
accur
curaate, and use
useful
ful inf
infor
orm
mation on
student achievement
achievement..

Why are some schools selected
more frequently than others?
Each year, a new sample of schools is
selected. A school’s participation in
the past has no relation to whether it
will be selected again in the future.
To ensure that the student sample
represents students from large and
small schools in the appropriate
proportions, large schools are more
likely to be selected than small ones.
If a school is chosen frequently,
typically it is because the school’s
enrollment in the grade is larger than
other schools in the state.

On Assessment Day
> NAEP is administered during regular

school hours.
> NAEP staff will bring necessary

materials to the schools on
assessment day.
> Each student is only assessed in one

subject area.
> Students spend approximately

90 – 120 minutes taking the
assessment, including ﬁlling out
the student questionnaire, which
provides contextual information
such as the amount of reading
they do and what types of classes
they take.

Are there accommodations for students with disabilities and for
English language learners?
The goal of oﬀering ac
acccommoda
modations is ttoo include as many
many students
as possible in an assessment
assessment.. This incre
increases the rreepresenta
sentattiveness
of the re
results ffoor students in the Unite
United Stat
States.
Test acc
accommoda
modations are
are pro
provided fo
for students with disabilities
and Engl
English lang
langua
uage
ge lear
learners
ners who canno
cannott ffairly
airly and ac
accur
curaately
demonstra
emonstrate their abilities under norm
normal administra
administration pro
procedure
dures.
Accommod
mmodaations ar
aree changes
changes in the wa
wayy a test
test is giv
given,
en, such as
responding ttoo a question in a diﬀerent fo
format or hav
having alte
alterations
in the te
test set
setting or timing.
timing.
The most fre
frequent acc
accommoda
modations used in NAEP ar
aree:
> ex
exttended time,
> small g
grroup administr
administraation,
> reading the question aloud,
> having br
breeak
akss dur
duriing the tteest administr
administraation.

However,
ever, even with acc
accommoda
modations, there
there are
are still some students
who canno
cannott par
partticipa
icipatte in NAEP
NAEP.. The perc
percenta
ntagge of students included,
excluded, and acc
accommoda
modated var
variies by juri
jurisdiction. These var
variiations
should
sh
ould be ccoonsider
nsidereed when
when ccoomparing
mparing student
student perf
performanc
ancee among
among
the nat
nation, stat
states, and select urban distri
districts.
When are the assessments given?
Main NAEP is co
conducte
nducted bet
between the last week of Ja
January
nuar y and the
ﬁrst week in Marc
March every
ever y ye
year.
ar. Lo
Long-t
g-term tre
trend assessments take
place
lace ever
everyy ffour
our yyear
earss; dur
during
ing the
the same academic year
year,, 1313-yyear-o
ear-olds
lds
are assessed in the ffall,
all, 99-yyear
ar--olds in the winte
winter, and 17-y
17-yearar-olds
in the spri
spring.
ng.

A Typical Testing Session
Every year, NAEP assessments are given in multiple
subjects in the same classroom. This is a diagram
of a typical classroom, with the teacher’s desk at
the top and 30 student desks. The diagram shows
the distribution of the test booklets.
Students sitting next to each other don’t take the
same test. NAEP administers all the subjects
together in the same classroom. This sketch of
a classroom shows thirty students – the target for
a NAEP session.

INTRODUCTION

DEVELOPMENT

REPORTING

PARTICIPATION

RESOURCES

After an assessment is given and the responses are scored and analyzed, work
turns to making the complex statistical results useful to the general public.
NAEP results are used by policymakers, principals, teachers, and parents to
inform the discussion over education.
The re
results of NAEP ar
aree rreeleased as The Na
Nation’
ion’ss Report
Report Card
Card. Repor
Reportt
card
ards pr
proovide re
results ffoor the na
nattion, sta
statte, and urban distr
distriicts (as the
theyy ar
aree
available). Results ar
aree pr
proovided as ssccale sc
scor
ores
es and achievement levels.
The re
results ar
aree rreepor
portted in each jur
juriisdiction by gender
gender,, socioeconomic
stat
tatus, rraace/e
e/ethnicity
thnicity,, and oother
ther demo
demoggraphic info
information.
Results ffoor the nat
nation re
reﬂect the per
perfformanc
ancee of students aatttending
public schools
schools,, pr
privat
ivatee schools
schools,, B
Bu
ureau of Indi
Indiaan Educat
Education schools,
and Depart
Department of Def
Defense schools. Results ffoor sta
stattes and ot
other
juri
urisdictions rreeﬂect the per
perfformanc
ancee of students in public schools only
only..
Scale Scores
Scale sc
scor
orees rreepor
portt wha
whatt students kknow
now and can do.
do. The re
results ar
aree
genera
enerally re
report
ported on 0-300 or 0-500 point scales. Be
Because NAEP
scales ar
aree developed independently ffoor each subj
subject,
ect, sco
scores canno
cannott
be ccoompar
pareed acr
acrooss subj
subjects.
In addition to
to re
repor
portting an over
overaall sco
score ffoor each gr
grade assessed,
scores are
are re
repor
portted aatt ﬁve perc
percentiles to
to show tre
trends in re
results ffoor
students perf
performing aatt lower (10th and 25th perc
percentiles), middle
(50th perc
percentile), and hig
high
her (75th and 90th perc
percentiles) levels.

“As a teacher, my constant focus
is to help students make progress
in the classroom. NAEP helps with
this mission by creating a common
measure of student achievement
across the country.”
Iris Garcia, Teacher
Biscayne Elementary Community School, Miami Beach, FL

Achievement Levels
Achievement levels are
are standa
standards showing what
what students should
know and be able to
to do along the co
continuum of perf
performance
ance. Ba
Based
on re
recommenda
mendations fro
from policy
policymakers, educat
educators, and members
of the gener
generaal public,
public, the Gove
Governing Bo
Board
ard sets speciﬁc achievement
levels fo
for each subj
subject and gr
grad
ade.
e. NAEP re
results are
are re
report
por ted as
per
erccenta
ntagges of students per
perffor
orm
ming aatt or above the Bas
asiic and
Proﬁcien
cientt levels and at
at the A dvanced level.
> Basic deno
denottes part
partial maste
mastery of pre
prerequisite
quisite kn
knowledge and

skills that
that are
are funda
fundamental fo
for pro
proﬁcient work aatt each gr
grade.
> Proﬁcient represents solid academic perf
performance
ance. Students

reaching this level hav
have demonstra
demonstrated co
compet
petenc
encyy over
challengi
hallenging subj
subject mat
matter.
> Advanced represents super
superior
ior per
perffor
ormance.
mance.

Statistical Signiﬁcance
Because NAEP results are based on
samples, there is a margin of error
surrounding each score or percentage.
Differences that are larger than
the margin of error are statistically
signiﬁcant. Signiﬁcant increases
or decreases from one assessment
year to the next indicate that student
performance has changed. Only
differences that are statistically
signiﬁcant are discussed in NAEP
reports. When interpreting NAEP
results, it is important to consider
whether apparent differences are
statistically signiﬁcant.

Where can results be found?
NAEP rres
esults
ults ar
aree av
available
ailable aatt http://n
ttp://naationsre
onsrepor
porttcar
card.gov
d.gov.. H
Her
eree,
users can br
broowse or download the lat
latest re
report
port card
cards, individual sta
statte
and select distr
distriict pro
proﬁles, and ac
acccess rreesour
sourcces and online d
daata ttoools
that
hat will enable them ttoo vie
view
w mor
moree extensive re
results, such as re
results
by demog
demographic gr
groups.

INTRODUCTION

DEVELOPMENT

PARTICIPATION

REPORTING

RESOURCES

A number of online tools are available to explore national, state, and select
urban district NAEP data for various demographic groups.
NAEP Data Explorer
The NAEP D
Daata Ex
Explore
lorer (NDE
(NDE) is a dynamic,
dynamic, inte
interactive to
tool used ttoo
explore
lore assessment re
results fo
for a number of var
variious sub
subjjects
ects,, ggrrades
ades,, and
juri
urisdictions. IItt allows users ttoo cr
creeate cust
custoom stat
statistical tables, ggrraphics,
and maps using NAEP d
daata. Student per
perfformanc
ancee in the co
conte
ntext of
gender,
ender, ra
race/et
/ethnicity,
hnicity, public or pri
privat
vate school, te
teacher exp
experi
erience
nce,
and
an
d many
many ot
other fa
factors can be examin
examined
ed using d
daata ga
gather
thereed fro
from
students, tteeachers, and schools that
that hav
have part
participat
icipated in NAEP.
NAEP.
The NDE
NDE has ffoour diﬀere
erent databases:
abases:
To access the NDE, visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/

> Main

NAEP pr
provides nat
national res
results
ults ffoor var
variiou
ouss
sub
ubje
jects
cts sinc
sincee 1990. Sta
Statte and select urban distr
distriict
results ar
aree pr
proovided in ma
matthema
hemattics, rreading
eading,, science
science,
and wri
writing
ting..

> Long-Term Trend pr
proovides nat
national da
data on 9-, 13-,

and 17-y
17-year
ar--olds fo
for ma
matthema
hemattics and rreeading since
since
the 1970s.
> High School Transcript Study pr
proovides national

res
esults
ults ffoor gr
graduat
duating seniors on NAEP assessments
in mat
mathemat
hematics and science
science. Results re
relat
late tra
transcri
nscript
data, such as co
courses taken and gr
grade point av
average,
to NAEP re
results.
> National Indi
Indiaan Education S
Sttudy pr
proovides re
results

that re
report
port on the condition of education fo
for Ameri
American
Indi
ndiaan and Al
Alaska N
Naative students aatt ggrrades 4 and 8
in the Unite
United Stat
States.

“The Nation’s Report Card describes
student achievement in ways that
inform policymakers and educators.
It’s a really valuable resource.”
Jodi Chesman, Teacher
Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD

To access the NAEP Questions Tool (NQT), visit:
http://nces/ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrlsx

NAEP Questions Tool
The NAEP Qu
Questions To
Tool (NQT)
(NQT) is a da
database of mor
moree than 2,000
questions fro
from past assessments, in nine sub
subjject ar
areas,
eas, tha
thatt ha
have
ve
been rreeleased ttoo the public and will no
nott be used aaggain on NAEP
assessments. The NQT allows yo
you ttoo:
> sear
earcch ffoor questions by subj
subject
ect,, ggrrade, diﬃculty
culty,, and other

chara
haracte
cteristics,
> vie
iew
w student re
responses,
> create custo
customize
mized rreepor
portts, and mor
more.
e.

You can also vie
view
w sc
scor
oring
ing gguides
uides and per
perffor
ormanc
mancee d
daata
ta,, such
as the perc
percenta
ntagge of students na
nattion
ionw
wide and in yyoour sta
statte who
answere
nswered the question co
correctly,
ctly, fo
for most questions.

NAEP Item Maps
NAEP It
Item Maps display
display sample NAEP quest
questiions, or ite
items, along with the
scale sc
scor
oree ffoor students who would likely answer the question co
correctly.
ctly.
They help answer questions, such as, ““W
What does it mean ffoor a student to
to
be Bas
asiic, Proﬁcient
cient, or Advanced in te
terms of wha
whatt the
theyy kkn
now and can do?”
or “W
“What does a part
particular sc
scor
oree indica
indicatte about wha
whatt a student kn
knows?”
To access the NAEP Item Maps, visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itemmaps/

The ite
item maps illustr
illustraate the kn
knowledge and ski
skills demonstra
demonstrated by
students perf
performing aatt diﬀerent scale sc
scor
orees on a ggiiven assessment.
assessment.
They also help ttoo pr
proovide a ccoont
nteext ffoor understanding NAEP re
results
by showing ccooncr
ncreete ex
exaamples of wha
whatt students aatt var
variious achievement
levels likely kn
know and can do in a subj
subject.
ect.

To access the NAEP State Comparisons tool, visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/statecomparisons

NAEP State Comparisons
NAEP Stat
State Compar
Compariisons allows ffoor sort
sor ting and co
compari
paring stat
state
results. This includes the ability ttoo cre
create tables and maps that
that
compare
pare stat
states and juri
jurisdictions based on the av
average scale sco
scores fo
for
select
electeed ggrroups of public school students within a sing
single
le assessment
year,
ar, or co
compare
pare the change in perf
performance
ance bet
between two assessment
years. The to
tool also displa
displays
ys whe
whether
ther the selecte
selected rreesults ar
aree
stat
tatistically diﬀerent fr
froom one ano
anotther
her..

State Proﬁles
Sta
tatte Pro
Proﬁles allows users ttoo ex
exp
plor
loree ke
keyy da
data about a sta
statte’s
per
erfformanc
ancee on NAEP
NAEP.. Users can vie
view
w how a sta
statte per
perffor
ormed
med over
time and ccoompar
paree each stat
state’s overa
overall perf
performanc
ancee ttoo the na
nattion
and ot
other stat
states. Snapshot
Snapshot re
repor
portts can also be quick
quickly
ly gener
generaated and
downloaded. The proﬁles pro
provide easy ac
acccess ttoo all NAEP d
daata ffoor
par
artticipa
icipatting sta
stattes and link
linkss ttoo the most rreecent stat
state snapsho
snapshotts ffoor
all av
available subj
subjects.

To access the NAEP State Proﬁles, visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/

NAEP State Coordinators
NAEP is conducted in partnership with states.
The NAEP program provides funding for a
full-time NAEP State Coordinator (NSC) in
each state. He or she serves as the liaison
between NAEP, the state education agency,
and the schools selected to participate.

NSCs provide many important services for the NAEP
program. NSCs:
> coordinate the NAEP administration in the state,
> assist with the analysis and reporting of NAEP data, and
> promote public understanding of NAEP and its resources.

To ﬁnd the name and email address of your NAEP State Coordinator, choose your state from the map at
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states.

For more information about NAEP, visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard.
You can also contact the National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES) at:
National Center for Education Statistics
Assessment Division – 8th Floor
1990 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 202-502-7420
https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/contactus.asp
To order copies of The Nation’s Report Card or
other NAEP publications, contact ED Pubs at:
ED Pubs
U.S. Department of Education
P.O. Box 22207
Alexandria, VA 22304
www.EDPubs.gov

www.ed.gov

ies.ed.gov

Appendix J-7: An Overview of NAEP

What is NAEP?
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the
largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of
what students in the United States know and can do in various
subjects. Since 1969, NAEP has provided a common measure
of student achievement across the country. The results are
released as The Nation’s Report Card and are available for the
nation, states, and in some cases, urban districts. NAEP is a
congressionally mandated project administered by the National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES), located within the U.S.
Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences.

U.S. Department of Education
NCES 2013-455

National Assessment of Educational Progress

An Overview of NAEP

How is NAEP different from state assessments?
NAEP serves a different role than state assessments. States have their own unique
assessments which are designed to provide individual student data about achievement
on different content standards. NCES administers the same NAEP assessment in every
state. This provides a common measure of achievement that allows for comparisons of
achievement to the nation and among states and participating urban districts. NAEP
does not report results for individual students.
Unlike state assessments, students, teachers, and principals who participate in NAEP are
also asked to complete contextual questionnaires. This information provides a better
understanding of students’ educational experiences and factors that may be related to
their learning. To learn more about these questionnaires, visit http://nces.ed.gov/
nationsreportcard/bgquest.aspx.

The NCES NAEP website provides more extensive information about the assessment:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard
NAEP Tools on the Web provide quick and easy access to NAEP assessment data,
previously administered NAEP questions, performance comparisons, and more:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/naeptools.asp
Full copies of all reports are available on The Nation’s Report Card website:
http://nationsreportcard.gov

What subjects does NAEP assess?
Main NAEP assessments are conducted in a range of subjects with fourth-, eighth-, and
twelfth-grade students across the country. Mathematics and reading are assessed every
two years, and science and writing are assessed every four years. Other subjects are
assessed periodically, including the arts, civics, economics, geography, technology and
engineering literacy, and U.S. history.

How is NAEP using technology to measure and
report the skills of a new generation of students?

Long-term trend NAEP measures student performance in mathematics and reading, and
is designed to ensure comparability across the years. The long-term trend assessment
makes it possible to chart educational progress since the early 1970s. The assessment is
given to 9-, 13-, and 17-year-olds every four years.

As computers and digital tools play an increasingly important role
in today’s classroom, NAEP is advancing with technology-based
assessments. The goal is to be paperless by the end of the decade.
Through the following innovative assessments, NAEP is collecting
new types of data that provide depth in our understanding of what
students know and can do, including how they engage with technology
to approach problem solving.

NAEP special studies, such as the High School Transcript Study, are conducted periodically
in addition to main and long-term trend assessments. The National Assessment Governing
Board, which sets NAEP policy, determines the assessment schedule and what content
should be measured. To download a detailed PDF version of the assessment schedule,
please visit http://www.nagb.org/newsroom/assessment-schedule.htm.

TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING LITERACY (TEL) ASSESSMENT:
TEL is a new frontier for NAEP and large-scale assessment. It is a
computer-based, cross-curricular assessment that challenges students
to perform interactive tasks and engage in solving problems within
realistic scenarios. TEL gauges how well students understand and
apply technology and engineering principles to real-life situations. To
learn more about TEL, visit http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/tel.

What can schools and students expect
when participating in NAEP?
NAEP is administered to students during regular
school hours. Students spend between 90 and 120
minutes taking the assessment.

Each student is assessed in one subject area and is
asked to provide contextual information, such as the
amount of reading they do, the types of classes they
take, and their experiences with technology.
Accommodations are provided for students with
disabilities and/or English language learners.
Student results are confidential. All materials are
brought to and taken from the school by NAEP
representatives on assessment day.

SCIENCE INTERACTIVE COMPUTER TASKS (ICTs): The NAEP science
assessment includes ICTs that challenge students to solve scientific
problems and perform experiments, often by simulation. ICTs
provide students more opportunities than a paper-and-pencil
assessment to demonstrate skills involved in doing science, without
many of the logistical constraints associated with a natural or
laboratory setting. The full library of released ICTs from the 2009
assessment is available at http://nationsreportcard.gov/
science_2009/ict_tasks.asp.

Why is student participation important?
The participation of all selected students enables NAEP to obtain an accurate picture of
how students are performing in the United States. Since NAEP is not designed to report
results for individual schools or students, it is not necessary for every student in every
school to take the assessment. Instead, NCES uses a sampling procedure to ensure that
NAEP participants are representative of the geographical, racial/ethnic, and
socioeconomic diversity of schools and students across the country. Each participating
student represents hundreds of other students. Their participation is vital for valid
information on student achievement to be collected and shared. Teachers, principals,
parents, policymakers, and researchers all use NAEP results to assess student progress
and develop ways to improve education across the country.

After each assessment, some NAEP questions are released to the
general public along with data on how students performed on each
question. The following are examples of NAEP questions and actual
correct responses from students.
4th Grade Reading
For the following question, students read a passage from the story “Tough as
Daisy,” which is about a young girl who has moved to a new school and must
prove she is a good enough wrestler to be on the team.
At the beginning of the story, when some of the boys point and laugh at Daisy,
she thinks, “We’ll see about that.” What does this tell you about Daisy?

8th Grade Science
This multiple-choice question measures students’ performance in the Earth
and space sciences content area.
These funnels were filled with equal volumes of pebbles, fine sand, and coarse
sand, as shown in the diagram below. The same amount of water was poured
into each funnel.

Which correctly lists the order in which the water passed through the funnels,
from fastest to slowest?
A
B

Pebbles, fine sand, coarse sand
Pebbles, coarse sand, fine sand

C
D

Find us on:

Fine sand, coarse sand, pebbles
Coarse sand, pebbles, fine sand

Get NAEP on the go with the NAEP Results mobile app!

12th Grade Mathematics
The following is a short constructed-response question from the algebra
content area.
If f(x) = x2 + x and g(x) = 2x + 7, what is an expression for f (g(x)) ?

www.ed.gov

ies.ed.gov

This document was prepared for the National Center for Education Statistics under Contract No. ED -IES-13- C- 0025 with Hager Sharp.

Appendix J-8: An Overview of NAEP for Private Schools

How is NAEP using technology to measure and
report the skills of a new generation of students?
As computers and digital tools play an increasingly important role
in today’s classroom, NAEP is advancing with technology-based
assessments. The goal is to be paperless by the end of the decade.
Through the following innovative assessments, NAEP is collecting
new types of data that provide depth in our understanding of what
students know and can do, including how they engage with technology
to approach problem solving.

National Assessment of Educational Progress

An Overview of NAEP
For Private Schools

WRITING ASSESSMENT: The writing assessment is administered on a
computer and asks students to respond to writing prompts delivered
in multimedia formats, including short videos and audio. In addition
to writing scores, assessment results provide information about the
extent to which students engaged in certain actions on the computer
as they responded to these tasks, such as thesaurus tool usage.
Results and contextual information are available at http://nces.ed.
gov/nationsreportcard/writing.
SCIENCE INTERACTIVE COMPUTER TASKS (ICTs): The NAEP science
assessment includes ICTs that challenge students to solve scientific
problems and perform experiments, often by simulation. ICTs
provide students more opportunities than a paper-and-pencil
assessment to demonstrate skills involved in doing science, without
many of the logistical constraints associated with a natural or
laboratory setting. The full library of released ICTs from the 2009
assessment is available at http://nationsreportcard.gov/
science_2009/ict_tasks.asp.

Find us on:

Get NAEP on the go with the NAEP Results mobile app!

This document was prepared for the National Center for Education Statistics under Contract No. ED-IES-13-C-0025 with Hager Sharp.

What subjects does NAEP assess?

What is NAEP?
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the
largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of
what public and private students in the United States know and
can do in various subjects. Since 1969, NAEP has provided a
common measure of student achievement across the country.
The results are released as The Nation’s Report Card. Results are
generally reported for two groups of private schools: Catholic and
other private schools. NAEP is a congressionally mandated
project administered by the National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES), located within the U.S. Department of
Education’s Institute of Education Sciences.
Why assess private schools?
Private schools have been participating in NAEP for decades and are an integral part of
providing a complete picture of U.S. education. Private school data make an important
contribution to the picture of education in the United States and to future policy
decisions. Private schools represent about 24 percent of schools in the nation and
educate approximately 9 percent of the nation’s students. NAEP has consistently
demonstrated how the performance of students in private schools compares positively
to the performance of students in public schools and to the rest of the nation.

The NCES NAEP website provides more extensive information about the assessment:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

For specific information about private school participation in NAEP, visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/nonpublicschools.asp

NAEP Tools on the Web provide quick and easy access to NAEP assessment data,
previously administered NAEP questions, performance comparisons, and more:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/naeptools.asp

Full copies of all reports are available on The Nation’s Report Card website:
http://nationsreportcard.gov

Main NAEP assessments are conducted in a range of subjects with fourth-, eighth-, and
twelfth-grade students across the country. Mathematics and reading are assessed every
two years, and science and writing are assessed every four years. Other subjects are
assessed periodically, including the arts, civics, economics, geography, technology and
engineering literacy, and U.S. history.
Long-term trend NAEP measures student performance in mathematics and reading, and
is designed to ensure comparability across the years. The long-term trend assessment
makes it possible to chart educational progress since the early 1970s. The assessment is
given to 9-, 13-, and 17-year-olds every four years.
NAEP special studies, such as the High School Transcript Study, are conducted periodically
in addition to main and long-term trend assessments. The National Assessment Governing
Board, which sets NAEP policy, determines the assessment schedule and what content
should be measured. To download a detailed PDF version of the assessment schedule,
please visit http://www.nagb.org/newsroom/assessment-schedule.htm.

What can schools and students expect
when participating in NAEP?
NAEP is administered to students during regular
school hours. Students spend between 90 and 120
minutes taking the assessment.
Each student is assessed in one subject area and is
asked to provide contextual information, such as the
amount of reading they do, the types of classes they
take, and their experiences with technology.

Accommodations are provided for students with
disabilities and/or English language learners.
Student results are confidential. All materials are
brought to and taken from the school by NAEP
representatives on assessment day.

Why is student participation important?
The participation of all selected students enables NAEP to obtain an accurate picture of
how public and private school students are performing in the United States. Since NAEP
is not designed to report results for individual schools or students, it is not necessary for
every student in every school to take the assessment. Instead, NCES uses a sampling
procedure to ensure that NAEP participants are representative of the geographical, racial/
ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of schools and students across the country. Each
participating student represents hundreds of other students. Their participation is vital for
valid information on student achievement to be collected and shared. Teachers,
principals, parents, policymakers, and researchers all use NAEP results to assess student
progress and develop ways to improve education across the country.
46

Which correctly lists the order in which the water passed through the funnels,
from fastest to slowest?
A
B

Pebbles, fine sand, coarse sand
Pebbles, coarse sand, fine sand

C
D

Fine sand, coarse sand, pebbles
Coarse sand, pebbles, fine sand

12th Grade Mathematics
The following is a short constructed-response question from the algebra
content area.
If f(x) = x2 + x and g(x) = 2x + 7, what is an expression for f (g(x)) ?

Appendix J-9: NAEP Save-the-Date Letter from NAEP State Coordinator to
School Principal

NAEP 2017 Save-the-Date Letter From
NAEP STATE COORDINATOR TO SCHOOL PRINCIPAL – For All Sampled Schools
Red text should be customized before mail merge; highlighted text represents mail merge fields

Save the date! NAEP is coming on (assessment date).
Dear Principal:
In May, I notified you that your school was selected to participate in the 2017 administration of the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). This letter includes the scheduled assessment date
for your school.
Your school’s grade (4 or 8 or 12) students will take the assessment for about 120 minutes on
(assessment date). Please place the NAEP assessment date on your 2016-2017 school calendar.
Approximately (estimated student sample) students from your school will be selected to participate, but
that number will vary, depending on actual fall 2016 student enrollment. NAEP representatives will
provide significant support to your school, bring all necessary materials and equipment, and administer
the assessment.
If you have questions or a conflict with the scheduled assessment date, please contact me at (telephone
number) or (email address) by (date). I will send you more information about preparing for the
assessment at the beginning of the school year.
NAEP provides a common measure of student achievement across the country and is used to inform
education policies and practices. Schools and students have an important role in ensuring that NAEP
provides accurate results. Our goal is 100 percent participation in this important assessment, and we
know that we can count on you to help us reach it.
Sincerely,
NAEP State Coordinator
CC:

District Test Coordinator

Enclosure:

NAEP in Your School 2017

Appendix J-10: NAEP in Your School Brochure

NAEP 2017

In Your School
Mathematics and Reading

WHAT IS NAEP?
The National
Assessment of
Educational Progress
(NAEP) is an essential
measurement of
student achievement in
the United States.
First administered in 1969,
NAEP is the largest continuing
and nationally representative
assessment of what our nation’s
students know and can do in
core subjects, such as civics,
geography, mathematics,
reading, U.S. history, and writing.
The schools and students
participating in NAEP represent
other schools and students
across the country.
NAEP is considered the gold
standard of assessments
because of its high technical
quality. From developing
frameworks and questions to
the reporting of results, NAEP
represents the best thinking
of assessment and content
specialists, state education staff,
and teachers from around the
nation.
NAEP monitors academic
progress over time and reports
on student achievement
nationally. The results are
released as The Nation’s Report
Card.

NAEP will be administered on tablets with keyboards to a
sample of fourth- and eighth-grade students in your school
between January 30 and March 10, 2017. Students will be
assessed in mathematics and reading. It will be the first time
that NAEP will report state and TUDA district data collected
via tablets. A small number of students may take paper-andpencil assessments in these subjects. Administering these
assessments via both tablet and paper and pencil will help
NAEP evaluate any differences in student performance.
Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, districts and states receiving
Title I funding are required to participate in the biennial NAEP mathematics and
reading assessments in grades 4 and 8.
National and state results will be reported for grades 4 and 8. The twenty-seven
districts participating in the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) will receive
district-level results. The results of NAEP are used by teachers, principals, parents,
policymakers, and researchers to assess students’ progress in various subject areas
and develop ways to improve education in the United States.
What is involved?
Each student will be assessed in only one subject and in one type of administration.
Students will spend about 120 minutes completing the assessment, including
transition time and directions. They will be asked to complete a questionnaire that
aims to get a better understanding of their educational experiences, such as the
amount of reading they do and the types of classes they take.
The school principal and grade 4 and 8 teachers of the subjects being assessed will
also complete a questionnaire. These questionnaires are designed to help provide
contextual information for the results, as well as information about factors that may
be related to students’ learning. Additional information will be collected about how
students with disabilities and English language learners will participate in the
assessment and the accommodations they will receive.
How many students will be assessed?
Nationally, approximately 360,000 students will be assessed in fourth grade and
360,000 in eighth grade.
For more information about NAEP, visit:
www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

It’s important to know...
Who will be responsible for coordinating and administering NAEP?
Your NAEP State Coordinator, NAEP representatives, and school staff will work together to coordinate and administer the
assessment. A staff person in your school will need to be assigned to serve as the school coordinator and be the primary contact
for the assessment. This person should be:
familiar with how students participate in statewide assessments; and
comfortable using a computer to collect and enter student information online.
The NAEP State Coordinator works at your state Department of Education and will be responsible for:
working with schools to confirm the assessment date;
communicating with principals about the importance of NAEP and student participation;
providing schools with instructions for preparing a list of fourth- or eighth-grade students and information about notifying parents
of participating students;
providing guidance for including students with disabilities and English language learners; and
responding to questions from the school community throughout the assessment period.
NAEP representatives employed by a U.S. Department of Education contractor to work directly with schools will be
responsible for:
selecting a random sample of students from the school list of fourth- or eighth-graders;
verifying information that the school coordinator has provided via the MyNAEP website, which will serve as the primary resource
and action center throughout the NAEP assessment process;
working with the school coordinator to finalize assessment logistics;
bringing all assessment materials to the school on the scheduled day; and
conducting the assessment.
Each principal will be responsible for:
assigning a school staff member to serve as school coordinator;
including the NAEP assessment date on the school calendar;
empowering the designated school coordinator to work with the NAEP representative and NAEP State Coordinator to prepare for
the assessment; and
informing school staff and students about NAEP and why student participation is critically important.
The school coordinator will be responsible for:
confirming the scheduled assessment date with the NAEP State Coordinator;
registering for the MyNAEP website and providing information about the school;
overseeing the submission of an electronic list of fourth- or eighth-grade students;
using the MyNAEP website to prepare for the assessment;
informing parents of the assessment (more information will be provided on how to complete this task);
communicating with the NAEP representative to finalize assessment preparations;
organizing the availability of school space for the assessment, including room(s), desks or tables, and an adequate number of
electrical outlets in the assessment location (the school will not need to provide Internet access); and
collaborating with school staff to ensure a high rate of student participation.
Detailed information about the school coordinator’s responsibilities will be sent at the beginning of the school year.
Get NAEP on the go with the NAEP Results mobile app
Download it today on the iTunes or Google Play stores

Find us on:

NAEP 2017

In Your School

Writing and Pilot Digitally Based Assessments

WHAT IS NAEP?
The National
Assessment of
Educational Progress
(NAEP) is an essential
measurement of
student achievement in
the United States.

NAEP will be administered on tablets with keyboards to a
sample of fourth- and eighth-grade students between
January 30 and March 10, 2017. Students will participate in
writing assessments as well as pilot assessments in
mathematics and reading. Students in grade 8 will also
participate in pilot assessments in civics, geography, and U.S.
history.
National results from the writing assessment will be reported for grades 4 and 8.
Information collected from the pilots will be used to prepare for the full transition to
digitally based assessments by the end of the decade.

First administered in 1969,
NAEP is the largest continuing
and nationally representative
assessment of what our nation’s
students know and can do in
core subjects, such as civics,
geography, mathematics,
reading, U.S. history, and writing.

The results of NAEP are used by teachers, principals, parents, policymakers, and
researchers to assess students’ progress in various subject areas and develop ways
to improve education in the United States.

The schools and students
participating in NAEP represent
other schools and students
across the country.

Each student will be assessed in only one subject. Students will spend approximately
120 minutes completing the assessment, including transition time and directions.
They will be asked to complete a questionnaire that aims to get a better
understanding of their educational experiences, such as the amount of reading they
do and the types of classes they take.

NAEP is considered the gold
standard of assessments
because of its high technical
quality. From developing
frameworks and questions to
the reporting of results, NAEP
represents the best thinking
of assessment and content
specialists, state education staff,
and teachers from around the
nation.
NAEP monitors academic
progress over time and reports
on student achievement
nationally. The results are
released as The Nation’s Report
Card.

What is involved?

The school principal and grade 4 and 8 teachers of the subjects being assessed will
also complete a questionnaire. These questionnaires are designed to help provide
contextual information for the results, as well as information about factors that may
be related to students’ learning.
Additional information will be collected about how students with disabilities and
English language learners will participate in the assessment and the
accommodations they will receive.
How many students will be assessed?
Nationally, approximately 56,100 students will be assessed in fourth grade and
76,800 in eighth grade.

For more information about NAEP, visit:
www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

Find us on:

Appendix J-11: NAEP in Your Private School

NAEP in Your Private School
Mathematics and Reading Assessments

2017
Why assess private schools?
What is NAEP?
The National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
is an essential measurement
of student achievement in
the United States.
●●

●●

First administered in
1969, NAEP is the largest
continuing and nationally
representative assessment
of what our nation’s
public and private school
students know and can do
in various subjects.
NAEP is considered
the gold standard of
assessments because
of its high technical
quality. From developing
frameworks and questions
to the reporting of results,
NAEP represents the best
thinking of assessment
and content specialists
and teachers from around
the nation.
The schools and students
participating in NAEP make
an important contribution
by representing other
schools and students
across the country.
NAEP monitors academic
progress over time
and reports on student
achievement nationally.
The results are released as
The Nation’s Report Card.

Private school data are essential for examining the picture of education in the United
States and informing future policy decisions. Private schools represent about 23
percent of schools in the nation and educate approximately 9 percent of the nation’s
students. NAEP has consistently demonstrated how the performance of students in
private schools compares positively to the performance of students in public schools.
Why participate in NAEP?
Your school has been selected to represent other private schools across the nation.
Your participation is needed to ensure a complete picture of the academic progress
of the nation’s students, and it is vital that all selected students participate in
NAEP. Schools, students, and teachers who participate in NAEP provide a valuable
community service and enable The Nation’s Report Card to provide a more inclusive
picture of what our nation’s students know and can do in key subject areas.
NAEP has the support of numerous private school organizations, including the
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the National Catholic Educational
Association (NCEA), and the Council for American Private Education (CAPE).
The NAEP 2017 program in your school
From January 30 to March 10, 2017, NAEP will be administered in schools across the
country. Students at grades 4 and 8 will participate in mathematics and reading
assessments conducted on tablets. A small number of students may take paper and
pencil assessments in these subjects. NAEP is administering the assessments via both
tablets and paper booklets to evaluate any differences in student performance
between the two types of administration. Each student will be assessed in only one
subject and in one type of assessment administration. NAEP representatives will
bring all materials and equipment, including tablets, to the school on assessment day.
Students will spend approximately 120 minutes completing the assessment, which
includes transition time and directions and completion of a student questionnaire.
The questionnaire provides contextual information about students’ opportunities to
learn inside and outside the classroom as well as their educational experiences.
The school principal and the grade 4 and 8 teachers of the subjects being assessed will
also be asked to complete a questionnaire. NAEP collects information from schools and
teachers to provide a more complete understanding of the results. Topics such as
classroom experience, teacher training, and school policies can be valuable information
for education stakeholders who need to gain a better picture of student performance.
The results of the assessment will be released as The Nation’s Report Card.
Continued on next page

NAEP in Your Private School Mathematics and Reading Assessments

What are the responsibilities of NAEP representatives?
NAEP representatives work directly with schools and are responsible for

For more information
about NAEP visit:
●●

●●

Program overview
http://nces.ed.gov/
nationsreportcard
Private school participation
http://nces.ed.gov/
nationsreportcard/about/
nonpublicschools.asp

“Private schools have
participated in NAEP
for decades, and the
Council for American
Private Education
(CAPE) supports NAEP
and encourages your
participation.”
Joe McTighe
Executive Director, CAPE

●●

Confirming the assessment date and time with the school
Providing schools with instructions for preparing a list of eligible students from
which a random sample will be selected for participation in the assessment
Providing schools with information about notifying parents of selected students
Providing resources, guidelines, and support to assist the school coordinator in
completing activities and finalizing assessment arrangements
Bringing all assessment materials and equipment, including tablets, to the school
on assessment day

●●

Conducting the assessments

●●

Responding to questions from the school throughout the assessment period

What are the responsibilities of the principal and school coordinator?
The principal is responsible for
●●

●●

Including the NAEP assessment date on the school calendar
Designating a school coordinator to work with NAEP representatives and to
prepare for the assessment

●●

Informing school staff about NAEP and why participation is critically important

●●

Completing the school questionnaire

The school coordinator is responsible for
●●

Confirming that the suggested assessment date works with the school calendar

●●

Securing space for the assessment to take place

●●

Supporting teachers’ access to the teacher questionnaires

●●

Providing a list of eligible students from which a random sample will be selected for
participation in the assessment (student names will always be kept confidential)
Informing parents
Completing preassessment activities with guidance and support from NAEP
representatives
Ensuring that students attend the session on the assessment date

Find us on:

Get NAEP on the go with the NAEP Results mobile app!

46135.0416.6140017220

NAEP in Your Private School
Writing and Pilot Assessments

2017
Why assess private schools?
What is NAEP?
The National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
is an essential measurement
of student achievement in
the United States.
●●

●●

Private school data are essential for examining the picture of education in the United
States and informing future policy decisions. Private schools represent about 23
percent of schools in the nation and educate approximately 9 percent of the nation’s
students. NAEP has consistently demonstrated how the performance of students in
private schools compares positively to the performance of students in public schools.
Why participate in NAEP?
Your school has been selected to represent other private schools across the nation.
Your participation is needed to ensure a complete picture of the academic progress
of the nation’s students, and it is vital that all selected students participate in
NAEP. Schools, students, and teachers who participate in NAEP provide a valuable
community service and enable The Nation’s Report Card to provide a more inclusive
picture of what our nation’s students know and can do in key subject areas.
NAEP has the support of numerous private school organizations, including the
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the National Catholic Educational
Association (NCEA), and the Council for American Private Education (CAPE).
The NAEP 2017 program in your school
From January 30 to March 10, 2017, NAEP will be administered in schools across the
country. Students in grades 4 and 8 will participate in writing assessments as well as pilot
assessments in mathematics and reading. Students in grade 8 will also participate in pilot
assessments in civics, geography, and U.S. history. All assessments will be administered
on tablets. Each student will be assessed in only one subject. NAEP representatives will
bring all materials and equipment, including tablets, to the school on assessment day.
Students will spend approximately 120 minutes completing the assessment, which
includes transition time and directions and completion of a student questionnaire.
The questionnaire provides contextual information about students’ opportunities to
learn in and outside of the classroom as well as their educational experiences.
The school principal and the grade 4 and 8 teachers of the subjects being assessed will
also be asked to complete a questionnaire. NAEP collects information from schools and
teachers to provide a more complete understanding of the results. Topics such as
classroom experience, teacher training, and school policies can be important information
for education stakeholders who need to gain a better picture of student performance.
The results of the writing assessment will be released as The Nation’s Report Card.
Although the results of the pilot assessments will not be released, the pilots will
provide valuable information to inform future assessments.
Continued on next page

NAEP in Your Private School Writing and Pilot Assessments

What are the responsibilities of NAEP representatives?
NAEP representatives work directly with schools and are responsible for

For more information
about NAEP visit:
●●

●●

Program overview
http://nces.ed.gov/
nationsreportcard
Private school participation
http://nces.ed.gov/
nationsreportcard/about/
nonpublicschools.asp

●●

Conducting the assessments

●●

Responding to questions from the school throughout the assessment period

What are the responsibilities of the principal and school coordinator?
The principal is responsible for
●●

●●

Including the NAEP assessment date on the school calendar
Designating a school coordinator to work with NAEP representatives and to
prepare for the assessment

●●

Informing school staff about NAEP and why participation is critically important

●●

Completing the school questionnaire

The school coordinator is responsible for
●●

Confirming that the suggested assessment date works with the school calendar

●●

Securing space for the assessment to take place

●●

Supporting teachers’ access to the teacher questionnaires

●●

Find us on:

Get NAEP on the go with the NAEP Results mobile app!

46135.0416.6140017220

Appendix J-12: NAEP Assessment Details Letter from NAEP State
Coordinator to Principal

Early Fall NAEP 2017 Assessment Details Letter
NAEP STATE COORDINATOR TO PRINCIPALS
Red text should be customized before mail merge, highlighted text represents mail merge fields.
Dear principal name:
At the end of the school year, I notified school name of its selection to participate in the National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). I am following up with you to provide additional
information about the upcoming assessment.
To prepare for the assessment, please:
•

Place the NAEP assessment date, assessment date, on your school calendar.

•

Review the enclosed School Coordinator Responsibilities: A Guide to MyNAEP and designate a school
coordinator to serve as the liaison for all NAEP activities in your school. Give the enclosed NAEP
folder to your designated school coordinator. The school coordinator should
 know how to collect student information, such as birth dates, demographic information,
and if any students have withdrawn;
 be comfortable using a computer, since all assessment preparation activities will be
completed online; and
 be familiar with how students participate in statewide assessments.

A NAEP representative responsible for administering the assessment will contact your school
coordinator in early December. During the assessment, we would appreciate the presence of a school
staff person as an observer in each session. A staff member’s presence can have a positive impact on
students’ motivation and performance.
Again, I would like to express my appreciation for your assistance with this very important assessment of
our nation’s students. Our chief state school officer, name, supports NAEP and encourages your
students’ participation.
I look forward to collaborating with you and your school coordinator to ensure the successful
administration of NAEP 2017. If you would like to access the MyNAEP site (www.mynaep.com), please
register with this ID number: MyNAEP Registration ID. MyNAEP is a protected site, so you will create
your own password. Should you have questions, please contact me at telephone number or email
address.
Sincerely,
NAEP State Coordinator
Enclosures:

NAEP folder for your school coordinator, including the following:
Letter to your school coordinator
School Coordinator Responsibilities: A Guide to MyNAEP
MyNAEP Registration Instructions
Student List Submission Instructions
Parent/Guardian Notification Letter
60

Appendix J-13: NAEP Assessment Details Letter from NAEP State
Coordinator to School Coordinator

Early Fall NAEP 2017 Assessment Details Letter
NAEP STATE COORDINATOR TO SCHOOL COORDINATOR
Red text should be customized before mail merge, highlighted text represents mail merge fields.
Dear School Coordinator:
Welcome to the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). I look forward to working
with you to coordinate NAEP in your school. A sample of your grade grade students will be taking
assessment subjects assessments on assessment date.
As school coordinator, you will have a number of responsibilities critical to making NAEP a success. The
MyNAEP website is designed to assist you with these responsibilities. The timeline below indicates when
you will need to complete specific MyNAEP sections.
•

August-September – Register at www.mynaep.com with the following registration ID: MyNAEP
Registration ID. Answer the questions in the Provide School Information section by date. For
instructions, see the enclosed School Coordinator Responsibilities: A Guide to MyNAEP.

•

October-November – Prepare and submit a list of all grade grade students electronically in the
Submit Student List section by date. Please see the enclosed Student List Submission Instructions.

•

December-January – An assigned NAEP representative who is responsible for administering the
assessment will contact you in early December. At that time, you will log onto the MyNAEP site with
the representative and discuss how to complete the Prepare for Assessment section. Major tasks
are highlighted below.
o

Provide information about students with disabilities and English language learners (SD/ELL)
so that assessment administrators can plan appropriate testing accommodations. You can
request MyNAEP access for your school’s SD/ELL specialists on the Complete SD/ELL
Student Information page so that they can assist with this task.

Notify parents/guardians that their children have been selected for the assessment. A
sample parent/guardian notification letter is enclosed and will be available on the MyNAEP
website for you to customize and print on your school letterhead.

Schedule assessment sessions and reserve space at your school. The NAEP team will be
transporting heavy cases of tablets; please select assessment locations that are on the first
floor or accessible by elevator.

Update the student list to add any new students who have enrolled since the fall. NAEP will
draw a random sample from this group to ensure that all students have an opportunity to be
selected for NAEP.

•

One week before the assessment – Visit the Support Assessment Activities section to print student
appointment cards and notify teachers in advance so they know when to release students.

•

May 1 – Confirm that all confidential hardcopy NAEP materials have been shredded.

During the assessment, we would appreciate the presence of a school staff person as an observer in
each session. A staff member’s presence can have a positive impact on students’ motivation and
performance.
More information about your responsibilities is provided in the enclosed Guide to MyNAEP. Additional
information about NAEP can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and effort in helping to coordinate this important
assessment. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at telephone number or email
address.
Sincerely,
NAEP State Coordinator
Enclosures:

NAEP folder, including the following:
School Coordinator Responsibilities: A Guide to MyNAEP
Student List Submission Instructions
Parent/Guardian Notification Letter

Appendix J-14: School Coordinator Responsibilities: A Guide to MyNAEP

School Coordinator Responsibilities
A Guide to MyNAEP

2017
The MyNAEP website
provides participating
schools with a
convenient way to
prepare for the
upcoming National
Assessment of
Educational Progress
(NAEP).
■■

■■

MyNAEP will serve
as your primary
resource and action
center throughout
the assessment
process.
MyNAEP offers
school coordinators
an electronic way
to prepare for the
assessment at their
own pace.
The MyNAEP menu
is a virtual checklist
of all activities that
school coordinators
need to complete
throughout the
school year. It is
important to check
in regularly to make
sure your school
is on track with
preparations.

Each school participating in NAEP 2017 has a designated staff member to serve as
the NAEP school coordinator. You have been selected to serve as coordinator and
liaison for all NAEP assessment activities in your school. Thank you in advance for
helping to prepare for this important assessment!
MyNAEP Activity Timeline
Register for
MyNAEP

Provide
School
Information

Submit
Student List

Now

August –
September

Prepare for
Assessment

Support
Assessment
Activities

Wrap Up

October –
November

December –
January

One week
before the
assessment

Last day of
school or by
June 1

if requested

In the fall, you will need to complete the following activities:
Register for the MyNAEP website.
MyNAEP provides you with all of the information your school needs to participate in NAEP,
including information about what to expect at each stage. Multiple school staff members may
register to access the site, but only school coordinators and principals will have full access.
Register at www.mynaep.com by entering your school’s assigned registration ID. For detailed
instructions on how to register, see page 3.

Complete and submit school information.
Go to the Provide School Information section to enter and submit your school’s contact and
characteristic information, including your school’s name, address, and the number of students
enrolled in the selected grade. Providing up-to-date information about your school ensures that
materials can be accurately prepared for the assessment.
Continued on page 2

Visit the MyNAEP
website to get started:
www.mynaep.com.

For more information about NAEP, visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

Find us on:

Prepare and submit a list of your
school’s students in the selected
grade level (if requested).

Plan assessment day logistics.

NAEP requires a complete list of students in the
selected grade. NAEP uses the list to draw a random
sample of students who will participate in the
assessment and to collect demographic information.
The Submit Student List section will appear for
schools that need to prepare and upload this list
in the fall. Student names will always be kept
confidential, and individual student responses and
scores on NAEP are never reported.
In December, the NAEP representative responsible
for administering NAEP in your school will
contact you and discuss how to complete the
following tasks listed under the Prepare for
Assessment menu:

Review student information and
prepare for the assessment of
students with disabilities and English
language learners (SD/ELL).
Visit the Review and Verify List of Students
Selected for NAEP section to review the student
sample and identify any students who cannot take the
assessment. You will also need to review demographic
information and provide updates in case any
information is missing or inaccurate. To ensure that
NAEP reflects the educational progress of all students,
you will need to submit information in the Complete
SD/ELL Student Information section about how
SD/ELL students will participate in the assessment
and the accommodations they will receive.

Inform parents/guardians of student
participation.
By law, parents/guardians of students selected to
participate in NAEP must be notified in writing of
their child’s selection prior to the administration of
the assessment. An electronic copy of the Parent/
Guardian Notification Letter is available in the Notify
Parents section to download, print, and distribute.

Manage the completion of
questionnaires by school staff.
You are responsible for managing the completion
of online questionnaires designed to provide
contextual information for the assessment results.
You can assign, email, and monitor questionnaires
for completion through the Manage Questionnaires
section of MyNAEP.

Assessment day details, including the location(s) and
start time of the assessment, and how students and
teachers will be notified, need to be entered via the
Plan for Assessment Day section.

Promote the importance of NAEP
with school staff and students.
Teachers are essential for motivating students to do
their best on NAEP. Students selected to take NAEP
represent thousands of students across the country,
so it is vital that they participate and do their best.
Online resources, short videos, and strategies for
promoting NAEP are all available in the Encourage
Participation section.

Update the student list to reflect
January 2017 enrollment.
All eligible students must have an opportunity to be
selected. In January, visit the Update Student List
section and upload an Excel file of students currently
enrolled in the selected grade or add new students
to the original list submitted in the fall. NAEP may
draw a random sample of newly identified students to
select students who were not on the original list.
On the assessment date, you will meet your NAEP
representative and assessment team and be
responsible for the following:

Ensure that students attend
the session.
Prior to the assessment start time, you need to
be available to ensure that students attend the
sessions. Appointment cards can be created and
printed from the Support Assessment Activities
section. You and the teachers of selected students
are encouraged to remain in the room during the
assessment. If attendance of sampled students
is less than 90 percent, a makeup session will
be necessary, and the NAEP representative will
schedule another date to administer the assessment
to the students who were absent. After the
assessment, please safeguard all NAEP materials
until the last day of school and confirm that all
materials have been shredded.

How to Register and Access MyNAEP

Go to www.mynaep.com. On the right side of the screen, select Please register.

Enter the MyNAEP registration ID included in the letter or email sent by your NAEP
representative and select Continue. If you cannot locate your registration ID, contact your
NAEP representative or the NAEP help desk at 800-283-6237 or [email protected].
Multiple school staff can use the registration ID to register for the website. For detailed
instructions, select Registration Help.

Complete the registration form and create a password to access MyNAEP. MyNAEP is a secure
website that contains confidential information, so all users will be prompted to accept a
confidentiality agreement. A username will be automatically generated and emailed to you.
Links are available on the login page in case you forget your username or password.

MyNAEP Resources
The diagram below identifies key features that will
help you update information easily throughout the
school year.

Use
the Provide School Information section
3
to confirm your school’s address, contact
information, and other characteristics.

1
The
Help and Contact Us links put you in touch
with video tutorials, live help, contact information
for NAEP staff, and more.

4 Check marks indicate sections that are already

complete, and the color changes from white to green
when NAEP staff confirm the information in January.

2 Your school’s selected grade(s) and

scheduled assessment date are shown in the
blue banner.

5
The
Prepare for Assessment menu has seven key
tasks for the weeks leading up to the assessment. These
tasks will become available starting in December.

3
4
5

Online Resources

Information for selected schools

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/schools.aspx

Introducing NAEP to Teachers video

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/videos/teachervideo

Introducing NAEP to Students video

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/videos/naepstudent.aspx

What Every Parent Should Know
About NAEP video

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/videos/parentvideo

Sample Questions booklets

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/booklets.aspx

NAEP Questions Tool

http://nces.ed.gov/NationsReportCard/nqt

Information for parents

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/parents

Assessment frameworks

http://www.nagb.org/publications/frameworks.html

47044.0716.6137010208

Appendix J-15: Template for State-Specific SD Inclusion Policy

The 2016 version is included; Appendix J-15 will be updated to
reflect the 2017 version in a subsequent amendment to this
package.

New Moldavia NAEP 2016 Inclusion Policy
Students with Disabilities (SD)
Grades 4, and 8 Mathematics, Reading, and Writing Digitally Based Assessments
The New Moldavia Department of Education expects that most students with disabilities will be included on the National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Only students who meet (or met) participation criteria for the may be excluded from any NAEP assessment. All
other students with disabilities should participate in NAEP with or without NAEP-allowed accommodations.
Several accommodations provided on the New Moldavia assessments are not necessary for the NAEP assessments
because they are available for all students through universal design elements. The chart below is divided into three
sections: (1) universal design elements that will be available to all students, (2) accommodations provided by the test
delivery system, and (3) accommodations provided outside the test delivery system. NAEP accommodations are only
allowed for a student on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 Plan. If you have questions about the
NAEP accommodations, please contact , NAEP State Coordinator at or .
NAEP Universal Design
Element
Available to All Students

Zooming

One-on-One/Small Group

NAEP Subject

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Text-to-Speech/Read Aloud
(English) – Directions Only

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Text-to-Speech/Read Aloud
(English) – Occasional or
Most or All

Mathematics and
Writing
Not Allowed for
Reading

Use a Computer/Tablet to
Respond

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Color Contrast

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Scratchwork/Highlighter
Capability

Elimination Capability

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing
Mathematics and
Reading
Not Allowed for
Writing

NAEP Universal Design Element Description
Tool to enlarge content onscreen up to 2 times the default text/image size. Students can change text sizes
ranging from approximately 12-point font to approximately 24-point font. Twenty-four point font is
approximately 1/3-inch tall.
NOTE: This only enlarges the items, NOT the tool icons, menus, calculator, equation editor, etc.
Unnecessary due to the mode of test administration. All students are interacting on a one-on-one basis with
the tablet and will have earbuds to reduce distractions. Read aloud and other accommodations will be
provided through the tablet and will not distract other students in the room.
NOTE: Up to 25 students will be in the standard administration. If students need to be assessed in a smaller
group, please select the accommodation Must Be Tested in a Separate Session.
General directions are read aloud to all students. Directions within the assessment can be selected and read
aloud by the system using text-to-speech. The tutorial explains how to do this and has full audio.
Students select some or all text to be read aloud by the system using text-to-speech. The tutorial explains how
to do this and has full audio. Text-to-Speech/Read Aloud (English) – Occasional or Most or All is not
allowed for reading passages or items.
All students respond on NAEP-provided tablets.
Students have a choice of three color contrast options, including one high-contrast option. The default is
black text on white background and the two other options are white text on black background and black text
on beige background.
NOTE: This tool is not available for the tutorial or any image/video content.
Allows freehand drawing and highlighting on the screen. The scratchwork/highlighter tool is available for short
standalone items (e.g., multiple-choice and short constructed-response items). The tutorial explains how to
do this and has full audio.
Allows students to gray out answer choices for multiple choice items. Elimination Capability is not
available for writing because there are no multiple choice items.
NOTE: This tool is not available for constructed response items.

Volume Adjustment

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Some portions of the assessment feature audio, such as text-to-speech or multimedia item content. Students
may raise or lower the volume using a control on the tablet.

Closed Captioning

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

All voice-over narration is closed captioned.

NAEP Universal Design
Element
Available to All Students
Electronic Spellcheck and
Thesaurus

NAEP Accommodation
Provided
by Test Delivery System
Available to Students on an
IEP or Section 504 Plan

NAEP Subject
Writing
Not Allowed for
Mathematics or
Reading

Magnification

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Hearing Impaired Version of
the Test
Color Contrast for Visually
Impaired Students

NAEP Accommodation Description
This accommodation requires that students be given extra time to complete the assessment.

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Calculator Version of the
Test

Incorporated into the interface with automatic and user-prompted activation options. Electronic Spellcheck
and Thesaurus is not allowed for mathematics or reading.

NAEP Subject

Extended Time

Low Mobility Version of the
Test

NAEP Universal Design Element Description

NOTE: If state test is untimed, students may or may not require extended time on NAEP. NAEP is a timed
but not a “speeded” test (it is not designed to evaluate how many questions a student can answer in a limited
amount of time). Generally, most students are able to complete the NAEP cognitive sections in the time
allowed (30 minutes per section).
For students requiring magnification of all assessment content, including tools, menus, calculator, and
equation editor. Screen magnification software allows students to scroll over a portion of the screen to
magnify the image on the screen.
NOTE: See Zooming under universal design elements to determine if students need additional magnification.

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

This accommodation provides a test form with short-standalone items that are keyboard navigable and do not
require the use of the mouse or touch pad.

Mathematics
Not Allowed for
Reading and
Writing

This accommodation provides a mathematics test form that permits the use of a calculator. The calculator is
an onscreen calculator provided as part of the assessment system. Calculator Version of the Test is not
allowed for Reading or Writing.

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing
Reading and
Writing
Not Allowed for
Mathematics

This accommodation provides a test form that has all auditory content closed captioned.
This accommodation is for visually impaired students who require high contrast of all content. A special form
for reading and writing is provided without any image/video content. Color Contrast for Visually Impaired
Students is not allowed for mathematics.

NAEP Accommodation
Provided Outside Test
Delivery System
Available to Students on an
IEP or Section 504 Plan

NAEP Subject

NAEP Accommodation Description

Breaks During Testing

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

This accommodation requires that the student be allowed to take breaks as requested or at predetermined
intervals during the assessment. This also could mean that the student is allowed to take the assessment in
more than one sitting during a single day.

Must Be Tested in a
Separate Session

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

This accommodation requires that the student be tested away from other students in a separate testing area.

Must Have an Aide Present
in the Testing Room

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

NOTE: This could be a small group or one-on-one.
This accommodation that requires the aide the student regularly works with be present in the testing
room while the assessment is being conducted.
NOTE: Only trained NAEP staff may conduct the assessment session.
Template: This is a cutout or overlay provided by the school that is used to focus a student’s attention on
one part of a screen by obscuring the other parts of the screen.

Uses Template/Special
Equipment/Preferential
Seating

Cueing to Stay on Task

Responds Orally to a Scribe

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing
Mathematics and
Reading
Not Allowed for
Writing

Presentation in Sign
Language

Mathematics and
Writing
Not Allowed for
Reading

Response in Sign Language

Mathematics and
Reading
Not Allowed for
Writing

Braille Version of the Test

Other (specify)

Mathematics and
Reading
Not Allowed for
Writing
Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Study Carrel/Special Equipment: This is a study carrel or portable screen provided by the school used to
limit distractions for a student. It may also include special light and furniture used by the student.
Preferential Seating: This accommodation requires that a student sit in a designated area for the
assessment, such as away from other students to limit distractions; a location where there is access to
special equipment; or close to the front of the room so a student can see or hear more easily.
This accommodation requires that a school staff member provide students with a verbal or nonverbal cue to
begin a task or to refocus on a task.
This accommodation requires the student respond orally to a scribe provided by the school or respond by
pointing to his/her answers. The scribe then records the student’s responses on the tablet. Responds Orally
to a Scribe is not allowed for writing.
This accommodation requires a qualified sign language interpreter at the school sign the instructions
included in the session script and some or all of the test questions or answer choices for the student.
Presentation in sign language is not allowed for reading passages or test questions.
NOTE: If a student needs directions signed for reading, please select “Other (specify)” and note the needed
accommodation.
This accommodation requires a hearing impaired student signs his/her responses to a scribe provided by
the school who records the responses on the tablet. Response in Sign Language is not allowed for
writing.
This accommodation provides a paper-and-pencil Braille test form. Braille Version of the Test is not
allowed for writing.
NOTE: If a student needs to respond in Braille, select “Other (specify)” and note the needed accommodation.
The student records his/her answers using a Braille output device, a slate and stylus, or an electronic Braille
note taker provided by the school, or uses a scribe to record the answers (see Responds Orally to a Scribe
accommodation).
Any accommodations not listed above. Please check with your NAEP State Coordinator to see if other
accommodations are allowed on NAEP.

1) Students who have the read aloud accommodation for the reading comprehension section on the state assessment should be included in the NAEP reading assessment without the accommodation.
2) Only students who require a calculator for testing in their IEP or Section 504 Plans are eligible for the NAEP
calculator version of the test.
3) Students who receive multiple-day testing on the state assessments should take the NAEP
assessments in one day with breaks as needed. NAEP is much shorter than the state assessments, so multipleday testing is not offered. Students take up to 60 minutes of subject matter content and answer survey
questions about their educational experiences.

Appendix J-16: Template for State-Specific ELL Inclusion Policy

The 2016 version is included; Appendix J-16 will be
updated to reflect the 2017 version in a subsequent
amendment to this package.

New Moldavia NAEP 2016 Inclusion Policy
English Language Learners (ELL)
Grades 4 and 8 Mathematics, Reading, and Writing Digitally Based Assessments
The New Moldavia Department of Education expects that most English language learners will be included on the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Only English language learners who have been enrolled in U.S.
schools for less than 1 full academic year before the NAEP assessment and cannot access NAEP may be excluded from
any NAEP assessment. All other English language learners should participate in NAEP with or without NAEP allowed
accommodations.
Several accommodations provided on the New Moldavia assessments are not necessary for the NAEP assessments
because they are available for all students through universal design elements. The chart below is divided into three
sections: (1) universal design elements that will be available to all students, (2) accommodations provided by the test
delivery system, and (3) accommodations provided outside the test delivery system. NAEP accommodations are only
allowed for English language learners. If you have questions about the NAEP accommodations, please contact , NAEP State Coordinator at or .
NAEP Universal Design
Element
Available to All Students

Zooming

One-on-One/Small Group

NAEP Subject

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Text-to-Speech/Read Aloud
(English) – Directions Only

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Text-to-Speech/Read Aloud
(English) – Occasional or
Most or All

Mathematics and
Writing
Not Allowed for
Reading

Use a Computer/Tablet to
Respond

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Color Contrast

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Scratchwork/Highlighter
Capability

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Elimination Capability

Volume Adjustment

Mathematics and
Reading
Not Allowed for
Writing
Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

NAEP Universal Design Element Description
Tool to enlarge content onscreen up to 2 times the default text/image size. Students can change text sizes
ranging from approximately 12-point font to approximately 24-point font. Twenty-four point font is
approximately 1/3-inch tall.
NOTE: This only enlarges the items, NOT the tool icons, menus, calculator, equation editor, etc.
Unnecessary due to the mode of test administration. All students are interacting on a one-on-one basis with
the tablet and will have earbuds to reduce distractions. Read aloud and other accommodations will be
provided through the tablet and will not distract other students in the room.
NOTE: Up to 25 students will be in the standard administration. If students need to be assessed in a smaller
group, please select the accommodation Must Be Tested in a Separate Session.
General directions are read aloud to all students. Directions within the assessment can be selected and read
aloud by the system using text-to-speech. The tutorial explains how to do this and has full audio.
Students select some or all text to be read aloud by the system using text-to-speech. The tutorial explains how
to do this and has full audio. Text-to-Speech/Read Aloud (English) – Occasional or Most or All is not
allowed for reading passages or items.
All students respond on NAEP-provided tablets.
Students have a choice of three color contrast options, including one high-contrast option. The default is
black text on white background and the two other options are white text on black background and black text
on beige background.
NOTE: This tool is not available for the tutorial or any image/video content.
Allows freehand drawing and highlighting on the screen. The scratchwork/highlighter tool is available for short
stand-alone items (e.g., multiple-choice and short constructed response items). The tutorial explains how to
do this and has full audio.
Allows students to gray out answer choices for multiple choice items. Elimination Capability is not
available for writing because there are no multiple choice items.
NOTE: This tool is not available for constructed response items.
Some portions of the assessment feature audio, such as text-to-speech or multimedia item content. Students
may raise or lower the volume using a control on the tablet.

NAEP Universal Design
Element
Available to All Students
Closed Captioning

Electronic Spellcheck and
Thesaurus

NAEP Accommodation
Provided
by Test Delivery System
Available to ELL
Extended Time

NAEP Accommodation
Provided Outside Test
Delivery System
Available to ELL

NAEP Subject
Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing
Writing
Not Allowed for
Mathematics or
Reading

NAEP Universal Design Element Description

All voice-over narration is closed captioned.

Incorporated into the interface with automatic and user-prompted activation options. Electronic Spellcheck
and Thesaurus is not allowed for mathematics or reading.

NAEP Subject

NAEP Accommodation Description
This accommodation requires that students be given extra time to complete the assessment.

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

NAEP Subject

NAEP Accommodation Description

Breaks During Testing

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Must Be Tested in a
Separate Session

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

This accommodation requires that the student be tested away from other students in a separate testing area.

Must Have an Aide Present
in the Testing Room

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

NOTE: This could be a small group or one-on-one.
This accommodation requires that the aide the student regularly works with be present in the testing
room while the assessment is being conducted.
NOTE: Only trained NAEP staff may conduct the assessment session.

NAEP Accommodation
Provided Outside Test
Delivery System
Available to ELL

NAEP Subject

Template: This is a cutout or overlay provided by the school that is used to focus a student’s attention on
one part of a screen by obscuring the other parts of the screen.

Uses Template/Special
Equipment/Preferential
Seating

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Cueing to Stay on Task

Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Bilingual Dictionary (in any
language)

Other (specify)

NAEP Accommodation Description

Mathematics and
Writing
Not Allowed for
Reading
Mathematics,
Reading, and
Writing

Please keep in mind that NAEP does not produce results for individual students or schools, unlike the New Moldavia
state assessments. All results are summarized only at the national level. In other words, the NAEP assessments do not
impose consequences for the student or the school and are instead intended purely to provide a picture of educational
performance and progress.
Please note all assessments are not the same and are developed to measure specific constructs. Therefore, NAEP may
not allow all accessibility features and accommodations the state assessments allow. The following are
the expectation for inclusion on NAEP:
1) Students who have the read aloud accommodation for the reading comprehension section on the state assessment should be included in the NAEP reading assessment without the accommodation.
2) Students who receive multiple-day testing on the state assessments should take the NAEP
assessments in one day with breaks as needed. NAEP is much shorter than the state assessments, so multipleday testing is not offered. Students take up to 60 minutes of subject matter content and answer survey
questions about their educational experiences.

Appendix J-17: NAEP DBA Sample Parent Letter

NAEP 2017 PARENT/GUARDIAN NOTIFICATION LETTER
Mathematics, reading, and writing assessments
(School Letterhead)
(Insert Date Here)
Dear Parent or Guardian:
(School name) will participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on (date).
NAEP is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students know and can
do in various subjects. It is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, within the U.S.
Department of Education. NAEP is different from our state assessment because it provides a common
measure of student achievement across the country. The results are released as The Nation's Report
Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents, policymakers, and
the public.
Your child (will/might) take a mathematics, reading, or writing assessment. The assessment also asks
students questions about their daily routine and their educational experiences. For example, students
are asked if there is a computer at home and about the amount of reading they do. Student responses
are anonymous, and they provide context and meaning to the assessment results. Please visit
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/booklets.asp to review sample questions.
The assessment takes about 120 minutes for most students. The results are completely confidential (in
accordance with the Confidential Information Protection provisions of Title V, Subtitle A, Public Law 107347).
The information collected is used for statistical purposes only.
• Your child’s grades will not be affected.
• Students may be excused for any reason, are not required to complete the assessment, and may
skip any question.
• While the assessment is voluntary, NAEP depends on student participation to help policymakers
improve education. However, if you do not want your child to participate, please notify me in
writing by (date).
There is no need to study in preparation for NAEP, but please encourage your child to do their best. A
brochure that explains what participation in NAEP means for you and your child is available at
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/parents/2012469.pdf. Contact (name) at (telephone number)
or at (email address) if you have any questions.
We are excited that our school is participating in NAEP. We know that (school name)'s students will
show what our nation’s students know and can do.
Sincerely,
School Principal

Appendix J-18: NAEP Facts for Teacher Brochure

NAEP 2017
Facts for Teachers
NAEP is an integral part
of education in the
United States.
• Elected officials, policymakers, and
educators all use NAEP results to
develop ways to improve education.
• NAEP is a congressionally mandated
project administered by the National
Center for Education Statistics, within
the U.S. Department of Education and
the Institute of Education Sciences.
• NAEP serves a different role than
state assessments. While states have
their own unique assessments with
different content standards, the same
NAEP assessment is administered in
every state, providing a common
measure of student achievement.
• Depending on the type of NAEP
assessment that is administered, the
data can be used to compare and
understand the performance of
demographic groups within your
state, the nation, other states, and
districts that participate in the Trial
Urban District Assessment (TUDA).
• To provide a better understanding of
educational experiences and factors
that may be related to students’
learning, students, teachers, and
principals who participate in NAEP are
asked to complete contextual
questionnaires.

“As an educator, I find the contextual information that
NAEP provides to be particularly valuable. It helps me take
a closer look at the factors related to student achievement
across the country.”
Ann M. Finch, Dover Middle School, Dover, AR
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest
continuing and nationally representative assessment of what our nation’s students
know and can do in subjects such as civics, geography, mathematics, reading, U.S.
history, and writing. The results of NAEP are released as The Nation’s Report Card.
As teachers, you are essential partners in NAEP. You make an important
contribution by encouraging your students to participate and do their best. When
students take part in NAEP and give their best effort, we get the most accurate
measure possible of student achievement across the country.
Teachers can use NAEP questions as an educational resource in the
classroom. With the NAEP Questions Tool, you can view released NAEP items,
create customized assessments for your classroom, and compare your students’
performance with national results. Most released items include a scoring guide,
sample student responses, and performance data. Visit http://nces.ed.gov/
nationsreportcard/nqt to learn more.

NAEP Digitally Based Assessments
The NAEP program has evolved to address the changing educational landscape
through its transition to digitally based assessments. An increasing number of
schools are making digital tools an integral part of the learning environment. These
changes reflect that the knowledge and skills needed for future postsecondary success
involve the use of new technologies. In 2017, NAEP will be administered on touch-screen
tablets at grades 4 and 8. Students will participate in writing assessments as well as
assessments in mathematics and reading. Students in grade 8 will also participate in
pilot assessments in U.S. history, geography, and civics. These new, digitally based
assessments allow NAEP to collect new types of data that provide depth in our
understanding of what students know and can do in various subjects.
NAEP’s digitally based assessments will use new testing methods and item types
that reflect the growing use of technology in education. Some questions may
include multimedia, such as audio and video. Other questions may allow the use of
embedded technological features (such as an onscreen calculator) to form a
response or may engage students in solving problems within realistic scenarios.
For more information about NAEP, visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

Find us on:

NAEP DBA Tutorials
Available Online

The NAEP Program
The following assessments will be administered in 2017:

In support of the transition from paper-and-pencil
assessments to digitally based assessments (DBA)
administered to students on touch-screen tablets, NAEP
has created tutorials for students, parents, and teachers
to review before the scheduled DBA assessment. The
subject-specific tutorials are designed to teach students
about the system, tools, and features they will use to
take the tablet-based assessment. To view tutorials for
the 2015 and 2016 assessments, visit: http://nces.ed.gov/
nationsreportcard/dba/default.aspx. Check back later
this fall to view updates for the 2017 assessments.

• Civics, geography, and U.S. history—Grade 8
• Mathematics—Grades 4 and 8
• Reading—Grades 4 and 8
• Writing—Grades 4 and 8
All of the above assessments will be administered in a
digitally based format. Most fourth- and eighth-grade
students will take the mathematics and reading
assessments on tablets with keyboards. A subset of
students will take paper-and-pencil versions of these two
assessments. Some students will also take pilot digitally
based assessments in mathematics and reading. Civics,
geography, and U.S. history will be administered as pilot
digitally based assessments. Results from the pilots will
not be released but will be used to prepare for the full
transition to digitally based assessments by the end of
the decade.

The New NAEP Technology and
Engineering Literacy Assessment
Because of the growing importance of technology and
engineering in the educational landscape, NAEP has
created the first-ever technology and engineering
literacy (TEL) assessment. This interactive, digitally based
assessment measures what students know about
technology and engineering in the same way that NAEP
already assesses their knowledge and capabilities in
reading, mathematics, science, and other subjects.

Each student will be assessed in only one subject and
format. NAEP representatives will bring all necessary
materials and equipment to schools on assessment day.
Schools will only need to provide space for students to
take the assessment, desks or tables, and an adequate
number of electrical outlets in the assessment location;
schools will not need to provide internet access.

In 2014, the TEL assessment was administered to a
national sample of eighth-grade students in public and
private schools. In addition to responding to shortanswer and multiple-choice questions, students were
asked to perform a variety of computer-based tasks to
solve problems within scenarios that reflect realistic
situations. These scenario-based tasks are an innovative
component of NAEP. The TEL assessment was
accompanied by a questionnaire that focuses on
students’ opportunities to learn about technology and
engineering both inside and outside the classroom. The
TEL assessment results were released in May 2016. To
explore the results and view sample scenario-based
tasks, visit www.nationsreportcard.gov/tel.

To learn more about digitally based assessments, visit
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/dba.

Recent NAEP Findings
2014 TEL Assessment Results—Grade 8
43% of eighth-grade students performed at or above
Proficient in TEL.
Female students outperformed male students overall.
They scored an average of 151 versus an average score
of 149 for their male peers.
Students in city schools scored lower overall compared
to their peers in suburban, town, and rural schools.
2014 TEL Survey Questionnaire Results—Grade 8
76% of students reported studying technology or
engineering topics in their mathematics, science, social
studies, or history class.
74% of students reported that they learned about or
discussed choices people make that affect the
environment as part of their school work at least
sometimes.
77% of students reported building or testing a model in
school to see if it solves a problem.
Visit http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/tel_2014 for
complete results from the TEL assessment and to view
TEL sample tasks that were used in the assessment.

It’s important to know that…
NAEP was first administered in 1969 to measure student
achievement nationally. In 1990, NAEP was administered
at the state level for the first time. Students in grades 4
and 8 are currently assessed at the national and state
levels in mathematics and reading every 2 years and in
other subjects in alternating years. In 2002, NAEP began
the TUDA program, which measures what students know
and can do in some of the nation’s large urban districts.
NAEP is not designed to collect or report results for
individual students, classrooms, or schools.
Special studies are also conducted periodically.
They are administered as part of NAEP and require no
additional effort from schools and students. These
studies often involve special data collection procedures
in the field, secondary analyses of NAEP results, and
evaluations of various technical procedures.

NAEP Survey Questionnaires
Each year, students who take the NAEP assessments also
complete NAEP survey questionnaires. These survey
questionnaires are used to collect contextual information
about students’ opportunities to learn in and outside of the
classroom as well as their educational experiences. NAEP
survey questionnaires can provide a rich database for
educators, policymakers, and researchers to conduct
in-depth analyses and put student achievement results into
context. It also allows for meaningful comparison between
student groups and offers a better understanding of the
context in which students learn.

NAEP is considered the gold standard of
assessments because of its high technical quality.
From the development of frameworks and questions to
the reporting of results, NAEP represents the best
thinking of assessment and content specialists, state
education staff, and teachers from around the nation.
NAEP is administered by highly trained representatives,
most of whom are former teachers or principals. NAEP is
a trusted resource that measures student progress and
helps inform policy decisions that improve education in
the United States.

NAEP survey questionnaires are voluntary. While respondents are encouraged to answer as many questions as they
feel comfortable with, they can skip any part of the survey
questionnaire by leaving the response to a question blank.

NAEP is designed to cause minimal disruption of
classroom instruction. It takes up to 120 minutes for
students to complete NAEP assessment activities,
including transition time, directions, and completion of a
student questionnaire. You do not need to prepare your
students to take the assessment but should encourage
them to do their best. NAEP representatives provide
significant support by working with your school’s
designated coordinator to organize assessment
activities.

Here are two questions from the NAEP teacher
survey questionnaire for the 2015 mathematics
assessment:
1. How many hours of mathematics instruction do
your students receive in a typical week?
A. Less than 3 hours
B. At least 3 hours, but less than 5 hours

NAEP reports on results for different demographic
groups rather than for individual students or
schools. NAEP uses a carefully designed sampling
process to ensure that the schools and students selected
are representative of schools and students across the
United States. To ensure that the sample represents all
students in the nation’s schools, NAEP allows a broad
range of accommodations for students with disabilities
and English language learners.

C. At least 5 hours, but less than 7 hours
D. 7 or more hours
2. Are computers available for use by you or your
students?
A. Yes, computers are available to my students
and to me.
B. Yes, I have access to computers, but my
students do not.
C. No, neither my students nor I have access to
computers at school.
To learn more about NAEP survey questionnaires, visit
https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/bgquest.aspx.

NAEP Results
Since 1969, NAEP has produced many reports chronicling the performance of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade
students. Information is reported by race/ethnicity, gender, type of school, and by both achievement level and scale
scores. You can access data from previous assessments at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata and
explore the most recent results at http://nationsreportcard.gov.
NAEP also disseminates information from data collected on student, teacher, and school survey questionnaires. This
information can be used to inform parents, the public, and education policymakers about our nation’s educational
environment. Learn more about these results at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/bgquest.aspx.
Visit the NAEP website at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard to access this information and more.

“The NAEP team that arrived at our school made the assessment process painless.
Everyone on the team previously worked as an educator and interacted well with
all of our students. The technology-based assessment our students took kept them
actively engaged throughout the session.”
— Kimberly Wilborn, Assessment Coach, Sandburg Middle School, Alexandria, VA

More About NAEP
To hear teachers share their thoughts about why NAEP results are important, view the video Introducing NAEP to
Teachers at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/videos/teachervideo.
To learn what NAEP means for schools selected to participate, visit http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/
schools.asp.
To learn about upcoming NAEP assessments, download NAEP reports, and access sample questions, visit
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard.
Call the NAEP help desk at 800-283-6237.
Contact your NAEP school coordinator by visiting http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states.
The work reported herein was supported under the National
Assessment of Educational Progress (ED-07-CO-0078, ED-07-CO-0107)
as administered by the National Center for Education Statistics,
U.S. Department of Education.

Get NAEP on the go with the NAEP Results mobile app!
This publication was prepared for the National Assessment of Educational Progress by Hager Sharp under contract ED-IES-13-C-0025 to the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education.

Appendix J-19: NAEP State Coordinator Selection Notification Letter to
Principal, Writing Comparability Study

May NAEP 2017 Notification Letter From
NAEP STATE COORDINATOR TO SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: For Writing Comparability Study Schools
Red text should be customized before mail merge; highlighted text represents mail merge fields
Dear Principal,
I am pleased to inform you that school name has been selected to represent schools across the nation by participating in
the 2017 administration of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is the largest nationally
representative and continuing assessment of what students in the United States know and can do in various subjects. It is
administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education.
As part of the 2017 program, NAEP is administering the assessment via both tablets and laptops to compare any
differences in student performance. Students at your school have been selected to participate in the laptop
administration of the comparison study. Results from the study will not be released, but will be used to inform future
NAEP assessments.
For now, I am writing only to notify you of the assessment. In June, I will send you an assessment date. If the date
presents a conflict for your school, we will work together to identify an alternate. Our goal is to schedule the assessment
prior to the beginning of the school year so that you may include it on your 2016-2017 school calendar.
At the beginning of the school year, I will send you detailed assessment information and will ask you to identify a
school coordinator, provide a student list, and submit additional information. NAEP representatives will provide
significant support to your school, bring all materials and equipment, including the laptops, and administer the
assessment. Outlined below is a broad overview of the assessment:
•
•
•
•

Subjects:
Grade:
Sessions:
Session Duration:

•
•

Assessment administrator:
Assessment window:

Writing
8
Two sequential sessions of approximately 15 students each
Approximately 120 minutes for students, including transition time
and instructions
NAEP representatives
April 24–May 19, 2017

Sincerely,

NAEP State Coordinator
Enclosures:

Facts for Principals – Link for electronic mailing

CC:

District Test Director

Appendix J-20: NAEP Facts for Principals Brochure, Writing Comparability
Study

NAEP 2017

Facts for Principals
Writing Comparability Study

NAEP is an integral part
of education in the
United States.
Elected officials, policymakers, and
educators all use NAEP results to
develop ways to improve education.
NAEP is a congressionally mandated
project administered by the National
Center for Education Statistics, within
the U.S. Department of Education and
the Institute of Education Sciences.
NAEP serves a different role than
state assessments. While states have
their own unique assessments with
different content standards, the same
NAEP assessment is administered
in every state, providing a common
measure of student achievement.
Depending on the type of NAEP
assessment that is administered,
the data can be used to compare
and understand the performance
of demographic groups within your
state, the nation, other states, and
districts that participate in the Trial
Urban District Assessment (TUDA).
To provide a better understanding of
educational experiences and factors
that may be related to students’
learning, students, teachers, and
principals who participate in NAEP
are asked to complete contextual
questionnaires.

“As an assistant principal and school assessment
coordinator who has experienced NAEP at two schools, I
enjoyed working with the NAEP representatives. Their
professionalism, responsiveness, and guidance made life
simple for me and my students.”
- Timothy Fifer, Assistant Principal, Delta Middle School, Delta County
School District, CO
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally
representative and continuing assessment of what our nation’s students know and
can do in subjects such as civics, geography, mathematics, reading, U.S. history, and
writing. The results of NAEP are released as The Nation’s Report Card.
NAEP is designed to be minimally disruptive to schools, and NAEP representatives
will provide significant support to your school on assessment day. As principals, you
make an important contribution to the program by selecting and empowering a
NAEP school coordinator, meeting with teachers and students who will participate in
the assessment, and encouraging your students to participate and do their best. You
are essential partners in NAEP. When students participate and give their best effort,
we get the most accurate measure possible of student achievement across the
country.
The first operational writing digitally based assessment was administered on laptops
in 2011. However, the writing assessment will shift delivery mode from laptops to
tablets for the 2017 operational administration. As part of the NAEP 2017 program, a
writing comparability study will be administered to a sample of approximately 3,000
grade 8 students in 120 schools. The study includes administering writing tasks via
laptop to help NAEP evaluate any differences in student performance between
tablet and laptop administrations. The study administration will be conducted from
April 24 to May 19, after the main NAEP assessment window. NAEP representatives
will bring all necessary materials and equipment to schools on assessment day and
administer the assessment to two groups of up to 15 students each. Schools will only
need to provide space for students to take the assessment, desks or tables, and an
adequate number of electrical outlets in the assessment location. Schools will not
need to provide internet access.

For more information about NAEP, visit:
www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

It’s important to know...
NAEP was first administered in 1969 to measure student achievement nationally. In 1990, NAEP was administered at the state level
for the first time. Students in grades 4 and 8 are currently assessed at the national and state level in mathematics and reading
every 2 years and in other subjects in alternating years. In 2002, NAEP began the TUDA program, which measures what students
know and can do in some of the nation’s large urban districts. Students, teachers, and schools are asked to complete a
questionnaire in order to provide a more complete understanding of the results and overall student performance. NAEP is not
designed to collect or report results for individual students, classrooms, or schools.
Special studies are also conducted periodically. They are administered as part of NAEP and often involve special data collection
procedures in the field, secondary analyses of NAEP results, and evaluations of various technical procedures.
NAEP is considered the gold standard of assessments because of its high technical quality. From the development of
frameworks and questions to the reporting of results, NAEP represents the best thinking of assessment and content specialists,
state education staff, and teachers from around the nation. NAEP is a trusted resource that measures student progress and helps
inform policy decisions that improve education in the United States.
NAEP reports on results for different demographic groups rather than for individual students or schools. NAEP uses a carefully
designed sampling process to ensure that the schools and students selected are representative of schools and students across the
United States. To ensure that the sample represents all students in the nation’s schools, NAEP allows a broad range of
accommodations for students with disabilities and English language learners.
NAEP is designed to cause minimal disruption of classroom instruction. It takes up to 120 minutes for students to complete
NAEP assessment activities, including transition time and directions and completion of a student questionnaire. Teachers do not
need to prepare their students to take the assessment but should encourage them to do their best. NAEP representatives provide
significant support to your school by working with the designated coordinator in your school to organize assessment activities.
NAEP items can be used as a helpful educational resource in the classroom. Teachers and district staff can use the NAEP
Questions Tool at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nqt to see how students’ performance compares nationally on specific
items. Released NAEP items come with a scoring guide, sample student responses, and performance data.
District and school staff can also
view results for the nation, states, and selected districts over time,
compare results for various demographic groups, and
access information designed for teachers, students, and parents.
Visit the NAEP website at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard to access this information and more.

Get NAEP on the go with the NAEP Results mobile app
Download it today on the iTunes or Google Play stores

Find us on:

Appendix J-21: NAEP in Your School Brochure, Writing Comparability
Study

NAEP 2017

In Your School
Writing Comparability Study

The NAEP writing comparability study will be administered to
a sample of eighth-grade students in your school between
April 24 and May 19, 2017.
The first writing digitally based assessment was administered on laptops in 2011.
However, the writing assessment will shift delivery mode from laptops to tablets in
2017. The comparability study includes administering writing tasks via laptop to help
NAEP evaluate any differences in student performance between tablet and laptop
administrations.
Information collected from the study is part of an effort to adjust to ongoing shifts in
digital technologies that will characterize digitally based assessments.
What is involved?
Students will spend approximately 120 minutes participating in the study, including
transition time, directions, and responding to writing tasks. They will also be asked
to complete a questionnaire that aims to get a better understanding of their
educational experiences, such as the amount of writing they do and the types of
classes they take.
The school principal and grade 8 teachers will also complete a questionnaire. These
questionnaires are designed to help provide contextual information for the results,
as well as information about factors that may be related to students’ writing
achievement.
Additional information will be collected about how selected students with disabilities
and English language learners might participate in the assessment.
How many students will be assessed?
Nationally, approximately 3,000 students will be assessed in eighth grade.

For more information about NAEP, visit:
www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

It’s important to know...
Who will be responsible for coordinating and administering NAEP?
Your NAEP State Coordinator, NAEP representatives, and school staff will work together to coordinate and administer the
assessment. A staff person in your school will need to be assigned to serve as the school coordinator and be the primary contact
for the assessment. This person should be:
familiar with how students participate in statewide assessments; and
comfortable using a computer to collect and enter student information online.
The NAEP State Coordinator works at your state Department of Education and will be responsible for:
working with schools to confirm the assessment date;
communicating with principals about the importance of NAEP and student participation;
providing schools with instructions for preparing a list of eighth-grade students and information about notifying parents of
participating students;
providing guidance for including students with disabilities and English language learners; and
responding to questions from the school community throughout the assessment period.
NAEP representatives employed by a U.S. Department of Education contractor to work directly with schools will be
responsible for:
selecting a random sample of students from the school list of eighth-graders;
verifying information that the school coordinator has provided via the MyNAEP website, which will serve as the primary resource
and action center throughout the NAEP assessment process;
working with the school coordinator to finalize assessment logistics;
bringing all assessment materials to the school on the scheduled day; and
conducting the assessment.
Each principal will be responsible for:
assigning a school staff member to serve as school coordinator;
including the NAEP assessment date on the school calendar;
empowering the designated school coordinator to work with the NAEP representative and NAEP State Coordinator to prepare for
the assessment; and
informing school staff and students about NAEP and why student participation is critically important.
The school coordinator will be responsible for:
confirming the scheduled assessment date with the NAEP State Coordinator;
registering for the MyNAEP website and providing information about the school;
overseeing the submission of an electronic list of fourth- or eighth-grade students;
using the MyNAEP website to prepare for the assessment;
informing parents of the assessment (more information will be provided on how to complete this task);
communicating with the NAEP representative to finalize assessment preparations;
organizing the availability of school space for the assessment, including room(s), desks or tables, and an adequate number of
electrical outlets in the assessment location (the school will not need to provide Internet access); and
collaborating with school staff to ensure a high rate of student participation.
Detailed information about the school coordinator’s responsibilities will be sent at the beginning of the school year.
Get NAEP on the go with the NAEP Results mobile app
Download it today on the iTunes or Google Play stores

Find us on:

Appendix J-22: An Introduction to NAEP for Private School Brochure

An Introduction to
NAEP for Private Schools

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“CAPE supports NAEP as an
accurate measure of student
achievement in the United
States. Participation is essential
for producing private school
results. We urge schools to
do so.”
Joe McTighe
Executive Director, Council for American
Private Education (CAPE)

An Introduction to NAEP for Private Schools

An Introduction to NAEP for Private Schools
States. NAEP is a trusted resource and has been
providing valid and reliable data on student
performance since 1969.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP) is the largest nationally representative and
continuing assessment of what our nation’s students
in public and private schools know and can do in a
variety of subjects such as mathematics, reading,
science, and writing. NAEP provides a common
measure of student achievement across the country.
It is referred to as the gold standard of assessments
because of its high technical quality and because
it represents the best thinking of assessment
specialists, education experts, teachers, and
content specialists from around the nation. NAEP
results are released as The Nation’s Report Card.

NAEP is an essential measure of student
achievement in both public and private schools.
Note the following:
●●

●●

Teachers, parents, policymakers, and researchers
all use NAEP results to assess progress and
develop ways to improve education in the United

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96

he schools and students selected to take
T
the assessment represent the diversity of
our nation’s schools and students.
NAEP reports on student achievement
nationally. NAEP is not designed to provide
individual school and student scores. NAEP
follows strict confidentiality guidelines that
prohibit the identification of participating
schools and students.

An Introduction to NAEP for Private Schools

How are schools selected?

of Columbia. The number of private schools
sampled for NAEP varies from year to year,
depending on the number of subjects being
assessed and the extent of reporting for different
types of private schools.

Each year, a new sample of schools is drawn
for NAEP. The sample is based on data from the
Private School Universe Survey (PSS). The PSS
collects and stores data on more than 30,000
private schools in the 50 states and the District

Who determines the content of NAEP?
The National Center for Education Statistics
(NCES), a division within the U.S. Department
of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences,
administers the assessment. NCES is responsible
for the development of the questions, the
administration of the assessment, scoring,
conducting analyses, and reporting the results.
Each NAEP assessment is built from a content
framework that specifies what students should
know and be able to do in a given subject and
grade. The National Assessment Governing
Board, which sets policy for NAEP, oversees the
creation of the NAEP frameworks.
The NAEP program
NAEP has evolved to address the changing
educational landscape through its transition to
digitally based assessments. Digitally based
assessments allow NAEP to collect new types of
data that provide depth in understanding of
what students know and can do in core academic
subjects. NAEP digitally based assessments use
new testing methods and question types that reflect
the growing use of technology in education.
Some questions may include multimedia, such as
audio and video. Other questions may allow the
use of embedded technological features, such as
an onscreen calculator, to form a response, or
may engage students in solving problems within
realistic scenarios.
NAEP is administered by highly trained
representatives, most of whom are former
teachers or principals. NAEP representatives
bring all materials and equipment to the school
on assessment day. Individual students take
NAEP in one subject only.

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An Introduction to NAEP for Private Schools

The Importance of Private School Participation
on the NAEP website at http://nces.ed.gov/

Private schools have participated in NAEP for
decades and are an integral part of providing a
complete picture of U.S. education.

nationsreportcard/about/nonpublicschools.asp.

On this site you can also view a short fourminute video and hear heads of schools and
teachers discuss their experiences with NAEP
and the value of NAEP for private schools.

Private schools represent about 25 percent of
schools in the nation and educate approximately
10 percent of our nation’s students. Without
the participation of private schools in NAEP,
any report of trends in student achievement at
the elementary, middle, and high school levels
would be incomplete. By participating, your
students have an important role in representing
thousands of other private school students
throughout the country.

“In the interest of compiling a
complete picture of private
education in America, SBACS
encourages Baptist schools to
join other non-public schools by
participating in NAEP projects.”

NAEP has consistently demonstrated over time
and across subjects that the performance of
students in private schools compares positively
to that of students in public schools and the rest
of the nation. The performance of students
attending private schools can be examined

Edward E. Gamble
Executive Director, Southern Baptist
Association of Christian Schools

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98

An Introduction to NAEP for Private Schools

Endorsements

“The Lutheran Church –
Missouri Synod strongly
encourages Lutheran
schools who are invited to
participate in NAEP to do so
and to contribute our data in
order to provide a complete
picture of private education
in America.”

For many years, more than 30 national, regional,
and state private school organizations have
provided letters endorsing private school
participation in NAEP. These organizations
include the Council for American Private
Education, the National Catholic Educational
Association, the Association of Christian Schools
International, and the National Association of
Independent Schools. These organizations value
the data that NAEP provides and encourage their
member schools to participate.

Terry L Schmidt
Director of Schools, The Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod

Private school results
NAEP results for private schools are generally
reported for overall private schools, Catholic

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99

An Introduction to NAEP for Private Schools

schools (in which 40 percent of all private
school students are educated), and Other
Private (non-Catholic) schools. Some years,
when school samples are large enough, and
depending on the level of participation,
results for other groups of students can
be reported.

“The NAEP survey results can be
a very useful tool to Jewish Day
Schools, who can utilize the data
to encourage parents to provide
their children with a private,
rather than a public, school
education.”

While private school participation is an
integral component of reporting national
NAEP results, results specifically for overall
private schools can only be reported when
70 percent of schools selected for NAEP
participate in the assessment.

Rabbi Dovid Nojowitz
National Director, The National Society
for Hebrew Day Schools

Participation
provides contextual information about
students’ opportunities to learn in and outside
of the classroom as well as their educational
experiences.

It is vitally important that private school
students are represented in reports of our
nation’s educational progress. Once you
have agreed to participate, a local NAEP
representative will work directly with your
designated school coordinator to make
assessment arrangements.

Each principal will be asked to
●●

What is involved?

●●

NAEP assessments are generally conducted
between the last week in January and the first
week in March. NAEP representatives work
with each school to identify an assessment
date within this time period that best fits the
school’s schedule. NAEP representatives bring
all materials and equipment, including tablets,
to the school on assessment day. Schools only
need to provide space for the assessment and
electrical outlets.

designate a school coordinator, and
include the NAEP assessment date on the
school calendar.

The NAEP representative will then work with
the school coordinator to complete various tasks
highlighted below.
●●

Schools selected for NAEP can access
detailed information about the assessment
on this site. Schools may choose to register
for the MyNAEP website by following these
simple steps:
– Go to www.mynaep.com.
– On the right side of the screen, select
Please register.
– Enter your MyNAEP registration ID.

Students in schools selected to take the
assessments will spend approximately 120
minutes, including transition time and
directions, completing the assessments as well
as the student questionnaire. The questionnaire

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100

An Introduction to NAEP for Private Schools

More information, including the school-specific
MyNAEP registration ID, is sent to schools at the
beginning of each school year.

“The National Catholic Educational
Association encourages Catholic
schools to participate in NAEP
and to use the results, which are
an independent measure of
student achievement, as a
benchmark against which to
measure success and to discover
areas that need improvement.”

●●

Thomas Burnford
Interim President, National Catholic
Educational Association

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Provide a list of eligible students. NAEP

uses a complete list of students in the
selected grade to draw a random sample of
students to participate in the assessment.
Inform parents. By law, before the
administration of the assessment, parents
of students selected for NAEP must be
informed that their child may be (or has
been) selected, may be excused from
participation for any reason, and is not
required to finish the assessment or answer
all test questions.

An Introduction to NAEP for Private Schools

●●

Complete other preassessment
activities with guidance and support

“ACTS supports NAEP. It is the
crucial results obtained from NAEP
that allow Christian and private
schools to document and track the
academic levels and compare
those with public education.”

from the NAEP representative. In

December, the NAEP representative
responsible for administering NAEP in
your school will contact you and discuss
how best to complete various tasks to
prepare for the assessment.
●●

Ensure that students attend the
session on assessment day. The school
coordinator should be available prior to
the assessment start time to ensure that
students report to the session for which
they are selected. The school coordinator
and/or teachers of selected students are
encouraged to remain in the room during

R. Jay Nelson
Executive Director, Association of
Christian Teachers and Schools

the assessment, although they are not
required to do so.

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An Introduction to NAEP for Private Schools

What are the responsibilities of the
NAEP representatives?

●●

NAEP representatives work directly with schools.
All NAEP staff have completed a thorough
qualifications review, including submitting
fingerprints for an FBI clearance and signing an
oath of confidentiality. A NAEP representative
will be assigned to provide the school
coordinator with instructions and guidance
for completing preassessment activities and
ensuring a successful assessment, and lead the
team of NAEP staff on the day of assessment.

●●

Additional data tools. Along with an

overview of NAEP data for private schools,
more specific results are available through the
NAEP Data Explorer at http://nces.ed.gov/
nationsreportcard/naepdata. Teachers can
use the NAEP Questions Tool at http://nces.ed.
gov/nationsreportcard/itmrlsx/landing.aspx

Private school results online

to see how student performance compares
nationally on specific items.

NAEP assesses a representative sample of private
school students at grades 4, 8, and 12. Several
different breakdowns of results are available
depending on the years and level of participation.

An interactive approach to reporting
NAEP results are easy to access in an interactive
website at http://nationsreportcard.gov. The
results from past assessments in a wide variety
of subjects at grades 4, 8, and 12 for public and
private school students can be explored in more
detail with interactive graphics, downloadable
data, and enhanced features for viewing results.

With high levels of private school student
participation, NAEP can help provide answers to
important questions such as the following:
●●

How does the performance of students in
private schools compare to the performance
of public school students?
How do coursetaking patterns relate to
student performance?

How has private school student performance
in NAEP subjects changed over time?

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103

“Christian schools form a vital
part of American education
opportunities. When Christian
schools actively engage with NAEP,
they have an opportunity to show
their impact through the resulting
data. That’s just one reason
ACSI urges Christian schools to
participate in NAEP testing.”
Dan Egeler
President, Association of Christian
Schools International

104

Online Resources
If you want to…

Find out more information
about NAEP in general

Visit...

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

Learn more about the role of

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/

private schools in NAEP

nonpublicschools.asp

View a short 4-minute video
about the value of private
school participation in NAEP

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/
nonpublicschools.asp

Read about the content
development of the

http://www.nagb.org

assessment

Locate assessment results

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata

View sample questions

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrlsx

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File Type	application/pdf
File Title	Appendix A (Statute Authorizing NAEP)
Author	joconnell
File Modified	2016-08-15
File Created	2016-08-02