Appendix D Communications Materials

Appendix D NAEP 2017-2019 Communication Materials.pdf

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2017-2019

Appendix D Communications Materials

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

Request for Clearance for
NAEP Assessments for 2017-2019

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SUHYLRXVOMB# 1850-0790 Y

Table of Contents
Appendix D-1: NAEP Participation Letter for Chiefs ....................................................................... 1
Appendix D-2: NAEP Sample Endorsement Letter for Private School Organizations .................... 4
Appendix D-3: NAEP State Coordinator Selection Notification Letter to Principal ........................ 6
Appendix D-4: NAEP Facts for Districts Brochure ........................................................................... 8
Appendix D-5: NAEP Facts for Principals Brochure ...................................................................... 11
Appendix D-6: Introduction to NAEP Brochure ............................................................................ 14
Appendix D-7: An Overview of NAEP ............................................................................................ 35
Appendix D-8: An Overview of NAEP for Private Schools............................................................. 39
Appendix D-9: NAEP Save-the-Date Letter from NAEP State Coordinator to School Principal.... 42
Appendix D-10: NAEP in Your School Brochure ............................................................................ 44
Appendix D-11: NAEP in Your Private School ............................................................................... 47
Appendix D-12: NAEP Assessment Details Letter from NAEP State Coordinator to Principal ..... 50
Appendix D-13: NAEP Assessment Details Letter from NAEP State Coordinator to School
Coordinator ....................................................................................................................... 53
Appendix D-14: School Coordinator Responsibilities: A Guide to MyNAEP ................................. 56
Appendix D-15: Template for State-Specific SD Inclusion Policy.................................................. 59
Appendix D-16: Template for State-Specific ELL Inclusion Policy................................................. 64
Appendix D-17: NAEP DBA Sample Parent Letter......................................................................... 69
Appendix D-18: NAEP Facts for Teacher Brochure ....................................................................... 71
Appendix D-19: Best Practices: Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation .......... 76
Appendix D-20: NAEP State Coordinator Selection Notification Letter to Principal, Writing
Comparability Study ........................................................................................................ 151

NAEP 2017-2019 System Clearance: Appendix D

Appendix D-21: NAEP Facts for Principals Brochure, Writing Comparability Study................... 153
Appendix D-22: NAEP in Your School Brochure, Writing Comparability Study .......................... 156

NAEP 2014-2016 System Clearance: Appendix D

Appendix D-1: NAEP Participation Letter for Chiefs

Page 1

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

April 15, 2015
NAME
TITLE
ADDRESS 1
ADDRESS 2
CITY, STATE, ZIP
Dear NAME:
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has begun preparing for the 2016 cycle of the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and I would like to inform you of assessment
activities that will be taking place in your state.
From January 25 through March 04, 2016, we will conduct the following:
 National arts assessments at grade 8;
 Pilot tests in digitally based writing at grades 8 and 12; and
 Pilot tests in digitally based mathematics and reading at grades 4 and 8.
Because these assessments and studies will be conducted at the national level only, there will be no state
level results reported. National results for the arts assessment will be available in 2017.
Participation in the arts assessment is voluntary, but as each state’s participation in NAEP is essential for
providing a national perspective of how students are performing in the arts, I respectfully encourage your
support. Your NAEP State Coordinator will receive the sample of schools selected for these assessments
in May of this year.
As referenced in a letter you received last week from NCES, we will also be conducting other assessment
activities in 2016 including the Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study (PIRLS) at grade 4
and the Middle Grades Longitudinal Study (MGLS), which includes an assessment component. Included
with that letter you should have received a calendar that provides an overview of the 2015-2016
assessment activities.
We will continue to keep you informed of NAEP and other NCES activities and notify you of any
changes to the NAEP assessments. If you have any questions or would like more information, please
contact Dr. Holly Spurlock-Martin, Program Director for Operations at [email protected] or (202)
502-7458, or Gina Broxterman at [email protected] or (202) 502-7822. Further information is
also available through the NAEP web site at www.nationsreportcard.gov.
Thank you for your continued support of NAEP.

Page 2

Sincerely,

Peggy Carr, Ph.D.
Acting Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics
Cc:

State Assessment Director
NAEP State Coordinator

Page 3

Appendix D-2: NAEP Sample Endorsement Letter for Private School
Organization

Page 4

NAEP 2016 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 2015
Dear Administrator:
I am writing to encourage you to participate in the 2016 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. Private school data make an important contribution 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 deciding 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
continue to achieve excellent participation, and private school results can continue to 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

Page 5

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

Page 6

NAEP (Year) Notification Letter From
NAEP STATE COORDINATOR TO SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
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 (Year) 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 (Year) program, grade (Grade) students will participate in NAEP assessments.
Students will use tablets with keyboards provided by NAEP to complete a (Subject) assessment. 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 (Year-Year) school calendar.
At the beginning of the school year, I will send you detailed information about the assessment and will ask you to
identify a school coordinator and submit other 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:

(Subjects)
(Grade)
Two sequential sessions of approximately 25 students each
Approximately (Minutes) minutes for students, including transition time
and instructions
NAEP representatives
(Month/Day – Month/Day, Year)

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
An Introduction to NAEP
An Overview of NAEP

CC:

District Test Director

Page 7

Appendix D-4: NAEP Facts for Districts Brochure

Page 8

2016
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. 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.

“Our school’s NAEP representative was thorough and helpful
throughout the assessment process. She answered all of our
questions and ensured students would receive testing
accommodations if needed. The individuals who came to the
school to assess our students were professional and handled
the process smoothly from beginning to end.”
– Layla Serrano, School Counselor, Bartels Middle School, Tampa, FL

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally
representative assessment of what our nation’s students know and can do in
subjects such as the arts, mathematics, reading, 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 2016, each student participating in NAEP will be assessed in the arts or will be
asked to take a mathematics, reading, or writing pilot assessment administered on
tablets with keyboards. Only results from the arts 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. Each student will take NAEP
in one format and one subject only, and 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 (if necessary);
schools will not need to provide Internet access.
The NAEP 2016 Program
Grade 4
Mathematics or reading (pilot on tablets)
Grade 8
Arts
Mathematics, reading, or writing (pilot on tablets)
Grade 12
Writing (pilot on tablets)
For more information about NAEP, visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

Find us on:
Page 9

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. Grade 12 students are assessed in a
variety of subjects, and results are typically released at
the national level. 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 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.

which provides contextual information such as the
amount of reading students do and what types of
classes they take. 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 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!
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.

Page 10

Appendix D-5: NAEP Facts for Principals Brochure

Page 11

2016
Facts for Principals
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. 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).

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally
representative assessment of what our nation’s students know and can do in
subjects such as the arts, mathematics, reading, 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 2016, the NAEP arts assessment will be administered to eighth-grade students
in music or visual arts. The results will be released at the national level. 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 and desks or tables.

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

Find us on:
Page 12

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.
Released NAEP items can be used as a helpful
educational resource in the classroom. Teachers 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 generally come with a scoring
guide, sample student responses, and performance
data.
School staff can also:
view results for the nation 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.

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. They are also
asked to complete the student questionnaire, which
provides contextual information such as what types of
classes they take. 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.

Page 13

Appendix D-6: Introduction to NAEP Brochure

Page 14

U.S. Department of Education
NCES 2010-468

An Introduction to

NAEP

National Assessment of
Educational Progress

Page 15

Page 16

“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

Page 17

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..

Page 18

“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

Page 19

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/

Page 20

“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).

Page 21

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.
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.

Respons
e rated a
s “Essen
tial”

Page 22

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.

Page 23

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.

Page 24

“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.

Page 25

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.

Page 26

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.

Page 27

INTRODUCTION

DEVELOPMENT

PARTICIPATION

REPORTING

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.

Page 28

“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.

Page 29

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.

Page 30

“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.

Page 31

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..

Page 32

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.

Page 33

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

Page 34

Appendix D-7: An Overview of NAEP

Page 35

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
Page 36

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.
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 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.

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.

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.
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.

Page 37

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

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)) ?

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

www.ed.gov

ies.ed.gov

Page 38

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

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

Page 39

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.

Page 40

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.

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.

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

C Fine sand, coarse sand, pebbles
D 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)) ?

Page 41

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

Page 42

NAEP (Year) 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

NAEP is coming on (assessment date). Save the date!
Dear Principal:
In (Month), I notified you that your school was selected to participate in the (Year) administration of the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). This letter has the scheduled assessment date for
your school.
Your school’s grade (4 or 8 or 12) students will take the assessment for about (Number) minutes on
(assessment date). Please place the NAEP assessment date on your (Year-Year) school calendar.
Approximately (estimated student sample) students from your school will be selected to participate, but
that number will vary, depending on actual student enrollment for the (Year-Year) school year. 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 (Year)

Page 43

Appendix D-10: NAEP in Your School Brochure

Page 44

2016
GRADES 4, 8, AND 12
PILOT ASSESSMENTS ON TABLETS

NAEP in Your School
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
mathematics, reading, science,
writing, and the arts.
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 mathematics, reading, or writing pilot assessments will be
administered on tablets with keyboards to a sample of fourth-,
eighth-, or twelfth-grade students in your school between
January 25 and March 4, 2016.
Results from the pilot will not be released but will be used to
prepare for the full transition to assessments administered
electronically by the end of the decade.
What is involved?
Through assessments administered on tablets, NAEP will collect data to provide a
deeper understanding of what students know and can do, including how they
engage with technology to approach problem solving. Each student will participate in
one subject and will take only a portion of the entire assessment. Students will
spend about 120 minutes completing the assessment, including transition time and
directions. They will also be asked to complete a contextual questionnaire that aims
to gain 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 fourth- and eighth-grade 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 selected students with disabilities and English language
learners would participate in the assessment.
How many students will be assessed?
Nationally, approximately 18,000 students will be assessed in fourth grade, 26,000
in eighth grade, and 7,000 in twelfth grade.

NAEP monitors academic
progress over time and reports
on student achievement
nationally. In some subjects
and grades, results are also
available for states and districts
that participate in the Trial
Urban District Assessment.
For more information about NAEP, visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

Find us on:
Page 45

Who will be responsible for coordinating and
administering NAEP?

bringing all assessment materials to the school on
the scheduled day; and

Your NAEP State Coordinator, NAEP representatives,
and school staff will work together to coordinate and
administer the assessment.

conducting 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-, eighth-, or twelfth-grade students
and information about notifying parents of
participating students;

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-, eighth-, or twelfth-grade students;

providing guidance for including students with
disabilities and English language learners; and

using the MyNAEP website to prepare for the
assessment;

responding to questions from the school
community throughout the assessment period.

informing parents of the assessment (more
information will be provided on how to complete
this task);

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-, eighth-, or twelfth-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;

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.

Page 46

Appendix D-11: NAEP in Your Private School

Page 47

2016

NAEP in Your
Private School
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

Mathematics, Reading, and Writing Pilot
Assessments Administered on Tablets
Why assess private schools?
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
“Private schools have
how the performance of students in private
participated in NAEP
schools compares positively to the performance
for decades, and the
of students in public schools and to the rest
of the nation.
Council for American

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.

Private Education
(CAPE) supports NAEP
and encourages your
participation.”
— J oe McTighe,
Executive Director, CAPE

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 2016 program in your school
From January 25 to March 4, 2016, NAEP will be administered in schools across the
country. Students will participate in pilot assessments in mathematics, reading, and
writing conducted on tablets. Students will use tablets with keyboards to complete
a mathematics or reading assessment in grades 4 and 8, or a writing assessment
in grades 8 and 12. 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
assessments, which includes transition time and directions and completion of a

Page 48

student questionnaire. The questionnaire provides contextual information such
as the amount of reading students do and what types of classes they take.

For more information about
NAEP visit:
■■ Program

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

■■ Private

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

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.
Although the results of the pilot will not be released, the pilot will provide valuable
information to inform future assessments.

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

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

41005.0415.6140015220

Find us on:

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

Page 49

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

Page 50

NAEP (Year) 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.



Designate a school coordinator to serve as the liaison for all NAEP activities in your school. 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.



Review the enclosed School Coordinator Responsibilities: A Guide to MyNAEP for an overview of
what your school coordinator will need to manage throughout the assessment process.



Give the enclosed NAEP folder to your designated school coordinator.



Visit the NAEP website at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard for sample questions, previous
results, and other NAEP publications.

A NAEP representative responsible for administering the assessment will contact your school
coordinator in early December. The representative will discuss assessment details, including
accommodations that may be necessary to assess students with disabilities and English language
learners, and explain the tasks that the school coordinator needs to complete via the MyNAEP website.
The representative will review and use the information that the school coordinator provides via
MyNAEP to make final assessment arrangements.
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. For high schools only: I will send you the Best Practices Guide for Supporting
Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation in (Month). Please discuss the Best Practices Guide with your school
coordinator and highlight your ideas for improving student participation and motivation.

Page 51

I look forward to collaborating with you and your school coordinator to ensure the successful
administration of NAEP (Year). 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
Parent/Guardian Notification Letter

Page 52

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

Page 53

NAEP (Year) 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 (Year) 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 type on assessment date.
As school coordinator, you will have a number of responsibilities critical to making NAEP a success. The
MyNAEP website (www.mynaep.com) is designed to assist you with these responsibilities. Please
register for MyNAEP using this registration ID: MyNAEP Registration ID. MyNAEP is a protected site, so
you will create your own password. For instructions, see the enclosed School Coordinator
Responsibilities: A Guide to MyNAEP.
An assigned NAEP representative who is responsible for administering the assessment will contact you
in early December. At that time, you will log on to the MyNAEP site with the representative and discuss
how to use the Prepare for Assessment section. The timeline below indicates when you will need to
complete specific MyNAEP activities.


August-September – Answer the questions in the Provide School Information section by date.



(October-November – Prepare and submit a list of eligible students electronically on the Submit
Student List page by date. Please see the enclosed Student List Submission Instructions for
preparing your list of grade grade students.



For high schools only. November/December – Review and help implement the strategies outlined in
the Best Practices Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation. An online version of the
guide will be available on MyNAEP’s Encourage Participation page in December. Your principal will
receive the Best Practices Guide in November.



December-January – Complete tasks listed under the Prepare for Assessment menu category. 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.

Identify newly enrolled grade grade 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.

Page 54



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



June 1 or last day of school – Confirm that all confidential hardcopy NAEP materials have been
shredded by visiting the Wrap Up page.

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
Parent/Guardian Notification Letter

Page 55

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

Page 56

MyNAEP Features
The diagram below identifies key features
that will help you update information easily
throughout the school year.
1. The Help and Contact Us links put you in
touch with video tutorials, live help, contact
information for NAEP staff, and more.
2. Your school’s selected grade(s) and scheduled
assessment date are shown in the blue banner.

4. Check marks indicate sections that are
already complete, and the color changes from
white to green when NAEP staff confirm the
information.

A Guide to MyNAEP

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

2016
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.

3
4

•• MyNAEP offers school
coordinators an electronic way to prepare
for the assessment at
their own pace.

Online Resources

44183.0815.6137010208

School Coordinator
Responsibilities

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

•• The MyNAEP menu is
a virtual checklist of all
activities that school
coordinators will need
to complete throughout
the school year, so it is
important to check in
regularly to make sure
your school is on track
with preparations.
•• Visit the MyNAEP
website to get started:
www.mynaep.com.

Each school participating in NAEP 2016 has a designated staff member
to serve as its 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

Prepare for
Assessment

Support
Assessment
Activities

Wrap Up

Now

August September

October –
November

December –
January

One week
before the
assessment

Last day of
school or by
June 1

(if requested)

In the fall, you will be responsible for the following:
Registering for the MyNAEP website.
MyNAEP will provide 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 the registration ID assigned by your NAEP State or Trial Urban
District Assessment (TUDA) Coordinator. For detailed instructions on how
to register, refer to page 3.

Completing and submitting school information.
Go to the Provide School Information page on MyNAEP 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
For more information about NAEP, visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard.
Find us on:
Page 57

Preparing and submitting a list of your
school’s students in the selected grade level
(if requested).
NAEP requires a complete list of students in
the selected grade. This ensures that a random
sample of students can be selected to participate
in the assessment and that demographic
information about these students can be
collected. The Submit Student List page will
appear for schools that need to prepare and
upload this list. 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 these tasks listed under the
Prepare for Assessment menu:
Reviewing student information and
preparing for the assessment of students
with disabilities and English language
learners (SD/ELL).
Visit the Review and Verify List of Students
Selected for NAEP page 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 on the Complete SD/ELL Student
Information page about how SD/ELL students
will participate in the assessment and the
accommodations they will receive.

Informing 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 on the Notify Parents page for
downloading, printing, and distributing.

the sessions. Appointment cards can be created
and printed from the Support Assessment
Activities page. 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

Other Prepare for Assessment
menu tasks will become available
in January:
Identifying any newly enrolled students.
For NAEP to obtain an accurate picture of
student achievement, all eligible students must
have an opportunity to be selected. You will need
to visit the Identify Newly Enrolled Students
page and upload an Excel file of students
currently enrolled in the selected grade or add
newly enrolled students to NAEP’s fall roster.
NAEP will draw a random sample of newly
enrolled students to select students who were
not enrolled in the fall.

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. Visit the Wrap Up page to confirm
that all materials have been shredded.

How to Register for 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,
please 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.

Managing the completion of questionnaires
by school staff.
You will be responsible for ensuring 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 page on MyNAEP.

Planning assessment day logistics.
Assessment day details, including the location(s)
and start time of the assessment, how students
and teachers will be notified, and SD/ELL
student accommodation logistics, will need to be
entered via the Plan for Assessment Day page.

Promoting 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 will 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 on the Encourage Participation
page.

On the assessment date, you will meet your
NAEP representative and assessment team,
and be responsible for the following:
Ensuring that students attend the session.
Prior to the assessment start time, you will need
to be available to ensure that students attend

3Page 58

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

Page 59

New Moldavia NAEP Inclusion Policy
Students with Disabilities (SD)
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

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

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

Use a Computer/Tablet to Respond

Color Contrast

NAEP Subject
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Mathematics, Science,
Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Not Allowed for
Reading
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL

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-tospeech. 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. Textto-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.

Page 60

NAEP Universal Design Element
Available to All Students
Scratchwork/Highlighter Capability

Elimination Capability

Volume Adjustment

Closed Captioning

Electronic Spellcheck and Thesaurus

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

NAEP Subject
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Not Allowed for
Writing
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Writing
Not Allowed for
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Civics,
Geography, U.S.
History, TEL

NAEP Subject

NAEP Universal Design Element Description
Allows freehand drawing and highlighting on the screen. The scratchwork/highlighter tool is available for short standalone items (e.g., multiplechoice 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.

All voice-over narration is closed captioned.

Incorporated into the interface with automatic and user-prompted activation options. Electronic Spellcheck and Thesaurus is only allowed for
writing.

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

Extended Time

Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL

Magnification

Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL

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.

Low Mobility Version of the Test

Calculator Version of the Test

Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Mathematics
Not Allowed for
Reading, Science,
Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S.
History, TEL

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).

NOTE: See Zooming under universal design elements to determine if students need additional magnification.
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.

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 only allowed for mathematics.

Page 61

NAEP Accommodation Provided
by Test Delivery System
Available to Students on an IEP or
Section 504 Plan
Hearing Impaired Version of the Test

Color Contrast for Visually Impaired
Students

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

Must Be Tested in a Separate Session

Must Have an Aide Present in the
Testing Room

NAEP Subject
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Reading and Writing
Not Allowed for
Mathematics, Science,
Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL

NAEP Accommodation Description

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 only allowed for reading.

NAEP Accommodation Description

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

Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL

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.

Page 62

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

Presentation in Sign Language

Response in Sign Language

NAEP Subject
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Not Allowed for Writing
Mathematics, Science,
Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Not Allowed for
Reading
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Not Allowed for Writing

Braille Version of the Test

Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Not Allowed for Writing

Other (specify)

Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL

NAEP Accommodation Description

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.

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 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.

Page 63

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

Page 64

New Moldavia NAEP Inclusion Policy
English Language Learners (ELL)
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

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

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

Use a Computer/Tablet to Respond

Color Contrast

Page 65

NAEP Universal Design Element
Available to All Students
Scratchwork/Highlighter Capability

Elimination Capability

Volume Adjustment

Closed Captioning

Electronic Spellcheck and Thesaurus

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

Spanish/English Version of the Test

Text-to-Speech/Read Aloud (Spanish)
– Directions

NAEP Subject
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Not Allowed for Writing
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Writing
Not Allowed for
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Civics,
Geography, U.S.
History, TEL

NAEP Subject
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Mathematics
Not Allowed for
Reading, Science,
Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S.
History, TEL
Mathematics, Reading,
Writing
Not Allowed for
Science, Civics,
Geography, U.S.
History, TEL

NAEP Universal Design Element Description
Allows freehand drawing and highlighting on the screen. The scratchwork/highlighter tool is available for short stand-alone items (e.g., multiplechoice 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.

All voice-over narration is closed captioned.

Incorporated into the interface with automatic and user-prompted activation options. Electronic Spellcheck and Thesaurus is only allowed for
writing.

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

This is a special for with all content translated to Spanish

This accommodation requires that the general session script instructions be read in Spanish by the test administrator. It also requires that the
student is given all directions for the test form and block directions on the computer in Spanish. Only allowed for mathematics, reading and
writing.

Page 66

NAEP Accommodation Provided
by Test Delivery System
Available to ELL
Text-to-Speech/Read Aloud (Spanish)
– Occasional or Most or All

NAEP Accommodation Provided
Outside Test Delivery System
Available to ELL
Breaks During Testing

Must Be Tested in a Separate Session

Must Have an Aide Present in the
Testing Room

NAEP Subject
Mathematics and Writing
Not Allowed for
Reading, Science,
Writing Civics,
Geography, U.S.
History, TEL

NAEP Accommodation Description

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. Must
be used with Spanish/English Version of the Test. Only allowed for mathematics and writing.

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

Bilingual Dictionary (in any language)

Other (specify)

Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL

Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Mathematics, Science,
Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL
Not Allowed for
Reading
Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Writing, Civics,
Geography, U.S. History,
TEL

This is a hand-held electronic or hard copy bilingual dictionary provided by the school in any language that contains English translations of
words but does not contain definitions. It is sometimes referred to as a “word-for-word” dictionary, “word-to-word translation dictionary,” or a
“bilingual word list.” Bilingual Dictionary is not allowed for reading.

Any accommodations not listed above. Please check with your NAEP State Coordinator to see if other accommodations are allowed on NAEP.

Page 67

Page 68

Appendix D-17: NAEP DBA Sample Parent Letter

Page 69

NAEP (Year) PARENT/GUARDIAN NOTIFICATION LETTER
(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 (subject) 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 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 (time) minutes for most students. The results are completely confidential
(in accordance with the Confidential Information Protection provisions of Title V, Subtitle A, Public Law
107-347). The information collected is used for statistical purposes only, and the results are anonymous.
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

Page 70

Appendix D-18: NAEP Facts for Teacher Brochure

Page 71

2016
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
from state assessments.
Because the same NAEP
assessment is administered
in every state, it provides 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 nationally
representative assessment of what our nation’s students know and can do in
subjects such as the arts, mathematics, reading, and writing. NAEP collects and
reports information on student trends and performance at the national, state,
and district levels. NAEP releases results 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.
You can use NAEP questions as an educational resource in your classroom. With
the NAEP Questions Tool, you can view released NAEP items, create a customized
assessment 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.

Recent NAEP Findings
2014 U.S. History, Geography, and Civics at Grade 8
25% of eighth graders reported using computers at school for history and social
studies, up from 18% in 2010.
23% of eighth-graders reported that they listen to information presented online,
up from 17% in 2010.
Coming This Fall! Visit www.nationsreportcard.gov in October for the latest
contextual results from the 2015 mathematics and reading assessments.

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

Find us on:
Page 72

The NAEP 2016 Program

It’s Important to Know That...

The following assessments will be administered
in 2016:

Frameworks guide the development of NAEP
assessments. Specific frameworks (http://nces.ed
.gov/nationsreportcard/frameworks.asp) define the
knowledge and skills to be measured. The National
Assessment Governing Board, which oversees and
sets policy for NAEP, develops the frameworks.
Governors, state legislators, local and state school
officials, principals, teachers and education specialists,
business representatives, parents, and members of
the public make up the 26-member Governing Board.

• Arts assessment—Grade 8
This assessment has a music and a visual arts
component, but only one component will be
administered to each student. Results will be
released at the national level. NAEP representatives
will bring all necessary materials and equipment to
schools on assessment day, so schools will only
need to provide space for students to take the
assessment and desks or tables.
To learn more about the arts assessment,
visit http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/arts.
• Digitally based pilot assessments—
Grades 4, 8, and 12
In 2016, some schools will participate in
mathematics, reading, and writing pilot assessments administered on tablets with keyboards.
Results from the pilot will not be released but 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. Schools will
only need to provide space for the assessment,
desks or tables, and an adequate number of
electrical outlets in the assessment location;
schools will not need to provide Internet access.
To learn more about the digitally based pilot
assessments, visit http://nces.ed.gov/
nationsreportcard/tba.

NAEP causes minimal disruption for teachers and
students. No advance preparation is necessary for
you or your students. Trained NAEP representatives,
employed by contractors of the National Center for
Education Statistics, administer the NAEP assessments. Your NAEP school coordinator is your
school’s liaison for all NAEP assessment activities
and can provide additional guidance and information.
Each student takes only a portion of the full
assessment. Each student will take the NAEP
assessment in one subject only. It takes approximately 90 to 120 minutes for students to complete
NAEP assessment activities, including transition time
and directions. While you do not need to prepare
your students to take the assessment, you should
encourage them to do their best.
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 confidential. No one involved in administering
NAEP keeps personal information on teachers or
students after the assessments are completed. There
are no results for individual students, classrooms,
or schools.

Page 73

NAEP Results
Since 1969, NAEP has produced many reports chronicling trends over time in the performance of 9-, 13-,
and 17-year-olds and 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 contextual
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.

“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

Page 74

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.
Contact your NAEP state 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.

Photo Credits: © monkeybusinessimages/iStockphoto #23386737; © Christopher
Futcher/iStockphoto #23386737

Page 75

Appendix D-19: Best Practices: Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade
NAEP Participation

Page 76

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting
Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation

2015
Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 77

“

The NAEP Best Practices Guide provided high-quality, user-friendly information.
The guide is intuitively assembled, informative, and most helpful. Thanks to the
Best Practices Guide, Oakwood High School’s NAEP testing process went very smoothly.
— J oseph R. Boyle, Jr., Principal, Oakland High School, Dayton OH

Best Practices

”

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 78

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

NAEP 2015 Best Practices Guide
Introduction

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting
Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation

2015

Since 2006, the Best Practices Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP
Participation has been shared with educators across the country. The guide
is updated each year to reflect lessons learned to promote the importance
of NAEP with teachers, students, and parents and increase student
participation. Principals and teachers have found these strategies to be
effective tools for encouraging student motivation and participation.
The Best Practices Guide provides resources and strategies to increase
twelfth-grade student motivation and participation. There are icons
throughout the guide to represent the type of document or media that
are available. The following is a list of icons you’ll see:

Microsoft Word
PDF
Video
Microsoft PowerPoint

This guide includes sections on the Twelfth-Grade Challenge and details on how to
Effectively Prepare and Schedule for NAEP, Encourage Teachers to Support NAEP, and
Motivate Students to Participate and Do Their Best on NAEP. Additionally, this guide
contains information on NAEP in your state and how to inform parents.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 79

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Contents
3

Introduction
Twelfth-Grade Challenge

History of Grade 12 Participation

Strategies That Work

High School Senior Motivation
Focus Group

NAEP 2013 Grade 12 Mathematics
and Reading Results

Effectively Prepare for
and Schedule NAEP

Motivate Students to Participate
and Do Their Best on NAEP

PowerPoint Presentation –
Introducing NAEP to Students

Video – Introducing NAEP to Students

Sample Assembly Announcement

Sample School Newsletter

Sample School Newspaper Article

Certificate of Community Service

Talking Points

More on the Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Grade 12 Participation

Types of Strategies Used by High Schools

Social Media Announcements

Sample Student Notification Letter

Sample Morning Announcement

Facts for Principals

Facts for Districts

Use of Strategies by High Schools

NAEP in Your School

Video – NAEP in the News

Encourage Teachers to Support NAEP

Secondary Principals Working Group

PowerPoint Presentation –
Introducing NAEP to Teachers

NAEP in Your State

Video – Introducing NAEP to Teachers

Talking Points

Measure Up

Best Practices

Information for Parents
67

Talking Points

Parent Brochure and Video

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 80

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Your School Is Very Important
to The Nation’s Report Card!

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest
continuing and nationally representative measure of student achievement.
In 2015, NAEP will begin to transition the mathematics, reading, and science
assessments from paper and pencil to technology-based assessments. Your
school has been selected to participate in a pilot technology based assessment
on tablets. Results from the pilot will not be released but will be used to
prepare for the full transition to technology-based assessments by the end of
the decade.
NAEP results provide valuable feedback to educators, elected officials, and
policymakers who work to maintain and improve the quality of our educational
system. Since NAEP is designed to assess a representative sample of our nation’s
students, the accuracy of NAEP relies on the full participation of you, your
students, and teachers.
Over the past several years, as principals across the country have implemented
these and other strategies, the high school student participation rate on NAEP
has increased dramatically.

“

The Best Practices Guide was very useful for getting our
school’s students prepared to take NAEP. It contained
all the information that I needed to know so that I could
disseminate it to students and staff. The videos and
PowerPoints were…well produced, and they made my
presentation to the students easy to do, saving me valuable
time and energy.
— Donald A. Sylvan, President, Jewish Education Service
of North America

Best Practices

”

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 81

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge
History of Grade 12 Participation

Historically, twelfth-grade student participation in
NAEP has been a challenge. However, twelfth-grade
participation in NAEP has increased dramatically
in recent years due to schools implementing
proven strategies to support student participation
and engagement. These strategies are described
in the Best Practices Guide, provided to high
schools participating in NAEP each year. Student
participation increased 18 percentage points from a
low of 66 percent in 2005 to 84 percent in 2013. The
graph below shows the NAEP twelfth-grade school
and student participation rates from 2000 to 2013.
When NAEP results are released, there is
considerable discussion about the results in
the media and among policymakers. Both low
participation and low motivation can undermine
the validity and credibility of NAEP results for high
school students. The National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES), which administers NAEP, and
the National Assessment Governing Board, which
sets policy for NAEP, have been concerned about
participation and motivation of high school seniors
to do their best on NAEP.

To address participation rates, NCES convened
a Secondary School Principals Working Group in
2005. After discussing participation rates, student
motivation, and high school student results, the
Principals Working Group concluded that the results
did not reflect the true level of achievement of
their students. The Principals Working Group also
concluded that high school principals and other
school leaders could help improve participation rates
by obtaining teacher buy-in and motivating students
to show up and do their best, and that best practices
for achieving high participation should be shared
with principals. Their recommendations set the stage
for the initial Best Practices Guide prepared for the
2007 assessment.
In this section you will find information about the
strategies that work to increase student participation
rates. Additional information, including NAEP in
the news, highlighting the importance of NAEP,
and recommendations from the Principals Working
Group, is in the section “More on the Twelfth-Grade
Challenge.”

NAEP School and Student Participation Rates for Public Schools: Grade 12
School Rates
100

Percent

80
70

92
85

90
79
76

76
72

Student Rates

77
79

2007

2009

2011

2012

2013

75
66

60
50
40
30
0

2000

Best Practices

2002

2004

2005

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 82

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge
Strategies That Work

Even though student p
articipation has increased greatly in recent years, efforts to support s tudent
participation and engagement need to be renewed each year. Based on recommendations from
the Secondary School P
rincipals Working Group, NCES implemented a broad set of strategies
aimed at increasing student participation and engagement for the NAEP assessments.

Strategy highlights

Notify schools early that they have been selected
to participate in NAEP to allow administrators to
include the a ssessment on school calendars for the
following year.
Provide flexible scheduling on assessment day

to ensure that seniors are in school and available at
the time of the assessment. This includes conducting
multiple assessment sessions throughout the day.

Develop a Best Practices Guide with tips for

a dministrators and teachers to improve student
participation.

Implement communication and outreach

efforts by NAEP State Coordinators and NAEP
representatives to share best practices ideas and
tools and to discuss and confirm strategies that
the school selected to use.

How did these strategies support grade 12 public school student participation rates in recent years?

84%
The results
indicate a broad
improvement
in student
participation.

1 Small

The overall
student participation
rate improved to
84 percent in 2013,
an increase of
18 percentage points
from the low of
66 percent in 2005.

Participation rates
improved in all
geographic regions.

I mprovements were
seen across all racial/
ethnic groups, for both
genders, and among
students e ligible for
free/reduced-price
lunch as well as
students who were
not e ligible for free/
reduced-price lunch.

Increases
in student
participation
were observed
in small, medium,
and large schools1
and in schools
located in rural,
suburban, and
urban locations.2

schools have fewer than 300 seniors. Medium schools have between 300 and 600 seniors. Large schools have more than 600 seniors.

2 Location

codes were developed to describe a school’s location ranging from large city to rural. The codes are based on a geographic database
maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 83

What is the impact of grade 12
strategies on student participation?

Six strategies emerged that were associated

with a statistically significant difference in
average student participation rates between
schools that used the strategy and those that
did not:

The most recent administration of
grade 12 mathematics and reading was
2013. Data were collected on which
strategies were implemented in each
school. While NAEP did not conduct
an experiment to investigate causality,
a comparison of average student
participation rates for schools that
used each strategy versus those that
did not gives an indication of impact.
This section describes strategies
schools used based on data from
NAEP assessments in 2005, 2009,
and 2013. While some strategies were
implemented in almost all schools,
others were selected by smaller
numbers of high school principals and
other school leaders.

1
2
3
4
5
6

announce NAEP prior to assessment day to p
arents,

s tudents, and faculty;

recognize students that participated at a school awards
assembly or other announcement;
hold a meeting with seniors to explain the importance

of NAEP using the resources in the Best Practices Guide;
explain the importance of NAEP to teachers using the

P owerPoint presentation and video in the Best Practices Guide;

invite teachers to attend assessment sessions; and
give students an item, such as tickets to a school event,

yearbook, etc., for participating in NAEP.

Grade 12 Student Participation Rates for Public Schools by Size of School and Type of Location

100
90
80

83
77

Percent

2005

51
50

2009

2013

30
20
10
0
Small

Medium

Large

Size of School

Best Practices

Rural

Suburb

City

Type of Location

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge
Page 84

Number of Strategies Used by Schools and Their Student Participation Rates
Number of Strategies

Student Participation Rate

None of these strategies

82%

One strategy

85%

Two strategies

85%

Three strategies

87%

Four strategies

89%

Five strategies

90%

Six strategies

94%

Average student participation rates tended to
increase with the number of strategies used,
especially among medium-sized schools.
In general, the relationship between use of these
strategies and average student participation rates
held for small, medium, and large schools.

The majority of schools used more than one
strategy, and average participation rates tended
to increase with the number of strategies that
were used, especially among medium schools.
For example, the student participation rate for
medium schools was 87 percent when those
schools implemented five of the six strategies.
This is 11 percentage points higher than the
rate for medium schools that used none of these
six strategies.

NAEP 2013 Student Participation Rates: Five Strategies vs. None, by Size of School

100

90
86

87
83

Percent

76
Used five strategies

Used none of these strategies

50
0

Best Practices

Small

Medium

Large

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge
Page 85

What did we learn?

Students take their cues
from YOU.
School leadership has the most influence on
students and their participation, and perhaps
even their motivation to try their best.
In schools where leadership implemented
strategies that demonstrated their
commitment to NAEP, student participation
was higher.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting
Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation

2015

NAEP State Coordinators reported that
schools recognized that NCES was serious
about the problem of student participation
and that they put extraordinary effort into
improving the situation, including early
sample notifications, a professional Best
Practices Guide, customized materials for
schools, and personal communications
with schools. It appears that leadership at
all levels had an impact on participation,
from NAEP to states, states to districts and
schools, and school leadership to teachers
and students.

In summary
■■

Use of universal strategies

that are provided to all schools, such as early
sample notification and the Best Practices
Guide, are important to increasing buy-in.
■■

Increase communications
with faculty and students about
the importance of NAEP.

■■

Combine multiple strategies
for an approach that works best.

Best Practices

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge
Page 86

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

High School Senior Motivation Focus Group
Research Summary

Background

■■

During February and March 2008, focus groups
were held around the country with high school
seniors to explore what motivates and influences
them, especially as it relates to participation and
engagement in NAEP.
Respondents were recruited to ensure a mix of
various criteria, including gender, ethnicity, plans
after high school, and academic ranking. Students
were recruited from schools in urban, suburban, and
rural areas.

■■

Findings
■■

■■

Students generally responded positively to the
idea of NAEP and understood the need for strong
participation and engagement.
Students are aware that states are compared to
each other and that the United States is compared
to other countries on educational progress.

Students indicated that flexibility in scheduling the
time of the assessment would be beneficial. Many
students were concerned about making up missed
work from classes.
Recognition of students who participated is a
motivator for some students. Examples include
a statement at graduation, a certificate, or
community service hours.
Students in all groups indicated that providing
food at the test site would encourage them to
show up.
Students indicated that their motivation, in
general, comes from within. Teachers and parents
can provide positive feedback and recognition of a
job well done.

Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress High School
Senior Motivation Focus Group Research. Topline Report. Maria Ivancin,
lead researcher.

Students thought that a better understanding of
the test and knowledge about it before assessment
day would improve participation and engagement.
This information should include the subject areas
to be assessed and the types of questions to
be asked.
Most students indicated that if they chose to
participate, they would do their best.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 87

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

NAEP 2013 Grade 12
Mathematics and Reading Results

The National Assessment of Educational Progress results are released as the Nation’s Report Card. The
NAEP 2013 Grade 12 Mathematics and Reading Results were released last spring. Find out if the nation’s
12th-graders are making progress in mathematics and reading. To dig deeper into the results visit
www.nationsreportcard.gov.

U.S. Department of Education
NCES 2014–087

Are the nation’s 12th-graders making progress in

Mathematics and Reading?
National average scores from the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) did not change from 2009. Among the 11 volunteer
pilot states that participated in both the 2009 and 2013 assessments, 4 made gains from 2009 in mathematics and 2 made gains in reading.

IN THE NATION
2013 AVERAGE SCORE IN

2013 AVERAGE SCORE IN

Mathematics
increased
FROM THE FIRST
ASSESSMENT IN

2005

Reading

unchanged
FROM THE LAST
ASSESSMENT IN

2009

decreased
FROM THE FIRST
ASSESSMENT IN

1992

unchanged
FROM THE LAST
ASSESSMENT IN

2009

Percentage of students at or above the Proficient level in 2013

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 88

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Effectively Prepare for and Schedule NAEP
Planning for NAEP activities in advance can help
ensure a successful administration. The actual
day of the assessment runs most smoothly when
your school staff is prepared to accommodate
the assessment. Your NAEP State Coordinator is
available to answer any questions you have as you
prepare for and schedule the assessment.
The following suggestions are small but helpful steps
you can take to best prepare for the administration
of NAEP in your school.

Encourage your NAEP school coordinator to
■■

■■

Include NAEP on the annual school calendar.
This allows for

■■
■■

■■

NAEP to be recognized as a part of your school’s
schedule of activities; and
teachers to save the date to avoid
scheduling conflicts.

Empower your NAEP school coordinator to
effectively prepare for the assessment by

■■

giving the school coordinator authority to work
with school staff;
notifying school staff of the school coordinator’s
roles and responsibilities; and
providing the school coordinator with adequate
time to complete NAEP activities.

Best Practices

provide and share a plan with sampled students
and their teachers so students know in advance
what to do and where to go;
use the MyNAEP website at www.mynaep.com
to track assessment activities, prepare for the
assessment, and communicate with your NAEP
State Coordinator and NAEP representative; and
access the electronic resources in the Best Practices
Guide from the flash drive or the MyNAEP website
to download and customize.

Announce NAEP prior to the assessment day

to parents, students, and faculty. Use the sample
social media posts to announce that NAEP is coming
to your school in 2015. Also post a message on your
school’s website about NAEP.

Notify students of their selection to participate
in the assessment using the sample student
notification letter.
Make an announcement on the day of the

assessment using the sample announcement.
■■

By empowering your NAEP school
coordinator to plan for the assessment,
you will help ensure a smooth
administration.

work with NAEP staff to provide a flexible schedule
of sessions so as many students as possible can
be assessed;

■■

Remind teachers and students of the assessment in
the morning announcement.
Remind teachers to release sampled students prior
to the assessment.

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 89

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Social Media

Sample Announcements

If your school uses Twitter and/or Facebook to communicate with parents, students, and teachers, you can use
this useful channel to communicate the importance of the assessment to teachers and to encourage student
participation. The following tweets and Facebook posts are available for you to customize before posting to your
school’s social media channels. When customizing, Facebook posts containing 200 characters of text or less and
tweets containing less than 110 characters of text work best.

FAC E B O O K

TWITTER

Schedule Information
Our school will have the chance to make a difference
in education on [DATE]! Learn why our participation in
NAEP is important at http://1.usa.gov/1kVxTKI.

We’re excited to announce our school will participate
in #NAEP on [DATE]! Learn about this national
assessment at http://1.usa.gov/1kVxTKI.

A group of our twelfth-graders will represent thousands
of others across the country on [DATE]! Known as The
Nation’s Report Card, NAEP is the largest nationally
representative and continuing assessment of what
students in the United States know and can do. Learn
more at http://1.usa.gov/1jVs1Wt.

#NAEP will be administered to select seniors at our
school on [DATE]. To learn more about the program,
visit http://1.usa.gov/Ugb2Ct.
Something big is happening on [DATE]. A group of our
seniors will participate in #NAEP that day! Learn more
at http://1.usa.gov/1jFG4zn.

Information for Teachers
Teachers, how much do you know about NAEP? What
does NAEP mean for you and your students? Hear
what other teachers are saying at http://youtu.be/
zR1_pUdSlFg.

#Teachers, do you know why our #student
participation in #NAEP is important? Find out:
http://1.usa.gov/WiTIxT.

NAEP results help us better understand how our
students are performing academically across the
United States. Learn more about why participation is
important at http://1.usa.gov/WiTIxT.

Some of our seniors have been selected to participate
in #NAEP! Discover what other #teachers are saying
at http://youtu.be/zR1_pUdSlFg.
#Teachers, find out the types of questions your
#students will see on #NAEP with the NAEP
Questions Tool: http://1.usa.gov/1rx7VSt.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 90

FAC E B O O K

TWITTER

Information for Students
Seniors, don’t forget! If you have been selected to take
NAEP, your participation is essential for u
nderstanding
what students across the country have learned in
school. Warm up your mental gears by checking out the
NAEP Test Yourself tool at http://1.usa.gov/1mXg5mT.

The “AEP” in #NAEP does not stand for “Atomic
Endangered Penguins!” Hear what other students have
to say at http://youtu.be/8drjkhe0iQU.

What is NAEP? Learn the answer to this question and
more at http://youtu.be/8drjkhe0iQU.

You don’t have to study for #NAEP, but your
participation is still important. Find out why:
http://1.usa.gov/1z36NcI.
Curious about the types of questions you can expect to
see on #NAEP? Check out the NAEP Test Yourself tool
at http://1.usa.gov/1mXg5mT.

Information for Parents
Parents, if your twelfth-grader has been selected
to take NAEP, he or she will represent thousands of
other students across the United States. Discover
other reasons why participation is so important at
http://1.usa.gov/WiTIxT.

Mark your calendars, parents! Our school will
participate in #NAEP on [DATE]. Learn more about the
assessment at http://1.usa.gov/1zRr5HH.

Do you have any burning questions about NAEP and
your child’s involvement? The wait is over! Learn
the answers to your questions and more by visiting
http://1.usa.gov/1rnbygh.

If your child has been selected to participate in #NAEP,
find more information about the assessment at
http://1.usa.gov/1rnbygh.
Why is your child’s participation in #NAEP important?
Find out by visiting http://1.usa.gov/WiTIxT.

Best Practices

Social Media Sample Announcements
Page 91

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Student Notification Letter
Sample

It’s important for students to know the importance of NAEP and that they have been selected to represent
their peers across the country. Customize and use this student letter to inform students about the NAEP
2015 assessment.

Dear Student:
You have been selected to participate in the 2015 National Assessment of Educational
Progress, also known as NAEP. It is the largest continuing and nationally representative
assessment of what students across the country know and can do in a variety of subject
areas. It is different from our state assessments, the SAT, and ACT because it represents
high school students across the country, not just those here in [state] or those who plan to
go on to college. The results of NAEP are released as The Nation’s Report Card.
Not every student is selected to take it, but you have been chosen to represent thousands
of high school students across our nation. Your participation will provide a snapshot of
what students across the country have learned in school. This snapshot will help inform
major decisions about how to improve the education system in the United States, so it’s
important that you take part and give your best effort.
You will take NAEP [time, date, location] with other selected students. NAEP takes 120
minutes, and you don’t need to study for it. You will take a pilot technology-based
assessment in mathematics, reading, or science on a tablet. Upon completion of the pilot
assessment, you will receive a Certificate of Community Service. Your scores will be
anonymous and will not affect your grades or academic record in any way. Instead, they
will be used to prepare for future technology-based assessments.
If you have any questions or would like to review sample questions, please ask [insert
name of school contact person]. He/she will be happy to help. You can also visit
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/students for more information.
We are fortunate that our school has been selected to participate in NAEP. We know that
you will do your best and help us accurately represent the achievement of our students.
Sincerely,
(School Principal)

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 92

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Morning Announcement
Sample

Make sure everyone at your school knows NAEP is important and seniors are participating in the assessment.
Use this announcement the morning of the NAEP assessment.

Good morning, students and teachers. I would like to remind
everyone that, today, some of our students will be participating
in the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Teachers,
please be sure to release those students 5 minutes before the
assessment is scheduled to begin. For those students who are
participating, please report to your designated locations on time.
Every student selected to participate plays an important role in
measuring what students across the entire country have learned
in school. You have a chance to have an impact on future
education policy to improve education across the nation. It is
important to participate and do your best. Thank you.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 93

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Facts for Principals
Learn what NAEP 2015 means for principals by reading Facts for Principals.

2015
Pilot Technology-Based Assessments

Facts for Principals
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.
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 do everything they can
to ensure the assessment isn’t burdensome to our
school, and they provide helpful resources for
principals, teachers, and students. By participating,
we contribute valuable information about what our
country’s students know and can do.”
– Matthew G. Gonzales, Assistant Principal, Smoky Hill High School, Cherry Creek
Schools

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest
nationally representative assessment of what our nation’s students know and can
do in subjects such as mathematics, reading, science, and writing. The results of
NAEP are released as The Nation’s Report Card.
As principals, you are essential partners in NAEP. You make an important
contribution 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. 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 2015, NAEP will begin to transition the mathematics, reading, and science
assessments from paper and pencil to technology-based assessments. This
year, your school has been selected to participate in a pilot technology-based
assessment on tablets. Students will be assessed in only one subject. Results
from the pilot will not be released but will be used to prepare for the full
transition to technology-based assessments by the end of the decade. NAEP
representatives will bring all necessary materials and equipment to schools.
Schools will only need to provide space for the assessment, desks or tables, and
an adequate number of electrical outlets in the assessment location; schools will
not need to provide Internet access.
The NAEP 2015 Program
Subjects: mathematics, reading, and science
Grades: 4, 8, and 12

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

Best Practices

Find us on:

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 94

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.
Released NAEP items can be used as a helpful
educational resource in the classroom. Teachers can
use the NAEP Questions Tool at http://nces.ed.gov/
nationsreportcard/itmrlsx/landing.aspx to see how
students’ performance compares nationally on
specific items. Released NAEP items generally come
with a scoring guide, sample student responses, and
performance data.
School staff can also:
view results for the nation 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.

NAEP is designed to cause minimal disruption of
classroom instruction. It takes approximately 90 to
120 minutes for students to complete NAEP
assessment activities, including transition time and
directions. They are also asked to complete the
student questionnaire, which provides contextual
information such as the amount of reading students
do and what types of classes they take. A small
number of students who take NAEP may also be
selected to answer additional contextual questions
for special studies. 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 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

Best Practices

Facts for Principals
Page 95

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Facts for Districts
Learn what NAEP 2015 means for district by reading Facts for Districts.

2015
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.
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, Teacher, Citrus Grove Middle School, Miami, FL

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest
nationally representative assessment of what our nation’s students know and can
do in subjects such as mathematics, reading, science, 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 2015, NAEP will begin to transition the mathematics, reading, and science
assessments from paper and pencil to technology-based assessments. Some
schools will take the traditional paper and pencil assessment, while other schools
will be asked to take a pilot technology-based assessment on tablets. Results will
only be released from paper and pencil assessments. Each student will take
NAEP in one format and one subject only, and NAEP representatives will bring all
necessary materials and equipment to schools. Schools will only need to provide
space for the assessment, desks or tables, and an adequate number of electrical
outlets in the location (if necessary); schools will not need to provide Internet
access.
The NAEP 2015 Program
Paper and Pencil Assessments
Subjects: mathematics, reading, and science
Grades: 4, 8, and 12
Results: national, state, and TUDA results for grades 4 and 8; only national
results for grade 12
Pilot Technology-Based Assessments
Subjects: mathematics, reading, and science
Grades: 4, 8, 12
Results: information collected from the pilots will not be released but will
be used to prepare for future assessments

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

Best Practices

Find us on:

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 96

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. Grade 12 students are assessed in
a variety of subjects, and results are typically
released at the national level. In 2002, NAEP began
the TUDA program, which measures what students
know and can do in some of the nation’s large urban
districts. In 2015, 21 districts will participate and
receive district-level NAEP results in mathematics,
reading, and science at grades 4 and 8. NAEP does
not report results for individual students,
classrooms, or schools.
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 is designed to cause minimal disruption of
classroom instruction. It takes approximately 90 to
120 minutes for students to complete NAEP
assessment activities, including transition time and
directions. Students are assessed in only one subject
area. They are also asked to complete the student
questionnaire, which provides contextual information
such as the amount of reading students do and what
types of classes they take. 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.

States and its connection with native culture.
Students will participate in NIES by completing the
NAEP mathematics or reading assessment and a
short questionnaire. Teachers and school
administrators will also be asked to complete a
questionnaire.
A small number of students who take NAEP may also
be selected to answer additional contextual
questions for other special studies.
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.
Released 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/itmrlsx/landing.
aspx to see how students’ performance compares
nationally on specific items. Released NAEP items
generally come with a scoring guide, sample student
responses, and performance data.
District and school staff can also:
view results for the nation 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.

Special studies are also conducted periodically. In
2015, American Indian and Alaska Native students
participating in the NAEP mathematics and reading
assessments at grades 4 and 8 will also be included
in the National Indian Education Study (NIES). NIES
describes the condition of education for American
Indian and Alaska Native students in the United

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-C-0025 to the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education.

Best Practices

Facts for Districts
Page 97

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

NAEP in Your School
Learn more about the 2015 assessments in NAEP in Your School.

2015

GRADES 4, 8, AND 12
PILOT TECHNOLOGY-BASED ASSESSMENTS

NAEP in Your School
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
mathematics, reading, science,
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. In some subjects and
grades, results are also available
for states and TUDA districts.

NAEP mathematics, reading, and science pilot technologybased assessments will be administered on tablets to a
sample of fourth-, eighth-, or twelfth-grade students in your
school between January 26 and March 6, 2015.
Results from the pilot will not be released but will be used to
prepare for the full transition to technology-based
assessments by the end of the decade.
What is involved?
Through technology-based assessments, NAEP will aim to collect new types of
data that provide an in-depth understanding of what students know and can do,
including how they engage with technology to approach problem solving. Each
student will participate in one subject and will take only a portion of the entire
assessment. Students will spend about 120 minutes completing the assessment,
including transition time and directions. 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 reading they do and the types of classes
they take.
The school principal and grades 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 selected students with disabilities and English language
learners would participate in the assessment.

How many students will be assessed?
Nationally, approximately 41,000 students will be assessed in fourth grade,
46,000 in eighth grade, and 45,000 in twelfth grade.

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

Best Practices

Find us on:

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 98

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 also be comfortable
collecting and entering student information online
using a computer.

The NAEP State Coordinator works at your
state Department of Education and will be
responsible for:

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 the
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:

Working with schools to confirm the assessment
date;

Confirming the scheduled assessment date with
the NAEP State Coordinator;

Communicating with principals about the
importance of NAEP and student participation;

Registering for the MyNAEP website and
providing information about the school;

Providing schools with instructions for preparing
a list of fourth-, eighth-, or twelfth-grade
students and information about notifying parents
of participating students;

Submitting an electronic list of fourth-, eighth-, or
twelfth-grade 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 are employed by a U.S.
Department of Education contractor to work
directly with schools and will be responsible
for:
Selecting a random sample of students from the
school list of fourth-, eighth-, or twelfth-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;

Using the MyNAEP website to prepare for the
assessment;
Informing parents of the assessment (the
NAEP State Coordinator will provide additional
information about how this should be
accomplished);
Communicating with the NAEP representative to
finalize assessment preparations;
Providing school space for the assessment,
desks or tables, and an adequate number of
electrical outlets in the assessment location (the
school will not need to provide Internet access);
and
Working with school staff to ensure a high rate of
student participation in the assessment.

Detailed information about the school
coordinator’s responsibilities will be sent at the
beginning of the school year.

Bringing all assessment materials to the school
on the scheduled day, including tablets and a
laptop server; and
Conducting the assessment.
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.

Best Practices

NAEP in Your School
Page 99

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Encourage Teachers
to Support NAEP

Teachers are essential to motivating students to do
their best on NAEP. It is important that teachers
understand that NAEP is a valuable tool to show
the nation what high school students know and can
do. Teachers may be reluctant to lose instructional
time to an assessment, but without having students
participate in and do their best on NAEP, the general
public and policymakers will not have an accurate
picture of the achievement of our nation’s high
school students.

Provide the electronic version of the Measure Up

Here are some suggestions on how to gain
teacher support:

Use the Talking Points to answer teachers’

Show the 5-minute NAEP video, Introducing NAEP
to Teachers, and the Introducing NAEP to Teachers
PowerPoint presentation at a faculty meeting. The
PowerPoint presentation is customized specifically
for your school and shares essential information
about NAEP and emphasizes the importance of
student participation. Invite teachers to discuss how
to encourage students to do their best on NAEP.

newsletter available on the MyNAEP website. Issues
include information about

■■

upcoming NAEP activities,
results from recently released NAEP assessments
and how they are being used, and
how NAEP’s online tools can be used as a resource
for the classroom.

questions about NAEP.

Encourage teachers to find us on:

Download the NAEP Results mobile app.

et NAEP on the go with the
G
NAEP Results mobile app!

Schools that explained the importance of NAEP to teachers using the resources in
the Best Practices Guide, such as the video and PowerPoint presentation, had higher student
participation than schools that did not.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 100

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Introducing NAEP to Teachers
PowerPoint Presentation

9/10/2014

9/10/2014
It is important for teachers to understand the importance of NAEP and encourage student participation.
Share this PowerPoint presentation, customized specifically for your school, with your teachers.

Schools that shared
this presentation to
teachers in 2013 had
a positive impact on
student participation.

NAEP 2015
Coming soon to Acme High School!

NAEP 2015

Coming
soon
Acme
High
N AT I O N A L A S
S E S S M Eto
NT O
F E D U C AT
I O N A L School!
PROGRESS
N AT I O N A L A S S E S S M E N T O F E D U C AT I O N A L P R O G R E S S

What is NAEP?
What
is NAEP?
 NAEP stands
for the






National Assessment of
Educational
NAEP standsProgress.
for the
It is also Assessment
known as The
National
of
Nation’s
Report
Card.
Educational
Progress.
Assesses
studentas The
It is also known
achievement
in major
Nation’s Report
Card.
subject
areas
across
the
Assesses student
nation
at
grades
4,
8,
achievement in major
and
12. areas across the
subject
Our
school
has been
nation
at grades
4, 8,selected to represent
schools
and 12. across the country.

 Our school has been selected to represent
schools across the country.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation

Page 101

9/10/2014
9/10/2014

What is on the test?
 Seniorsiswill
take
a mathematics,
reading,
What
on
the
test?

or science assessment on a tablet.
Seniors
will include
take a mathematics,
reading,
 The
tablets
a keyboard, stylus,
and
or
science
assessment
on
a
tablet.
earbuds. Students may bring their own

 earbuds
The tablets
include
a keyboard, stylus, and
if they
prefer.
earbuds. Students may bring their own
earbuds if they prefer.

What is on the test?
 Questions
are multiple-choice,
What
is on
the test? short
answer, or essay.

 Questions
are multiple-choice,
shortFor
Some questions
will be interactive.
examples,
this website:
answer, or visit
essay.

http://nationsreportcard.gov/science_2009/
 Some
questions will be interactive. For
examples,
visit this
website:
 Questions about
how
teachers teach,
http://nationsreportcard.gov/science_2009/
students’
educational experiences, and
 other
Questions
about how teachers teach,
information.
students’ educational experiences, and
other information.

2
2
Best Practices

Introducing NAEP to Teachers PowerPoint Presentation
Page 102

9/10/2014
9/10/2014

Sample Mathematics Question
Samplex-1
Mathematics Question
If f(x)=
x , what is f(5)?
x-1
IfA f(x)
0= x , what is f(5)?
4

B
A

0
5

C
B

1
4

D
C

5
6
1
5

E
D

24
6
5
5

24
5

84% of students answered correctly
during the 2013 assessment.
84% of students answered correctly
during the 2013 assessment.

Sample Reading Excerpt
Sample
Reading
Excerpt
“I don't mean
to put a damper
on things. I just

mean we ought to treat fun reverently. It is a
mystery. It cannot be caught like a virus. It
“I don't
to put
damper
on things.
I just
cannot
be mean
trapped
likea an
animal.
The god
of mirth
mean
we us
ought
tofor
treat
fun reverently.
It is a fun
is
paying
back
all those
years of thinking
mystery.
It cannot
be caught
like to
a virus.
It I
was
everywhere
by refusing
to come
our party.
cannot
be to
trapped
like fun
an animal.
god fun
of mirth
don't want
blaspheme
anymore.The
When
is paying
fordancing
all thosefeet,
yearsyou
of thinking
fun
comes
inus
onback
little
probably
was
everywhere
by refusing
to come
party.
I
won't
be expecting
it. In fact,
I betto
it our
comes
when
don't want
toyour
blaspheme
fun job,
anymore.
When
you're
doing
duty, your
or your
work.fun
It may
comes
in on
dancing feet, you probably
even come
onlittle
a Tuesday.”
won't be expecting it. In fact, I bet it comes when
you're doing your duty,
your
job, or your
work. It may
FUN
by Suzanne
Britt Jordan
even come on a Tuesday.”
From The New York Times, used with
permission.
FUN by Suzanne Britt Jordan
From The New York Times, used with
permission.

3
3
Best Practices

Introducing NAEP to Teachers PowerPoint Presentation
Page 103

9/10/2014
9/10/2014

Sample Reading Question
Sample
Reading
Explain what
the author Question
means when she
says, "Fun is a rare jewel."

Explain what the author means when she
says, "Fun is a rare jewel."

78% of students wrote an acceptable
response to this question during the 2013
assessment.
78% of students wrote an acceptable
response to this question during the 2013
assessment.

Sample Science Question
Use the information on the left

Sample Scienceand
Question
your knowledge of

25% of students had an
acceptable response to this
question during the 2009
assessment.
25% of students had an
acceptable response to this
question during the 2009
assessment.

processes that occur in stars to
predict
stages you
expect
Use thewhat
information
on the
left
each
star knowledge
to go through
and your
of as it
ages.
processes that occur in stars to
predictfuture
what stages
stages will
youthe
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What
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each star
to go through
asall
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Select
ages.apply.
that
What future stages will the Sun
likely go through? Select all
A Giant
that apply.
B Supergiant

A
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Giant
White dwarf

B Planetary
Supergiantnebula
D
C
E

White dwarf
Supernova

D Planetary nebula
E

Supernova
8

4
4
Best Practices

Introducing NAEP to Teachers PowerPoint Presentation
Page 104

9/10/2014
9/10/2014

How do I prepare my students
for NAEP?
How do I prepare my students
 There’s no need for students to study or
for
NAEP?
prepare.
 Students
be encouraged
to try or
There’s noshould
need for
students to study






their
best to answer each question. NAEP
prepare.
just
wants
to know
much seniors
Students should
be how
encouraged
to try
know
about
the
subject
area.
their best to answer each question. NAEP
Scores
will to
beknow
anonymous,
andseniors
will not
just wants
how much
affect
grades
or
academic
records
in any
know about the subject area.
way.
Scores will be anonymous, and will not
Scores
will beor
combined
with
otherin any
affect grades
academic
records
students’
scores
to
show
what
seniors
way.
know
about
the
subject
area
across
Scores will be combined with other the
nation.
students’ scores to show what seniors
know about the subject area across the
nation.

What should students expect?
What
students
 Testingshould
takes place
on Januaryexpect?
26,





2015, and will take about 120 minutes.
We
will call
students
out
of class26,
that day.
Testing
takes
place on
January
2015, and
will
take about
Students
will
receive
a hall120
passminutes.
telling
them
where
to
report.
We will call students out of class that day.
Students will receive a hall pass telling
them where to report.

5
5
Best Practices

Introducing NAEP to Teachers PowerPoint Presentation
Page 105

9/10/2014
9/10/2014

Student participation is
important
Student participation is
 Selected students represent other seniors
important
across the nation.
 Important
decisions
about education
are
Selected students
represent
other seniors
made
the results of these tests.
acrossusing
the nation.

 NAEP
results
are used
by the
media and
Important
decisions
about
education
are

policymakers
to results
judge the
quality
of our
made using the
of these
tests.
nation’s
high
schools.
 NAEP results are used by the media and
 Students
can to
contribute
to quality
improving
the
policymakers
judge the
of our
quality
of
education
for
every
student
in
nation’s high schools.
the
United
States.
 Students can contribute to improving the
quality of education for every student in
the United States.
11

Principals play an important
role too
Principals play an important
 Principals
role
too will be given a survey to
complete about our school’s…
– Demographic characteristics
 Principals
will be given a survey to
– Course requirements
complete
about our school’s…



– Teachers
– Demographic characteristics
– Teacher training on new content and teaching
– Course requirements
approaches
– Teachers
This
information, along with the student
– Teacher training on new content and teaching
assessment,
approaches gives a broad picture of how

are taught
across
 students
This information,
along
withthe
thenation.
student

assessment, gives a broad picture of how
students are taught across the nation.
12

6
6
Best Practices

Introducing NAEP to Teachers PowerPoint Presentation
Page 106

9/10/2014
9/10/2014

NAEP is important
 Thanksis
to important
you, our students received a
NAEP






great education here at Acme High
School.
Thanks to you, our students received a
Encourage
our students
to do their
great education
here at Acme
High best
because
they
represent
seniors
all across
School.
the
United
States.
Encourage our students to do their best
It’s
a great
way
to do something
and
because
they
represent
seniors allgood
across
contribute
to
the
future
of
education.
the United States.
It’s a great way to do something good and
contribute to the future of education.

Find out more
Find out more
 Visit NAEP:

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

 Visit NAEP:

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/students
 Follow
NAEP:

 Follow NAEP:

7
7
Best Practices

Introducing NAEP to Teachers PowerPoint Presentation
Page 107

9/10/2014

Here’s a quick video made just
for teachers...

8
Best Practices

Introducing NAEP to Teachers PowerPoint Presentation
Page 108

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Introducing NAEP to Teachers
Video

Teachers play an integral role in the lives of students, and their encouragement makes a big difference. Share
this short video with faculty and staff to hear what real educators are saying about the National Assessment of
Educational Progress. Learn more about the impact of NAEP, the online resources that are available for teachers,
and the strategies teachers can use to motivate students to try their best on the assessment.

Schools that showed this video to teachers in 2013
had a positive impact on student participation.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 109

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Principals to Teachers
Talking Points

■■

In 2013, the talking points for teachers had
a positive impact on student participation.
■■

What is NAEP?
The National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP) is the largest continuing and nationally
representative assessment that shows what students
across the country know and can do in various
subjects. It is different from our state assessments
and even the SAT and ACT because it represents
high school students across the country, not just
those here in our state or those who plan to go on
to college.

NAEP data can be used to compare and understand
the performance of demographic groups within
your state, the nation, and select urban districts.
Teachers can use sample NAEP questions and
scoring guides as a resource for understanding
student performance.

What do I have to do?
Your students will need to be out of class for about
120 minutes for the assessment. You do not have to
do anything to prepare for the assessment; you just
need to release students from class and encourage
them to do their best. Each student represents
thousands of other high school students across
the nation.

Why should I encourage my students to
participate?
NAEP is an important and integral part of education
in the United States. The results of NAEP are
released as The Nation’s Report Card. Encouraging
your students to participate and do their best gives
them the opportunity to show how well our nation’s
students perform.
■■

■■

Elected officials, policymakers, and educators
all use NAEP results to develop ways to improve
education.
NAEP provides a common measure of student
achievement across the country.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 110

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Measure Up
Stay up-to-speed with NAEP news by reading Measure Up: NAEP News for the School Community. In this issue,
read about the NAEP 2013 Grade 12 Mathematics and Reading release.

INSIDE THIS EDITION

Measure Up

THANK YOU!
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF NAEP
NAEP 2015 TUDA PROGRAM

NAEP NEWS FOR THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY

2015 NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION STUDY
TRANSITION TO TECHNOLOGY-BASED ASSESSMENTS
THE ENHANCED NAEP QUESTIONS TOOL
NAEP 2013 GRADE 12 MATHEMATICS AND READING RELEASE
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENT ADMINISTRATIONS
NAEP SCORING
NAEP BEHIND THE SCENES

SPRING/SUMMER 2014
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF NAEP?
MAY 2014

• NAEP 2013 Mathematics and
Reading assessment results released
for grade 12.
SPRING/SUMMER 2014

• NAEP 2014 assessments will
be scored.
• Schools selected to participate in
NAEP 2015 will be notified.
WINTER 2015

THANK YOU!
Thanks to all schools that participated in the NAEP 2014 assessments
and helped to make it a success! The NAEP 2014 assessments were
administered between January and March and assessed students
in civics, geography, technology and engineering literacy,
U.S. history, and science pilots.

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

Best Practices

• The NAEP 2015 Program
– Subjects: mathematics, reading,
and science
– Grades: 4, 8, and 12
– Some schools will take paper and pencil
assessments, and others will take the
pilot technology-based assessment.
Results will only be released for the
paper-and-pencil assessments.

Find us on:

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 111

Measure Up

SPRING/SUMMER 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE NAEP 2015 TRIAL URBAN DISTRICT
ASSESSMENT PROGRAM

2015 NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION STUDY
In 2015, American Indian and Alaska Native students
participating in the NAEP mathematics and reading
assessments at grades 4 and 8 will also be included in the
National Indian Education Study (NIES). NIES is administered
as part of the NAEP to allow more in-depth reporting on the
achievement and experiences of American Indian/Alaska
Native students in grades 4 and 8. Students will participate
in NIES by completing the NAEP mathematics or reading
assessment and a short questionnaire. Teachers and school
administrators will also be asked to complete a questionnaire.

The NAEP 2015 Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) will
be conducted in reading and mathematics at grades 4 and 8
for 21 urban districts. TUDA is intended to focus attention on
urban education and measure educational progress within
participating large urban districts. TUDA results are based
on the same mathematics and reading assessments used
to report national and state results, thus allowing students’
performance in the 21 participating districts to be compared
to the performance of their peers in the nation’s large cities as
well as their home state.

Learn more and see results from previous NIES studies.

TRIAL URBAN DISTRICT ASSESSMENT (TUDA)
PARTICIPANTS: 2002 – 2015
INITIAL YEAR
PARTICIPATING

DISTRICTS IN TUDA

2002

Atlanta, Chicago, District of Columbia,
Houston, Los Angeles, New York City

2003

Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland,
San Diego

2005

Austin Independent School District

2009

Baltimore, Detroit, Fresno,
Jefferson County (Louisville, KY),
Miami-Dade, Milwaukee *, Philadelphia

2011

Albuquerque, Dallas,
Hillsborough (Hillsborough, FL)

2015

Duval County (Jacksonville, FL)

NOTE: Listed districts continue to participate in successive
assessment years unless noted.
* Not participating in the Trial Urban District Assessments
scheduled for 2015.

Best Practices

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SPRING/SUMMER 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TRANSITION TO TECHNOLOGY-BASED
ASSESSMENTS
In the past decade, NAEP has progressed from administering
assessments via paper-and-pencil to include technologybased assessments in writing, technology and engineering
literacy (TEL), and science interactive computer tasks.
In 2015, NAEP will begin to transition the mathematics,
reading, and science assessments from paper and pencil to
technology-based assessments. Some schools will take the
traditional paper and pencil assessment, while other schools
will be asked to take a pilot technology-based assessment
on tablets. Each student will take NAEP in only one format
and one subject. Results will be released from the paper
and pencil assessments only. Information collected from the
pilots will not be released, but will be used to prepare for
future assessments.

EXPLORE THE ENHANCED NAEP
QUESTIONS TOOL
The NAEP Questions Tool (NQT) is a database of more than
3,000 questions, in nine subject areas, from past assessments
that have been released to the public and will not be
used again on NAEP assessments. NCES has developed an
enhanced version of the NQT that expands on its current
features to make the tool more useful. You can now use the
enhanced NQT to:
• sort and select NAEP questions more easily with a new
“drag and drop” viewing option,
• “Test yourself” on any NAEP subject with a more
customizable quiz function,
• create online, self-scoring quizzes that students can login
to take any time, and
• compare results to how students performed across
the nation.
The enhanced NQT contains math and reading items back
to 2005. By June 2014, all questions for all subjects will be
available.
The NQT can be used to supplement classroom instruction,
provide additional insight into the content of the
assessment, and show what students, in your district, state
and nationally, know and can do.
3

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

NAEP 2013 GRADE 12 MATHEMATICS AND
READING RELEASE

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS IN 2013
Students performing at or above Proficient level on NAEP
assessments demonstrate solid academic performance and
competency over challenging subject matter. Twenty-six and 38
percent of twelfth-graders performed at or above the Proficient
level in mathematics and reading, respectively, in 2013.

More than 92,000 twelfth-graders were assessed in either
reading or mathematics in 2013. The national sample of
schools and students was drawn from across the country. The
results from the assessed students were combined to provide
accurate estimates of the overall performance of students in
the nation and in the 13 states that participated in the twelfthgrade state pilot program: Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida,
Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

The percentages of racial/ethnic groups performing at
or above Proficient in 2013 ranged from 7 to 47 percent
in mathematics, and 16 to 47 percent in reading. Higher
percentages of Asian/Pacific Islander and White students
performed at or above the Proficient level in both mathematics
and reading. A higher percentage of students whose parents
graduated from college performed at or above Proficient
level in both mathematics and reading in 2013 compared to
students whose parents graduated from high school.

Standards established by the National Assessment
Governing Board required that school participation rates for
the original state samples were at least 85 percent for results
to be reported. All 13 states met this requirement with
participation rates of 90 to 100 percent.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education
Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 1992-2013 Mathematics and
Reading Assessments.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SCORE GAINS FROM 2009 TO 2013

STATE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS

Four of the 11 grade 12 states that participated in both 2009
and 2013 scored gains in mathematics and/or reading. Score
gains in mathematics for Idaho and West Virginia increased
by 3 points while Arkansas and Connecticut saw a 4 point
increase. Arkansas and Connecticut saw a 5 and 6 point score
increase in reading, respectively, and were the only states
to see score gains in 2013 in both subjects. None of the
participating states scored significantly lower in 2013 than
in 2009.

Racial/ethnic score gaps narrowed from 2009 to 2013 in two
of the pilot states and widened in one state. The White –
Black score gap in mathematics narrowed from 2009 to 2013
in Arkansas and widened in Iowa. The White – Black score
gap in reading narrowed from 2009 to 2013 in Connecticut.
There were no significant changes in the White – Hispanic
score gaps in any of the pilot states.
See a map of changes in score gaps for racial/ethnic groups
in the pilot states for the in 2009 and 2013.
See how average scores and score gaps for racial/ethnic
groups in the pilot states compare to the results for public
school students in the nation.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education
Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2009 and 2013 Mathematics and
Reading Assessments.

Best Practices

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
ASSESSMENT ADMINISTRATIONS

The coordination of the assessments will allow for
comparisons between international assessments and NAEP.

The NAEP assessments for mathematics, reading, and science
are coordinated with three National Center for Education
Studies (NCES) international assessments: Progress in
International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), Program for
International Student Assessment (PISA), and Trends in
International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

The table below illustrates the national, international
assessments, and longitudinal studies NCES will recruit for,
administer and release results for during the 2014-2015
school year: Early Childhood Longitudinal Program (ECLS),
High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS), and Middle Grades
Longitudinal Study of 2016-2017 (MGLS).

NAEP SCORING

Scoring all NAEP items in an objective, consistent, and
valid fashion is a key program goal. There are a number of
steps in the NAEP scoring process that occur during three
general phases: scoring guide development and pilot, first
operational scoring, and subsequent operational scoring.
In all phases of scoring, quality control and validity checks
are implemented in the scanning, processing, and scoring
of multiple-choice items. To learn more about NAEP scoring,
visit http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/contracts/item_
score.asp.

The NAEP uses a combination of multiple-choice and
constructed-response items (questions) in its assessment
instruments. For multiple-choice items, students are required
to select an answer from a list of options; responses are
electronically scanned and scored. For constructed-response
items, students are required to provide their own answers;
responses are scanned and then scored by qualified and
trained scorers using a scoring guide and an electronic
image-processing and scoring system.
6

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

NAEP Behind The Scenes

Learn more about the people who work behind the scenes to make NAEP the gold standard among assessments.

INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT BECKER ON
SCORING FOR NAEP

What is the most satisfying part of your job? What is the
most challenging?
The most satisfying part of my job is finding satisfying
solutions to the complex needs of the many different
stakeholders involved in NAEP constructed-response
scoring. The NAEP scoring process involves many different
players with many different schedules and needs.
Meshing all these moving pieces together in a coherent
fashion that produces the best quality NAEP scoring in an
appropriate timeframe is very rewarding.

Scott Becker is the Senior
Project Manager for NAEP
Scoring for Pearson.
His primary responsibility
is to provide support for the
scoring of NAEP constructedresponse items. Pearson
prints and distributes NAEP
assessment materials;
and scans and scores
assessment responses.

The most challenging part of my job is adjusting quickly
to the many changes and adjustments that always seem
to crop up. NAEP scoring is never dull!
Who scores NAEP items? How are scorers trained?
Where are NAEP items scored?
NAEP constructed-response scorers all have 4-year college
degrees. Beyond this single similarity they represent a
broad spectrum of the American workforce. Some are
recent college graduates while others are already retired
from successful careers and everything in between.

How long have you worked on the NAEP program?
“I‘ve worked on NAEP in various roles since 2003. I started
as a scorer on NAEP reading in March of 2003 at Pearson’s
Virginia Beach scoring site. I served as a NAEP trainer for
both reading and writing from 2005-2007. In August of
2007, I moved to Iowa City to begin my role as project
manager for Pearson’s federal programs team. As the
senior project manager for NAEP scoring, I provide
support for the scoring of constructed-response items
across all NAEP subject areas.”

NAEP scoring teams typically include 10-12 scorers and one
supervisor. The team is led by a trainer who has spent several
weeks mastering the content of the specific items the team
will be scoring. Trainers lead their teams through paper
training sets that present scorers with the item itself, the
scoring guide explaining the various score categories for the
item, and numerous examples of scored student responses
demonstrating how the scoring guide should be applied.

What in your past training and experience best prepared
you for your current job?
My experiences as both a NAEP scorer and trainer have
given me an excellent understanding of the NAEP
scoring process from the ground up, which allows me to
effectively serve the needs of both the NAEP program and
the Pearson staff responsible for actually scoring NAEP
student responses.

NAEP items are scored at various Pearson scoring sites
around the country. In any given year, NAEP may be
scored at any or all of the following locations: Mesa,
Arizona; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Columbus, Ohio; and
Lansing, Michigan.

Best Practices

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SPRING/SUMMER 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ONLINE RESOURCES
THANK YOU!
National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP)

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

2015 NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION STUDY (NIES)
National Indian Education Study

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

TRANSITION TO TECHNOLOGY-BASED ASSESSMENTS
NAEP Writing Computer-Based Assessments

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/writing/cba.aspx

Technology & Engineering Literacy Assessment

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

Interactive Computer and Hands-On Tasks

http://nationsreportcard.gov/science_2009/ict_summary.aspx

THE ENHANCED NAEP QUESTIONS TOOL
The NAEP Questions Tool

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

NAEP 2013 GRADE 12 MATHEMATICS AND READING RELEASE
The interactive Nation’s Report Card

http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_g12_2013/#/

State achievement levels

http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_g12_2013/#/
state-performance

State score changes

http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_g12_2013/#/
state-gains

State achievement gaps

http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_g12_2013/#/
state-gaps

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENT ADMINISTRATIONS
International Activities Program

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/international

Early Childhood Longitudinal Program (ECLS)

http://nces.ed.gov/ecls/kindergarten2011.asp

High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09)

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/hsls09

The Middle Grades Longitudinal Study of 2016-17
(MGLS:2017)

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/mgls

NAEP SCORING
NAEP Item Scoring

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/contracts/item_score.asp

This publication was prepared for the National Assessment of Educational Progress by Westat
under contract (ED-IES-13-C-0020) to the National Center for Educational Statistics, U.S.
Department of Education.

Get NAEP on the go with the NAEP Resultsmobile app!

Best Practices

Measure Up
Page 118

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Motivate Students

to Participate in and Do Their Best on NAEP

Students selected for NAEP represent hundreds of
other students like themselves. National results can
be compromised if students at your school do not fully
participate in the testing process. Your encouragement
will convey the importance of the assessment and
produce results that accurately measure what twelfthgraders know and can do.
Discussions with principals and an analysis of
student participation data from past assessments
reveal that schools that use multiple strategies have
higher participation rates than schools that do not.
Focus groups of seniors confirm the importance of
these strategies. Principals in past assessments have
found the following to be effective in engaging students
to take the assessment.

Share information about NAEP with your
twelfth-graders.
■■

■■

Hold a short meeting with students to explain NAEP
and how important it is for all selected students
to participate.
Show the 5-minute NAEP video, Introducing NAEP
to Students, and the Introducing NAEP to Students
PowerPoint presentation, that is customized
specifically for your school, to your sampled high
school students at an assembly or student meeting.
Post the video and PowerPoint on your school
website. The video could also be shown on school
television.
Mention NAEP as an important upcoming activity
during a school assembly or on the school website.

Consider ways to thank students for

their participation.
■■

Recognize students who participated in NAEP.
Examples include:
– providing NAEP honor tags to wear
during graduation;
– providing free tickets to school events.

Give a pep talk to participating students at the

beginning of each assessment session. At that time,
you can

■■

personally introduce the NAEP representatives, since
students demonstrate greater focus when they are
familiar with the test administrators;

■■

show the NAEP video, Introducing NAEP to Students;

■■

encourage students to do their best; and

■■

remind students that, by participating, they
represent thousands of other high school students
across the nation.

Invite teachers to attend assessment sessions.
Their presence helps validate the assessment and
further motivates the students.
Inform students that they can find additional

resources and past results by visiting the NAEP website,
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/students.

Encourage students to find us on:

Include information about NAEP in student
newsletters or newspapers.
Use the Talking Points to answer students’ common
questions about NAEP.

Download the NAEP Results mobile app.

Best Practices

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

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 119

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Introducing NAEP to Students
PowerPoint Presentation

9/10/2014
9/10/2014
It is important for students to understand the importance of NAEP and know what to expect
for the
assessment. Share this PowerPoint presentation, customized specifically for your school, with your students.

Meeting with
students to explain
the importance of
NAEP had a positive
impact on student
participation in 2013.
Use this PowerPoint
presentation as
a resource for a
student meeting.

NAEP 2015
NAEP
2015
Coming soon
to Acme High School!
Coming soon to Acme High School!
N AT I O N A L A S S E S S M E N T O F E D U C AT I O N A L P R O G R E S S
N AT I O N A L A S S E S S M E N T O F E D U C AT I O N A L P R O G R E S S

What is NAEP?
What is NAEP?
NAEP stands for the National Assessment
of
Educational
Progress.
NAEP
stands for
the National Assessment
It is
also knownProgress.
as The Nation’s Report
of
Educational
Card.
It is also known as The Nation’s Report
Assesses
student achievement in major
Card.
subject
areas
across
the nationin
atmajor
grades
Assesses student
achievement
4,
8,
and
12.
subject areas across the nation at grades
 4,
Our8,school
has been
and 12.
selected
to
represent
 Our school has
been
schools
across
the
selected to represent
country.
schools across the








country.

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2

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation

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1

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What is on the test?
What is on the test?

 Seniors will take a mathematics, reading,
science
on a tablet.
 or
Seniors
willassessment
take a mathematics,
reading,
on a tablet.
 or
Thescience
tabletsassessment
include a keyboard,
stylus,
earbuds.
You can
bring yourstylus,
own
 and
The tablets
include
a keyboard,
earbuds
if youYou
prefer.
and earbuds.
can bring your own
earbuds if you prefer.

3
3

What is on the test?
What is on the test?





Questions are multiple-choice, short
answer,
or are
essay.
Questions
multiple-choice, short
Some
questions
answer,
or essay.will be interactive. For
examples,
visit this
Some questions
will website:
be interactive. For
examples,
visit
this
website:
http://nationsreportcard.gov/science_2009/

http://nationsreportcard.gov/science_2009/
 Questions
about how your teachers teach,
educational
experiences,
and other
 your
Questions
about how
your teachers
teach,

information.
your educational experiences, and other
information.

4
4

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2

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Introducing NAEP to Students PowerPoint Presentation
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Sample Mathematics Question
Sample Mathematics Question
x-1
If f(x)=
x-1
x , what is f(5)?
If f(x)=
x , what is f(5)?
A
A
B

0
0
4

B
C

5
4
5
1

C
D

1
6

D
E
E

84% of students answered correctly
during the 2013 assessment.
84% of students answered correctly
during the 2013 assessment.

5
6
5
24
5
24
5

5
5

Sample Reading Excerpt
Sample Reading Excerpt
“I don't mean to put a damper on things. I just
mean we ought to treat fun reverently. It is a
“I don'tIt
mean
to put
damperlike
on things.
mystery.
cannot
beacaught
a virus.I just
It
mean
we
ought
to
treat
fun
reverently.
It is
a of mirth
cannot be trapped like an animal. The
god
mystery.
It back
cannot
be those
caught
likeofathinking
virus. Itfun
is paying us
for all
years
cannot
be
trapped
like
an
animal.
The
of mirth
was everywhere by refusing to come to ourgod
party.
I
is
paying
for all those
years of thinking
fun
don't
wantustoback
blaspheme
fun anymore.
When fun
was
everywhere
by dancing
refusing to
come
to probably
our party. I
comes
in on little
feet,
you
don't
to blaspheme
funfact,
anymore.
won'twant
be expecting
it. In
I bet itWhen
comesfun
when
comes
in
on
little
dancing
feet,
you
probably
you're doing your duty, your job, or your work. It may
won't
be expecting
it. In fact, I bet it comes when
even come
on a Tuesday.”
you're doing your duty, your job, or your work. It may
even come on a Tuesday.”
FUN by Suzanne Britt Jordan
From The New York Times, used with
FUN by Suzanne Britt Jordan
permission.
From The New York Times, used with
permission.

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6

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Introducing NAEP to Students PowerPoint Presentation
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Sample Reading Question
Sample Reading Question
Explain what
says,
"Fun
is
Explain
what
says, "Fun is

the author means when she
a
rare
jewel."
the
author
means when she
a rare jewel."

78% of students wrote an acceptable
response to this question during the 2013
78%
of students wrote an acceptable
assessment.
response to this question during the 2013
assessment.
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7

Sample Science Question
Sample Science Question

25% of students had an
acceptable response to this
25%
of students
had
an
question
during the
2009
acceptable
response to this
assessment.
question during the 2009
assessment.

Use the information on the left
and your knowledge of
Use
the information
left
processes
that occuron
in the
stars
to
and
your
knowledge
of expect
predict
what
stages you
processes
that
occur
in
stars
each star to go through as it to
predict
ages. what stages you expect
each star to go through as it
What
ages. future stages will the Sun
likely go through? Select all
What
future stages will the Sun
that apply.
likely go through? Select all
that apply.
A Giant

A
B

Giant
Supergiant

B
C

Supergiant
White
dwarf

C White
dwarf
D
Planetary
nebula
D
E Planetary
Supernovanebula
E

Supernova

8
8

4
4

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Introducing NAEP to Students PowerPoint Presentation
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How should I prepare for NAEP?
How should I prepare for NAEP?
Good news! You don’t have to study.
Just
yourYou
bestdon’t
to answer
Goodtry
news!
haveeach
to study.
question.
Just try your best to answer each
Your
scores will be anonymous, and will
question.
not
your
or academic
Youraffect
scores
willgrades
be anonymous,
andrecord
will
in
way.
notany
affect
your grades or academic record
 Your
scores
in any
way. will be combined with other
scores
to combined
show whatwith
seniors
 students’
Your scores
will be
other
know
about
the subject
students’
scores
to showareas
what across
seniorsthe
nation.
know about the subject areas across the
nation.







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9

What should I expect?
What should I expect?






Testing takes place on January 26,
2015,
willplace
takeon
about
120 minutes.
Testingand
takes
January
26,
We
will and
call will
you take
out of
class120
thatminutes.
day.
2015,
about
You
will call
be given
a hall
pass that
telling
you
We will
you out
of class
day.
where
to
report.
You will be given a hall pass telling you
where to report.

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10

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5

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Introducing NAEP to Students PowerPoint Presentation
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Your participation is important
Your participation is important






You represent seniors across the country.
Important
decisions
about
education
are
You represent
seniors
across
the country.
made
using
the
results
of
these
tests.
Important decisions about education are
You
can
contribute
to improving
the
made
using
the results
of these tests.
quality
educationtofor
all students
You canofcontribute
improving
the in the
United
quality States.
of education for all students in the
United States.

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NAEP is important
NAEP is important
You have received a great education here
at
School.
YouAcme
haveHigh
received
a great education here
We
want High
you to
do your best because you
at Acme
School.
represent
seniors
across
Unitedyou
We want you
to doallyour
bestthe
because
States.
represent seniors all across the United
 It’s
a great way to do something good and
States.
contribute
thetofuture
of education.
 It’s a greatto
way
do something
good and
contribute to the future of education.






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12

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Introducing NAEP to Students PowerPoint Presentation
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Find out more
Find out more
 Visit NAEP:
 http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/students
Visit NAEP:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/students

 Follow NAEP:
 Follow NAEP:

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13

Here’s a quick video made just
Here’s a quick
video made just
for students...
for students...

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14

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Introducing NAEP to Students PowerPoint Presentation
Page 126

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Introducing NAEP to Students
Video

What is the National Assessment of Educational Progress, and why should students care? See what real students
have to say about NAEP and why their participation is important. Show this video to students in your school
who have been selected to take NAEP so that they can learn more about the assessment, how the results are
used, and how they can make a difference.

Meeting with students to explain the importance of NAEP
had a positive impact on student participation in 2013.
Use this video as a resource for a student meeting.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 127

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Assembly Announcement
Sample

It is important for students to participate in NAEP and do their best. Use this assembly announcement to
explain the importance of student participation in NAEP.

I am pleased to announce that our school has been selected to
participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress,
also known as NAEP. You may have heard of NAEP. The results
are called The Nation’s Report Card because it measures student
achievement across the country. It is important because the
results help the President, Congress, and all of our educators
make decisions about how to improve our education system.
Not every student will be asked to take part in the assessment,
so for those of you who are chosen to participate, we encourage
you to take it seriously and do your best. You will represent other
students like yourselves, and you have a chance to have an
impact on the future education policy decisions in the United
States. Every student that is selected to participate makes a
difference. We will be providing more information for students
and teachers in the upcoming weeks. Thank you.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 128

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

School Newsletter – NAEP 2014 is Coming!
Sample

It is important for students to participate in NAEP and do their best. Use this newsletter to share the
importance of NAEP and details about the upcoming assessment.

2015
Newsletter
What is NAEP?

Why is NAEP important?

The National Assessment of
Educational Progress, also known
as NAEP, is the largest nationally
representative assessment of what
students across the country know
and can do in a variety of subjects.
It has been around since 1969,
and allows us to compare student
progress over time.

The results of NAEP are released as The Nation’s Report Card and they
help the President, Congress, and all of our educators make decisions
about how to improve our education system.

What subjects will NAEP assess?
Students will be assessed in mathematics, reading, or science.
The assessment will be administered on tablets with a keyboard and stylus.
It will take approximately 120 minutes of student time.

Who will take NAEP?
NAEP 2015 will be administered to a nation-wide sample of students,
including [number] students here at [school name].

When will NAEP be administered?
NAEP 2015 will be administered here on [date].

Where can you find additional information?
Watch the NAEP student video: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/videos/
naepstudent.asp
Visit the NAEP website: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/students

Find NAEP on:

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 129

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

School Newspaper Article
Sample

It is important for students to participate in NAEP and do their best. Use this newspaper article to share
information about NAEP, its importance, and details about the upcoming assessment.

The Nation’s
Report Card and You
Soon you may notice some of your
classmates receiving hall passes to
excuse them from class on [assessment
date]. You will probably wonder: What
are they for, and? Where are these students going?
These students have been chosen to
participate in the National Assessment
of Educational Progress, also known as
NAEP. You may be thinking that NAEP
is just another test, but it’s not. NAEP is
different from our state assessments,
the SAT, and ACT because it represents
all high school students across the country, not just those who plan to go on
to college.
Ever heard of The Nation’s Report
Card? That’s NAEP: the assessment
results are released as The Nation’s
Report Card, and they help the President, Congress, and all of our educators
make decisions about how to improve
our education system. NAEP is what the
general public will hear about on the
news when reporters discuss what high
school students are learning.
The actual assessment takes about
120 minutes. During that time, students

Best Practices

will take a pilot technology-based
assessment in mathematics, reading,
and science on tablets. All students will
be asked questions about their educational experiences that may be related
to performance, such as homework and
reading habits. Student scores are anonymous and will not affect student grades
or academic records in any way. Instead,
they will be used to prepare for future
technology-based assessments.
Students who are selected to participate in NAEP have an important job
to do. NAEP will provide a national
snapshot of what students have learned
in school, and it is essential that students take it seriously, try their best,
and answer all the questions they can.
If you would like to see questions or
results from past NAEP assessments
and learn more about NAEP and why it
is important for students, check out
NAEP on Twitter and Facebook, or visit
http:// nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
students.

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 130

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Certificate

of Community Service

Does your school require students to collect community service hours? NAEP provides a Certificate of
Community Service for students participating in NAEP.

Certificate
of Community Service

This is to verify that (Name of Student)
has completed 1½ hours of community service by participating in the National Assessment
of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is the largest continuing and nationally representative
assessment of what our nation’s students know and can do in core subjects. Since each
sampled student represents many others throughout the state and country, each student’s
participation is critical to NAEP’s success.

Peggy Carr, Ph.D.
Acting Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics

Best Practices

Find us on:

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 131

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Principals and Teachers to Students
Talking Points

In 2013, the talking points for students had
a positive impact on student participation.

What is NAEP?
NAEP stands for the National Assessment of
Educational Progress. You may know it as The
Nation’s Report Card. It’s the largest continuing
and nationally representative assessment of what
students across the country know and can do in
various subjects. It is different from our state
assessments and even the SAT and ACT because
it represents all high school students across the
country, not just those here in our state or those
who plan to go on to college.

What do I have to do?
You will take the test with other selected students.
The test takes only about 120 minutes. Students
will take a pilot technology-based assessment
in mathematics, reading, and science on tablets.
Each student will be assessed in only one subject.
Your scores will be anonymous and will not affect
your grades or academic record in any way. Instead,
they will be used to prepare for future technologybased assessments. You should do your best because
you were selected to represent students just like you
across the country. When NAEP results are reported
in the news, they influence the public’s opinion of
what high school students across the United States
know and can do.

Why should I participate?
NAEP is important. The results of NAEP are released
as The Nation’s Report Card and they help the
President, Congress, and all of our educators make
decisions about how to improve our educational
system. By participating, you have the ability to
influence those decisions and contribute to the
quality of education for future students. Not all
students take the assessment. You have been
chosen to represent other high school students in
our school, in our state, and across the country. It
is important that you take part and put forth your
best effort.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 132

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

More on the Twelfth-Grade Challenge
Low participation and low motivation
can undermine the validity and
credibility of the results from the
National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP) for high school
seniors. This section includes
participation rate data from strategies
used in NAEP 2013, the last time NAEP
assessed mathematics and reading at
twelfth grade. In addition, this section
includes examples of NAEP in the news
to illustrate the importance of NAEP
and how the media reports on The
Nation’s Report Card.
The National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES), which administers
NAEP, and the National Assessment
Governing Board, which sets policy for
NAEP, have been concerned about the
participation of high school seniors in
NAEP and their motivation to do their
best. In response to this issue, NCES
convened a Secondary School Principals
Working Group in 2005. This section
also includes the working group’s
recommendations.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 133

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Grade 12 Student Participation
Increased Across the Board from 2005

Student participation increased from 2005 to 2013. This section illustrates the relationship between the
strategies used from the Best Practices Guide and participation of students.

Grade 12 Student Participation for Public Schools by Geographic Region
100
90

84
80

82 84

60
Percent

84 86

2005
2009

2013
40
30
20
10
0
National Public

Best Practices

West

South

Midwest

Northeast

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 134

Grade 12 Student Participation for Public Schools by Race/Ethnicity

100
90
80

78
70

84 85

84
79

2005

Percent

2009

2013
40
30
20
10
0
White,
not Hispanic

Black,
not Hispanic

Hispanic

Asian/
American Indian/
Pacific Islander
Alaska Native

Grade 12 Student Participation for Public Schools by Size of School and Type of Location

100
90
80

83
77

Percent

2005

51
50

2009

2013

30
20
10
0
Small

Medium
Size of School

Best Practices

Large

Rural

Suburb

City

Type of Location

59
Grade 12 Student Participation Increased Across the Board from 2005
Page 135

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Types of Strategies
Used by High Schools

Public high schools used a variety of strategies to
improve the participation and engagement of their
seniors. Six strategies emerged that were associated
with a statistically significant difference in average
student participation rates between schools that
used the strategies and those that did not. They
include the following:

Announce NAEP prior to assessment day to
parents, students, and faculty;

Recognize students who participated at a

school awards assembly or other announcement;

Hold a meeting with seniors to explain the
importance of NAEP using the resources in the
Best Practices Guide;
Explain the importance of NAEP to teachers

Invite teachers to attend the assessment session;
and

Give students an item, such as a ticket to a school
event, yearbook, etc. for participating in NAEP.

In general, the relationship between use of these
strategies and average student participation rates
held for small, medium, and large schools. Small
schools have fewer than 300 seniors. Medium
schools have between 300 and 599 seniors. Large
schools have more than 600 seniors.
The majority of public high schools used more than
one of these six strategies. Average participation
rates tended to increase with the number of
strategies that were used, especially among large
high schools.

using the PowerPoint presentation and video in the
Best Practices Guide;

Number of Strategies Used by Schools and Their Student Participation Rates
Number of Strategies

None of these strategies

82%

One strategy

85%

Two strategies

85%

Three strategies

87%

Four strategies

89%

Five strategies

90%

Six strategies

94%

Best Practices

Student participation rate

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 136

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Use of Strategies by High Schools
More is More!

Strategies from the Best Practices Guide have improved the overall
student participation rate to 84 percent in 2013, an increase of
18 percentage points from the low of 66 percent in 2005.

NAEP 2013

Average Student Participation Rates
Using six
strategies

94%

Average student
participation rates
increased with
the number of
strategies used

Using no
strategies

vs.

82%

Student Participation Rates Using vs. Not Using Strategies
Medium-sized Schools
Announce

NAEP prior to assessment day

%
79
Not using

%
83
Using

Recognize

%
83
Not using

%
82
Not using

%
84
Using

%
83
Not using

Give

with students

Best Practices

%
87
Using

teachers to attend assessment

Meet

%
84
Using

importance of NAEP to teachers

Invite

students who participate

%
86
Using

Explain

students an item

%
81
Not using

%
86
Using

%
82
Not using

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 137

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

NAEP in the News
Video

What does the media have to say about NAEP and the academic progress of high school students? This is a
short video that shows how the media reported on the last grade 12 release.

NAEP in the News

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 138

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Goals to Improve Participation and Engagement
in 12th-Grade NAEP

NCES convened a Secondary School Principals Working Group in 2005 to address participation rates. Read
this summary to see their recommendations to improve student participation and engagement.

Goals to Improve
Participation and Engagement
in 12th Grade NAEP
National
Assessment
Educational
Progress
of

THE SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS WORKING GROUP
Nation’s
Report
Card

Statement of the Problem

• There has been a decline in 12th grade school and student participation in some NAEP assessments.
• Many students who do participate fail to try as hard as they can.
• The current participation rate of high school seniors in the NAEP assessment threatens the validity
of NAEP data and may present a distorted picture of the condition of the nation’s high schools.

•

NAEP is in danger of underreporting the academic performance of America’s high school students.

In 2005, The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) convened a working group of public secondary school
principals from across the country to tap into their knowledge of what works in their high schools and what may work
in other schools. The principals were selected to represent a variety of school settings and sizes. The Working Group
was charged with reviewing the issues detailed above, accumulating information about the problem, and making specific
recommendations to NCES for improving school and student participation in NAEP assessments. Below are the members
of the Working Group. On the reverse side are the Group’s recommendations. NCES is in the process of implementing
some recommendations and exploring the feasibility of others.
Principals Working Group Members
Tim Davis, Central High School, Rutherfordton, NC
Donald Wood Foucar, Helena High School, Helena, MT
Todd Harvey, Glasgow High School, Newark, DE
Charles Heinlein, St Mary’s High School, St. Mary’s, WV
Jean Massey, Northwest Rankin High School, Brandon, MS

Best Practices

Keith Maxey, Blue Springs South High School, Blue Springs, MO
John Modest, West Charlotte High School, Charlotte, NC
Linda S. Perie, retired principal, Snoqualmie, WA
Oscar A. Troncoso, Socorro High School, El Paso, TX

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 139

1. NAEP participation and results must be relevant and meaningful to primary stakeholders:
students, schools, parents, and local districts.
RECOMMENDATIONS

• Provide direct and specific performance feedback to participating schools and students soon after the assessment.
• Focus communications to educate primary stakeholders about the importance of NAEP.
• Offer incentives and recognition that have value to stakeholders.

2. Expand the involvement and sense of ownership by the school and provide increased
logistical support for administering NAEP.
RECOMMENDATIONS

• Incorporate NAEP into school calendars by notifying schools no later than May 1 in the year prior to the assessment.
• Provide early and frequent direct communication with the school.
• Provide a “best practices” toolkit and reimburse the school for incidental costs associated with administering NAEP.
• Test the entire class or grade to accommodate the diverse schedules of high school students with at least one
alternative testing session.
• Principals or their designees should be a visible presence.

3. NAEP must become an integral part of the assessment environment in schools today.
RECOMMENDATIONS

• NAEP 12th grade assessments should have the same requirements as 4th and 8th grades
under the No Child Left Behind Act.
• Redesign NAEP.
• Examine testing window (spring of junior year or fall of senior year).
• Design the test—increasing the length if necessary—to make it possible to provide specific feedback
to primary stakeholders.
• Incorporate computer-based assessment.
• Embed NAEP in other required tests.
• Undertake a national campaign targeted to higher education, the military, the business community,
and policymakers.
This publication was prepared for the National Assessment of Educational
Progress by Hager Sharp under contract ED-02-PO-2738 to the National
Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education.

Best Practices

64
Goals to Improve Participation and Engagement in 12th-Grade NAEP
Page 140

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

NAEP in Your State
How is NAEP data used in your state? Use these resource to find out more about the NAEP data available in
your state.

Arkansas

Mathematics

Grade 12
Public Schools

2013 S t a t e S n a p s h o t R e p o r t
Overall Results

Achievement-Level Percentages and Average Score Results

In 2013, the average score of twelfth-grade students in Arkansas
was 150. This was lower than the average score of 152 for public
school students in the nation.
The average score for students in Arkansas in 2013 (150) was
higher than their average score in 2009 (146).
The score gap between higher performing students in Arkansas
(those at the 75th percentile) and lower performing students (those
at the 25th percentile) was 38 points in 2013. This performance
gap was not significantly different from that in 2009 (41 points).
The percentage of students in Arkansas who performed at or
above the NAEP Proficient level was 18 percent in 2013. This
percentage was not significantly different from that in 2009 (16
percent).
The percentage of students in Arkansas who performed at or
above the NAEP Basic level was 64 percent in 2013. This
percentage was greater than that in 2009 (59 percent).
Compare the Average Score in 2013 to Other States/Jurisdictions

*
#

Significantly different (p < .05) from state's results in 2013. Significance
tests were performed using unrounded numbers.
Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Average Scores for State/Jurisdiction and Nation (public)

Department of Defense Education Activity (overseas and domestic schools).

In 2013, the average score in Arkansas (150) was
lower than those in 9 states/jurisdictions
higher than those in 2 states/jurisdictions
not significantly different from that in 1 state/jurisdiction

Results for Student Groups in 2013

Score Gaps for Student Groups
Percentages

Percent of

Avg.

at or above

Percent at

students score Basic Proficient Advanced

Reporting Groups
Race/Ethnicity
White

156

Black

130

143

Hispanic

Significantly different (p < .05) from 2013. Significance tests were
performed using unrounded numbers.

Asian

‡

American Indian/Alaska Native

‡

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

‡

Two or more races

‡

In 2013, Black students had an average score that was 26
points lower than White students. This performance gap
was narrower than that in 2009 (33 points).
In 2013, Hispanic students had an average score that was
13 points lower than White students. This performance gap
was not significantly different from that in 2009 (18 points).
In 2013, male students in Arkansas had an average score
that was higher than female students by 3 points.

Gender
Male

151

Female

148

# Rounds to zero.
‡ Reporting standards not met.
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Black includes African
American and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin.
NOTE: Statistical comparisons are calculated on the basis of unrounded scale scores or percentages.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2009 and 2013 Mathematics Assessments.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 141

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

NAEP in Your State

Arkansas

Reading

Grade 12
Public Schools

2013 S t a t e S n a p s h o t R e p o r t
Overall Results

Achievement-Level Percentages and Average Score Results

In 2013, the average score of twelfth-grade students in Arkansas
was 285. This was lower than the average score of 287 for public
school students in the nation.
The average score for students in Arkansas in 2013 (285) was
higher than their average score in 2009 (280).
The score gap between higher performing students in Arkansas
(those at the 75th percentile) and lower performing students (those
at the 25th percentile) was 48 points in 2013. This performance
gap was not significantly different from that in 2009 (50 points).
The percentage of students in Arkansas who performed at or
above the NAEP Proficient level was 33 percent in 2013. This
percentage was greater than that in 2009 (29 percent).
The percentage of students in Arkansas who performed at or
above the NAEP Basic level was 72 percent in 2013. This
percentage was greater than that in 2009 (68 percent).
Compare the Average Score in 2013 to Other States/Jurisdictions

Significantly different (p < .05) from state's results in 2013. Significance
tests were performed using unrounded numbers.
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Average Scores for State/Jurisdiction and Nation (public)

Department of Defense Education Activity (overseas and domestic schools).

In 2013, the average score in Arkansas (285) was
lower than those in 8 states/jurisdictions
higher than that in 1 state/jurisdiction
not significantly different from those in 3 states/jurisdictions

Results for Student Groups in 2013

Score Gaps for Student Groups
Percentages

Percent of

Avg.

at or above

Percent at

students score Basic Proficient Advanced

Reporting Groups
Race/Ethnicity
White

Black

292

263

Hispanic

278

Asian

‡

4
1

American Indian/Alaska Native

‡

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

‡

Two or more races

Significantly different (p < .05) from 2013. Significance tests were
performed using unrounded numbers.

‡

Male

278

Female

291

In 2013, Black students had an average score that was 29
points lower than White students. This performance gap
was not significantly different from that in 2009 (28 points).
In 2013, Hispanic students had an average score that was
14 points lower than White students. This performance gap
was not significantly different from that in 2009 (18 points).
In 2013, female students in Arkansas had an average
score that was higher than male students by 14 points.

Gender

# Rounds to zero.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Black includes African
American and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin.
NOTE: Statistical comparisons are calculated on the basis of unrounded scale scores or percentages.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2009 and 2013 Reading Assessments.

Best Practices

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 142

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Principals and Teachers to Parents
Talking Points

What is NAEP?

What does my child have to do?

The National Assessment of Educational Progress,
or NAEP, is often called the gold standard of
assessments and has been around since 1969. It’s
called The Nation’s Report Card because it tells us
how students across the country are doing. It is
different than any of the other tests your child takes
in school – including state assessments and even the
SAT and ACT – because it represents all high school
students in the United States, not just those here
in [state] or those who plan to go on to college. As
the largest national test, the results are found in the
headlines of national and local news stories all over
the country.

If your child is selected to participate in the
assessment, he or she will need to be out of class for
about 120 minutes. The results are anonymous and
your child’s grades won’t be affected. We encourage
students to get a good amount of sleep the night
before and to eat breakfast that morning. Please
encourage your child to do his/her best.

Why should I encourage my child
to participate?
NAEP is a window into the state of our educational
system and what students are learning. It opens the
door for parents to understand how well children
like theirs are doing compared to other students
in participating large urban districts, other states,
the nation, and the rest of the world. Your child
has been selected to represent other students like
him/her across the country. Not every student or
every school takes the test, and your child can help
to show the country just how much all our high
school students know and can do. The results of
NAEP help the President, Congress, and educators
make informed decisions about how to improve our
educational system. When your child participates,
he/she is making a difference.

Best Practices

Where can I find more information on NAEP?
Visit The Nation’s Report Card online at
www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard and dig
deeper into topics such as:
■■

How your child was selected

■■

NAEP accommodations

■■

NAEP scoring

Access the NAEP parent brochure at http://nces.ed.gov/
pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2012469.
Stay involved! Connect with NAEP online to be
the first to know about upcoming assessments
and reports.

Download the NAEP Results mobile app.

et NAEP on the go with the
G
NAEP Results mobile app!

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 143

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Parent Brochure
Share this brochure with parents so they can discover more about the NAEP program and what the
assessment will mean for their child.

U.S. Department of Education
NCES 2012-469

The Nation’s Report Card

What Every Parent Should
Know About NAEP

You’ve probably
heard of The Nation’s
Report Card.
It’s a resource. It’s a
national wakeup call.
It’s a window into
the state of our
educational system
and what students
are learning.

Best Practices

It’s more than just a test.
Today’s students take tests for everything.
The National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP), though, is different. It’s
called The Nation’s Report Card because it tells
us how students across the country, not just
in one particular school or state, are doing.

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 144

“[T]he definitive source… for state-to-state
comparisons in educational achievement…”
-Influence: A Study of the Factors of Educational Achievement

“Only 12% of U.S. high
school seniors are
proficient in the legacy
of America’s past.”

“…higher math scores
are “undoubtedly” a
sign of the success of
math instruction in
classrooms…”

“…urban school

districts have
steadily increased
their scores since
2003…”

Everyone’s talking about NAEP. As the
largest national test, its results are found
in the headlines of national and local news
stories all over the country.

“NAEP is the
gold standard
of student
assessments.”

“Students taking the math exam
who reported taking algebra I in
eighth grade tended to outscore
their peers who had not taken
algebra I.”

-The Washington Post editorial board

“The nation’s report card on math
and reading shows fourth- and
eighth-graders scoring their
best ever in math…”

“Today’s NAEP
results confirm that
we have a crisis
on our hands
when it comes to
civics education.”

“Very few students
have the advanced
skills that could lead
to careers in science
and technology,
according to the
results of a national
exam…”

NAEP: The Big Picture
�
The Nation’s Report Card opens the door for
parents to understand how well children like theirs
are doing compared to other students in:
•
•
•
•

Best Practices

Participating large urban districts
Other states
The nation
The rest of the world!

Parent Brochure PowerPoint Presentation
Page 145

NAEP in a

Nutshell
�
• It is often called the gold
standard of tests and has
been around since 1969.
• The subjects most frequently
tested are math, reading,
science, and writing.
• Not every student or every
school takes the test.

How would
my child
stack up?
Use real NAEP questions to find out.
After each test, dozens of NAEP sample questions are
released with The Nation’s Report Card to show how real
students performed in that subject.

• The results are anonymous
and if your child is asked to
take it, his or her grades won’t
be affected.
• Accommodations are
provided so that as many
students as possible can
participate.

As part of the U.S. history assessment, students were
asked the purpose of the Declaration of Independence.

34 percent of fourth-grade students
answered correctly.

As part of the math test, students were asked to subtract
46 from 972 and fill in their answer.

76 percent of fourth-grade students
answered correctly.

Give it a try. Test yourself!
Lightning and thunder happen at the same time, but
you see the lightning before you hear the thunder.
Explain why this is so.

Do you know
the answer?
Find out online!

Best Practices

Parent Brochure PowerPoint Presentation
Page 146

What do all of these
NAEP results tell us
about education?
See how your state measures up.

Go beyond the scores.

You can use NAEP results to compare your state to the
nation, other states, and some large urban districts.

NAEP reports provide more than just results in school
subjects and grades.
See how students have performed over time,
including by racial/ethnic groups and gender.
NAEP also looks at differences between the performances of
groups of students, illuminating achievement gaps that exist
among the nation’s students.
Learn which states are closing achievement gaps,
and see whether your state is making progress.
NAEP examines the path to high school graduation by
studying coursetaking and grades of America’s most recent
high school graduates.
Find out if your child is prepared for the future.

Look at the full picture.
NAEP also looks at the factors that may be related to learning—both inside and outside the classroom.

Fourth-graders who reported reading for fun
almost every day scored higher on NAEP.
The percentage of twelfth-grade students who
reported studying the U.S. Constitution in
2010 was lower than in 2006.
Eighth-graders who reported taking algebra I
scored higher on average than students taking
lower-level courses.

Since 1990, more high school graduates from
each racial/ethnic group completed a rigorous

curriculum.
90 percent of fourth-graders who took the NAEP
reading assessment in 2011 reported that they had

a home computer.
More than any other single subject, science was the

key to reaching a higher curriculum level.

NAEP Sparks Change Across the Country
�

Best Practices

Detroit, Michigan

North Carolina

In 2009, the NAEP assessment revealed that Detroit
schoolchildren ranked the lowest in the nation in both
grades 4 and 8. In response to the alarming results,
The Detroit Free Press partnered with Detroit Public
Schools (DPS) to create and implement a new reading
initiative, The Call to Action for a new Reading Corps,
which encouraged citizens to volunteer 100,000 hours
collectively to tutor reading in DPS schools.

In 2005, results from the NAEP reading assessment
revealed that eighth grade students in North Carolina
scored below the national average. In response, the state
deployed more than 200 literacy coaches to middle
schools around the state to help teachers reach students
with reading difficulties before they made the transition
to high school.

Parent Brochure PowerPoint Presentation
Page 147

Visit The Nation’s Report Card online.
www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard
Dig deeper into topics such as:
• How your child was selected
• NAEP accommodations
• NAEP scoring

Stay involved! Connect with
NAEP online to be the first
to know about upcoming
assessments and reports.

This document was prepared for the National Center for Education

Statistics under Contract No. ED-07-DO-0338 with Hager Sharp.
�

www.ed.gov

Best Practices

ies.ed.gov

Parent Brochure PowerPoint Presentation
Page 148

The Twelfth-Grade Challenge

Parent Brochure
Video

Give parents a “virtual video tour” that brings the NAEP parent brochure to life!

NAEP: The Big Picture
�
You’ve probably

It’s more than just a test.

heard of The Nation’s
The Nation’s Report
Card opens the door for
Report Card.
parents to understand how well children like theirs
It’s a resource. It’s a
are doing compared
to other students in:
national wakeup call.
Today’s students take tests for everything.
The National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP), though, is different. It’s
called The Nation’s Report Card because it tells
us how students across the country, not just
in one particular school or state, are doing.

It’s a window into

the statelarge
of our urban districts
• Participating
educational system
• Other states
and what students
are learning.
• The nation
• The rest of the world!

“[T]he definitive source… for state-to-state
comparisons in educational achievement…”
-Influence: A Study of the Factors of Educational Achievement

“Only 12% of U.S. high
school seniors are
proficient in the legacy
of America’s past.”

“…higher math scores
are “undoubtedly” a
sign of the success of
math instruction in
classrooms…”

“…urban school

districts have
steadily increased
their scores since
2003…”

Everyone’s talking about NAEP. As the
largest national test, its results are found
in the headlines of national and local news
stories all over the country.

Best Practices

“NAEP is the
gold standard
of student
assessments.”

“Students taking the mat
who reported taking alg
eighth grade tended to o
their peers who had not
algebra I.”

-The Washington Post editorial board

“The nation’s report card on m
and reading shows fourth- a
eighth-graders scoring the
best ever in math…”

“Today’s NAEP
results confirm that
we have a crisis
on our hands
when it comes to
civics education.”

“Very few stud
have the adva
skills that cou
to careers in sc
and technolog
according to th
results of a na
exam…”

Guide for Supporting Twelfth-Grade NAEP Participation
Page 149

Page 150

Appendix '-: NAEP State Coordinator Selection Notification Letter to

Principal:ULWLQJ&RPSDUDELOLW\6WXG\

Page 151

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 NAEP 2017 program, students will participate in a study by taking a writing assessment. NAEP is
administering the assessment via both tablets and laptops to evaluate any differences in student performance. In your
school, grade 8 students will use laptops provided by NAEP to complete the assessment. 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
(Month/Day – Month/Day, Year)

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, Writing Comparability Study

CC:

District Test Director

Page 152

Appendix D-21: NAEP Facts for Principals Brochure,
Writing Comparability Study

Page 153

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
Page 154

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:

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.
Page
155

Appendix D-22: NAEP in Your School Brochure,
Writing Comparability Study

Page 156

NAEP 2017

In Your School
Writing Comparability Study

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.

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
Page 157

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:

File Type	application/pdf
Author	joconnell
File Modified	2016-06-20
File Created	2015-11-11