Assessments

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)—a congressionally mandated project administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)—consists of assessments in various subject areas. NAEP offers results for

mathematics, reading, science, writing, technology and engineering literacy, arts, civics, geography, economics, and U.S. history;
grades 4, 8, and 12;
jurisdictions (states and selected districts); and
student performance in the context of gender, race/ethnicity, public or private school, teacher experience, and hundreds of other factors.

Assessment Areas and Results

NCES administers NAEP assessments in a variety of subjects in public and nonpublic (private) schools across the nation. Four of these subjects – mathematics, reading, science, and writing–are assessed most frequently and reported at the state and district level, usually for grades 4 and 8.

Assessment Frameworks

Each NAEP assessment is based on an organizing framework, similar to a blueprint, that is developed by education and assessment experts. Frameworks provide information about the content to be assessed in each subject and what knowledge and skills are appropriate for students being assessed in those subjects. The frameworks also offer insights about how to measure skills in innovative ways.

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Understanding Assessment Results

NAEP results are provided for groups of students defined by shared characteristics: gender, type of school, location, race/ethnicity, eligibility for free/reduced-price school lunch programs, students with disabilities, and students identified as English language learners. Consult this useful guide to help understand and interpret report data.

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Last updated 07 March 2018 (AA)