National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

Highlights for  2012:

Mathematics

Grade 4:

• AZ Grade 4 students showed greater growth (i.e., 5 scale score points) since 2009 than their peers in any other state.
• AZ students scored significantly higher in 2011 (235) than in 2009 (230).
• All races and Hispanic ethnicity (aside from Native American) scored at the national average for their peers.
• AZ Hispanic students showed a 7 point increase (227) in NAEP mathematics scores from 2009 (220).
• AZ Grade 4 students showed an increase in percentage of students who are “At or Above Basic” (77%) and “At or Above Proficient” (34%) since 2009 (71% and 28%, respectively).

Grade 8:

• AZ students scored significantly higher in 2011 (279) than in 2007 (276) and continue to show a steady upward trend since 2000.
• AZ Grade 8 African American students continue to score above the national average for their peers while our White and Asian students score at the national average.

Reading

Grade 4

• AZ Grade 4 students scored higher in 2011 (212) than in 2005 (207).
• Our Hispanic, African American and Asian students scored at the national average for their peer groups.

Grade 8

• AZ Grade 8 students scored significantly higher in 2011 (260) than in 2007 (255).
• AZ’s White, Hispanic, and African American students scored at the national average for their peer groups.
• Hispanic (251) showed a significant increase in NAEP Reading scores since 2007 (241).

Arizona Results 2011:

• Mathematics, Grade 4 – Arizona NAEP average scale scores over time compared to National Public (National average).
• Mathematics, Grade 8 – Arizona NAEP average scale scores over time compared to National Public (National average).
• Reading, Grade 4 – Arizona NAEP average scale scores over time compared to National Public (National average).
• Reading, Grade 8 – Arizona NAEP average scale scores over time compared to National Public (National average).

 NAEP Overview

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as “the Nation’s Report Card,” is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America’s students know and can do in various subject areas. Since 1969, assessments have been conducted periodically in reading, mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, geography, and the arts.

Under the current structure, the Commissioner of Education Statistics, who heads the National Center for Education Statistics in the U.S. Department of Education, is responsible by law for carrying out the NAEP project. The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), appointed by the Secretary of Education but independent of the Department, sets policy for NAEP and is responsible for developing the framework and test specifications that serve as the blueprint for the assessments. NAGB is a bipartisan group whose members include governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators, business representatives, and members of the general public. Congress created the 26-member Governing Board in 1988.

NAEP provides results regarding subject-matter achievement, instructional experiences, and school environment for populations of students (e.g., fourth-graders) and groups within those populations (e.g., female students, Hispanic students). NAEP results are based on a sample of student populations of interest.

Why Is NAEP Important?

Established by Congress in 1969, NAEP was created to provide a common national yardstick for accurately evaluating the performance of American students.

NAEP is:

1. A national assessment that allows educational achievement to be compared across states;
2. An assessment that identifies the percentages of students in the nation who meet standards for Advance, Proficient, or Basic performance in a variety of subjects;
3. A yardstick that state educators, legislators, and governors can use to gauge the effectiveness of state educational policies;
4. A measurement tool that members of Congress and the President can use to review student progress during the past 35 years; and
5. A source of information that allows parents to assess the academic performance of students in their state and the nation as a whole.

By participating in NAEP, students are doing their part to help improve education in our country, our state, and our schools!

“NAEP Assessment & Tribute to Teachers”
Grades 4 and 8 Teachers
http://www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/videos/naep4th8th.asp
Grade 12 Teachers
http://www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/videos/naep12th.asp
Student Motivational Video
(Windows Media Player)

Information for Participants:

• Information for Selected Schools
  • An Introduction to NAEP (revised 2010)
  • Facts for Districts 2014
  • Facts For Principals- NAEP 2014
  • NAEP in Your School: Grade 8 Civics, Geography, and U.S. History
  • NAEP in Your School: Grade 4, 8, 12 Science Pilots
  • NAEP in Your School: Grade 8 Technology and Engineering Literacy

• NAEP Sample Questions
  1. The NAEP Questions Tool provides easy access to NAEP questions, student responses, and scoring guides that are released to the public. Both national and state data, where appropriate, are presented.
  2. The purpose of the tool is to provide teachers, researchers, and educators greater access to NAEP assessment exercises.

Information for Teachers:

NAEP From the Web to the Classroom – June 7 & 14 Assessment Summit Presentation

• Measure Up Newsletters
  • Elementary School Teachers
  • Middle School Teachers
  • High School Teachers

Information for Parents:

• Information for Parents
• What Every Parent Should Know About NAEP  (800 KB)
• Lo Que Cada Padre Debe Saber Acerca de NAEP  (880 KB)
• An Overview of NAEP (225 KB)
• Visión General de NAEP (247 KB))
• An Introduction to NAEP (Una Introducción a NAEP, en inglés) (1.5 MB)

Shelly Pollnow, Ed.D.
NAEP@azed.gov
(602)  542 -5031
Connect with NAEP