Volume 17, Issue 1-12
Measure Up
FALL 2012
Assessment news for high school teachers
The Future of NAEP
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP),
first administered in 1969, is the largest continuing and
nationally representative assessment of what our nation’s
students know and can do in subjects such as mathematics,
reading, science, and writing. Teachers, principals, parents,
policymakers, and researchers all use NAEP results to assess
progress and develop ways to improve education in the
United States.
encouraged to “think big” about the role NAEP should play
in the future—ten years ahead and beyond.
To continue moving the NAEP program forward, a summit
of diverse experts in assessment, measurement, cognition,
and technology was convened in August 2011. These
experts discussed and debated ideas for the future of NAEP.
A second summit of state and local stakeholders was held in
January 2012. Participants of both meetings were
• Measure old constructs in new ways;
A panel of participants from the two summits was asked
to draft a white paper summarizing the discussions of the
two groups. The panel made a variety of recommendations,
including the active monitoring of technology trends.
It was suggested that NAEP should explore using new
technologies to do the following:
• Assess new constructs such as critical thinking, problem
solving, and collaboration;
• Allow fuller inclusion of students with special needs; and
• Improve student engagement.
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FALL 2012
Sample Grade 12 Mathematics Item
continued from cover
Their paper, “NAEP: Looking Ahead—Leading
Assessment into the Future,” can be found at the
link below. The staff at the National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES) will be reading this very
thoughtful report and discussing the implications
as NAEP moves forward. http://nces.ed.gov/
nationsreportcard/about/future_of_naep.asp
Using NAEP questions
in your classroom
With the publication of NAEP results, select items from
each assessment are released. You can access the items,
answer keys and scoring guides, sample student
responses, and national performance results at all three
grades by using the NAEP Questions Tool (NQT) at Carlene told Kyle that a rectangular room measured 16 feet
by 12 feet, to the nearest foot. This means that the length
could measure between 15.5 feet and 16.5 feet and the width
could measure between 11.5 feet and 12.5 feet.
Kyle performed the following calculations.
Dimensions (feet)
Area (square feet)
15 by 11
165
15.5 by 11.5
178.25
16 by 12
192
16.5 by 12.5
206.25
17 by 13
221
Of the following intervals, which is the smallest interval that
contains all possible values of the area of the room?
A. Between 191.5 and 192.5 square feet
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrlsx/landing.aspx.
B. Between 191 and 193 square feet
The Questions Tool includes both multiple-choice and
constructed-response items for all NAEP subjects and
grades, which you can use to create unique activities for
your class. There are more than 3,000 questions
covering all NAEP subjects. Also, your students may
enjoy using Test Yourself to test their knowledge on a
small set of questions on any subject, and to compare
their performance with that of the nation’s students.
Sample mathematics and reading items from a previous
NAEP assessment follow.
C. Between 179 and 206 square feet
D. Between 178 and 207 square feet
E. Between 165 and 221 square feet
ANSWER: D
NAEP national performance results in Mathematics
at grade 12: 2009
Score
Correct
26%
Incorrect
72%
Omitted 2%
0
100
Percentage of Students
NOTE: These results are for public and nonpublic school students. Percentages may not
add to 100 due to rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National
Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP),
2009 Mathematics Assessment.
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FALL 2012
Sample Grade 12 Reading Item
The Open Window
by Saki (H. H. Munro) (1870–1916)
“My aunt will be down presently, Mr. Nuttel,” said a very
self-possessed young lady of fifteen; “in the meantime you
must try and put up with me.”
Framton Nuttel endeavored to say the correct something
which should duly flatter the niece of the moment without
unduly discounting the aunt that was to come. Privately he
doubted more than ever whether these formal visits on a
succession of total strangers would do much towards helping
the nerve cure which he was supposed to be undergoing.
“I know how it will be,” his sister had said when he was
preparing to migrate to this rural retreat; “you will bury
yourself down there and not speak to a living soul, and your
nerves will be worse than ever from moping. I shall just give
you letters of introduction to all the people I know there.
Some of them, as far as I can remember, were quite nice.”
Framton wondered whether Mrs. Sappleton, the lady to
whom he was presenting one of the letters of introduction,
came into the nice division.
“Do you know many of the people round here?” asked the
niece, when she judged that they had had sufficient silent
communion.
“Hardly a soul,” said Framton. “My sister was staying here,
at the rectory, you know, some four years ago, and she gave
me letters of introduction to some of the people here.”
He made the last statement in a tone of distinct regret.
“Then you know practically nothing about my
aunt?”pursued the self-possessed young lady.
“Only her name and address,”admitted the caller. He was
wondering whether Mrs. Sappleton was in the married or
widowed state. An undefinable something about the room
seemed to suggest masculine habitation.
“Her great tragedy happened just three years ago,” said the
child; “that would be since your sister’s time.”
“Her tragedy?” asked Framton; somehow in this restful
country spot tragedies seemed out of place.
“You may wonder why we keep that window wide open
on an October afternoon,” said the niece, indicating a large
French window that opened onto a lawn.
To read the rest of this passage, visit the NAEP
Questions Tool at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
itmrlsx/detail.aspx?subject=reading
Why does Framton Nuttel visit the countryside?
A. To cure his nervous condition
B. To take a tour of the area
C. To meet his sister’s friends
D. To visit his aunt, Mrs. Sappleton
ANSWER: A
NAEP national performance results in Reading
at grade 12: 2009
Score
Correct
60%
Incorrect
40%
Omitted #
0
100
Percentage of Students
# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: These results are for public and nonpublic school students. Percentages may not
add to 100 due to rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National
Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP),
2009 Reading Assessment.
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FALL 2012
What Is The Nation’s Report Card?
The Nation’s Report Card informs the public about the
academic achievement of elementary and secondary
students in the United States. Report cards
communicate the findings of NAEP, the largest
continuing and nationally representative measure of
achievement in various subjects over time.
Since 1969, NAEP assessments have been conducted
periodically in reading, mathematics, science, writing,
U.S. history, civics, geography, and other subjects.
By collecting and reporting information on student
performance at the national, state, and local levels,
NAEP is an integral part of our nation’s evaluation
of the condition and progress of education.
Only information related to academic achievement
and relevant variables is collected. The privacy of
individual students and their families is protected,
and the
identities of
participating
schools are
not released.
Connect with NAEP!
Online Resources
Learn more about
Sample Questions Booklets
• the latest news regarding upcoming assessments
and releases;
• tips for using online NAEP tools;
• NAEP questions to test your knowledge compared
to that of the nation’s students; and
• NAEP publications.
For more information about NAEP, go to
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
Examine the types of questions students will
be answering.
http://nationsreportcard.gov
Content Area Frameworks
Frameworks guide the development of the NAEP
assessment and determine the content to be assessed.
http://nationsreportcard.gov
Information for Educators
Create your own NAEP test and see what students
know and can do.
http://nationsreportcard.gov/educators.asp
Information for Students
Allow students to test themselves using NAEP
questions.
http://nationsreportcard.gov/students.asp
Data Tools
This publication was prepared for the National Assessment of Educational
Progress by Westat under contract (ED-07-CO-0083) to the National Center
for Education Statistics, U.S. Depart­ment of Education.
Explore NAEP results with online data tools.
http://nationsreportcard.gov/data_tools.asp
35660.0812.8540540301
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