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The Nation's Report Card
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The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
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Referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, the
National Assessment
of Education Progress (NAEP) tests are the only achievement tests given
to students in every state. The tests allow the only comparison among states.
But not ever student is tested, just a representative sample.
Since 1969, NAEP assessments have been conducted periodically
in reading, mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, geography,
and other subjects. NAEP collects and reports information on student performance
at the national, state, and local levels, making the assessment an integral
part of our nation’s evaluation of the condition and progress of education.
Only academic achievement data and related background information are collected.
The privacy of individual students and their families is protected.
NAEP is a congressionally authorized project of the National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the Institute of Education
Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education. The Commissioner of Education
Statistics is responsible for carrying out the NAEP project. The National
Assessment Governing Board oversees and sets policy for NAEP.
Whereas each state also administers its own state tests
in reading, math and sometimes other subjects. The state tests can cover
different skills than the national exam.
NAEP is a survey assessment, so results are based on a
sample of students in a school or district. Each student takes a small part
of the overall assessment (about 25%), so only when the scores are aggregated
for groups of students are the data considered valid and reliable estimates
of what students know and can do in the content area.
Testing Schedule
Each year, NAEP decides which subject matter to test.
For example, in 2010 NAEP will administer assessments in civics, geography,
and US history. A student will be assessed in only one of the three content
areas.
Questions
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Does NAEP test all grade levels? No, only grades 4,
8, and 12.
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How are students selected? Grade level student lists
are submitted to NCES by the Oregon Department of Education, and student
names are randomly selected by a computer program. At the same time,
each student selected to participate is assigned a content area booklet.
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How long does the NAEP assessment take? The assessments
take 90 minutes of the students' time on the day of the assessment.
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Does NAEP offer accommodations for students with disabilities
or English language learners? Yes, NAEP endeavors to assess all students
selected as a part of its sampling process, including students who are
classified by their schools as students with disabilities (SD) and/or
as English-language learners (ELL) or limited English proficient (LEP).
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Who decides if a student is to be included, accommodated,
or excluded from NAEP? Only qualified school staff can decide whether
the student can meaningfully be assessed or should be excluded from
a NAEP assessment.
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Who completes a NAEP students with disabilities or
English language learners worksheet? For students with disabilities,
the professional staff member who is most familiar with the student's
IEP should complete the NAEP SD worksheet. In the case of an English
Language Learner, the professional staff member who is most familiar
with the student's participation in Oregon's statewide assessments should
complete the NAEP ELL worksheet.
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2009 Oregon Results
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Oregon's scores on the nation's elementary and middle school
math tests were released in October of 2009. They showed only slight
improvement over the past four years, allowing higher-achieving states such
as Washington to eclipse Oregon in math achievement.
Oregon's average math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress,
which is given to a representative sample of fourth- and eighth-graders
in every state, rose a point or two from the last time the test was given
two years ago. But the test-makers said those gains are too small to be
significant. Washington, in contrast, improved its eighth-grade math average
by four points, putting Washington among the top 10 states in middle school
math achievement.
Nationally, fourth-grade math achievement was flat from
2007 to 2009 − a disappointment given all the
emphasis on raising math achievement in elementary schools.
The national test pegged Oregon's math performance as strictly
middle of the road, with 13 states ahead of Oregon at middle school math
and 18 behind it. The rest were in a statistical tie with Oregon.
Middle School Results
But the national average for eighth-grade math rose, setting
a record high for middle-school math achievement during the 20-year history
of the test. Scores for nearly every racial and income group rose, but the
gaps between the groups did not narrow. Compared with other states, Oregon
eighth-graders were strong in geometry and measurement skills but weak at
number properties and operations − basics such
as fractions, percentages, decimals, multiplication and division.
View Math Reports
You can download more information about the 2009 math tests
from the Nation's Report Card Web site:
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Nation's
Report Card: Math 2009 View student performance by various student groups, including gender,
race/ethnicity, type of school (public or private), family income level,
etc.
The 2009 reading scores will be available later.
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2007 Oregon Results
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The good news came in math. The average math score for
fourth graders is at its highest level in 17 years, and the percentage of
fourth graders scoring at or above proficiency rose to 39 percent this year,
up eight points since the federal law took effect. The latest results also
show that eighth-grade students’ math performance has improved, although
not as quickly as among younger students.
The reading results were sobering. On average, reading scores for fourth
graders have increased modestly since the law took effect, but in about
a dozen states the percentage of students who read at the proficiency level
has stayed the same or fallen.
The NY Times reported that President Bush called
the results “outstanding,” adding, “These scores confirm that No Child Left
Behind is working.” But critics of the federal law, including an antitesting
group and a national teachers union, said many scores were rising faster
before the law’s enactment.
Writing Basics: Oregon Skips 2007 Test for 8th
and 12th Graders
In early April of 2008, the federal government released
the scores of writing tests given to 8th and 12th grade students nationwide
last year. Students had to demonstrate narrative, informative and
persuasive writing skills on the test.
Washington state students performed well on the national
writing test easily beating the national average. Oregon is one of the few
states that did not take part in the test. State officials say it
wasn't required and wasn't going to give school specific feedback, just
a statewide score, so they decided to skip it.
Those exams were given to 12,000 Oregon students in February
and March of 2007. The national tests were given to 700,000 fourth-
and eighth-grade students in all 50 states this year.
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Location |
Fourth Grade
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Eighth Grade
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Reading |
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Year
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2005
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2007
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2005
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2007
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U.S. |
217 |
220 |
260 |
261 |
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Oregon |
217 |
215 |
263 |
266 |
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Washington |
223 |
224 |
265 |
265 |
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Math
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Year |
2005
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2007
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2005
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2007
|
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U.S. |
237 |
239 |
278 |
280 |
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Oregon |
238 |
236 |
282 |
284 |
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Washington |
242 |
243 |
285 |
285 |
Elementary School Results
Results on a national reading and math test given in each
state suggests that Oregon elementary schools may be faltering. As elementary
reading and math achievement climbed nationally, Oregon got left behind
in the bottom tier among states when it comes to fourth-graders' performance.
At least 30 other states had better fourth-grade results
than Oregon did.
Middle Schools Results
Oregon's middle schools, already above the national average,
got even stronger in 2007.
There are reasons why Oregon elementary schools may not be getting great
results in fourth grade, state educators said.
Results on state tests also found that math performance has declined, and
it's possible that the national reading exams - which require students to
write summaries and analysis of reading passages - could be finding weaknesses
that Oregon's all-multiple-choice reading tests don't find.
View the Reports
You can download more information from the Nation's Report
Card Web site.
You can explore average scores for participating jurisdictions
by student groups in math by clicking on this link:
http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/math_2007/m0005.asp. A map allows
comparisons between the average scores for public school students in a particular
state or jurisdiction and the average score of the nation or another state.
Do the same for reading by clicking on this link:
http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading_2007/r0005.asp
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Where to Find More About NAEP
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Below are some Web site to learning more about NAEP:
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Nation's Report
Card
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Fair Test
This group works to end the misuses and flaws of standardized testing
and to ensure that evaluation of students, teachers and schools is fair,
open, valid and educationally beneficial.
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American
Federation of Teachers The American Federation of Teachers
represents the economic, social and professional interests of classroom
teachers. It is an affiliated international union of the AFL-CIO.
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National Education
Association A membership organization for teachers.
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