DOE Home

Assessment & School Performance (ASP)

2008 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

Important Dates

October 9 – December 4

January 28 – March 6

January 9 – Feb 28

February 5 – March 5

April 1 - May 21

Parent Letters

• Arts (Word, )
• Field Test (Word, )
• Long-term Trend (Word, )
• Parent Newsletter (Word, )
• Student Letter (Word, )

Letters

• Superintendent Notification Letter (Word, )
• District Coordinator of Assessment Notification Letter (Word, )

Principal Letters

• Arts, Grade 8 (Word, )
• Field Test Grades 4, 8, and 12 (Word, )
• Long-term Trend, Age 9 (Word, )
• Long-term Trend, Age 13 (Word, )
• Long-term Trend, Age 17 (Word, )

Timeline

May, 2007

September 2007

September - November, 2007

November, 2007

September 2007 - May 2008

September 2007 - May 2008

October 9, 2007 – May 21, 2008 (Assessment Day)

June, 2008

Description of NAEP

1. State NAEP years and
2. Other NAEP years.

Starting in 2003, the odd-numbered calendar years (e.g., 2005, 2007, 2009) include state-level and national assessments. Mandated subjects in state and national assessment years are reading and mathematics. In 2005, NAEP added a third subject. In 2005, the third subject was science; in 2007 it was writing; in 2009 it will be science. The current schedule calls for alternating Science and Writing in future odd-numbered years.

Since 2004, NAEP has conducted national assessments during even-numbered calendar years. These assessments are:

• Long-term trend assessments in Reading and Mathematics
• Assessments in subjects other than Reading, Mathematics, Science, or Writing such as U.S. History, Civics, Geography, Arts, World History, Economics.
• Pilot tests
• Field tests
• High School Transcript Study

In 2008 the national assessment will include the arts at Grade 8, the long-term trend assessment at Ages 9, 13, and 17, and a field test in reading, mathematics, and science at Grades 4, 8, and 12.

NAEP takes a stratified random sample of schools in participating states and uses a matrix-sampling design of test items so that no one student takes the entire test. The design distributes a large number of test items across school buildings, districts, and states but limits the number of test items that an individual student takes. The assessments are designed to glean information from hundreds of items but restrict the amount of time that any one student spends responding to the assessments to approximately 90 minutes.

Since No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation directs states to close performance gaps between subgroups of students (poverty, race/ethnicity, disability(SD), and English Language Learners (ELL)), NAEP must provide within-state samples of sufficient size and distribution to support these analyses. Under NCLB, NAEP is to collect, cross tablulate, compare, and report information by SD and ELL in addition to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender.

For many students with disabilities and students whose native language is not English, the use of one or more administration accommodation can be used as long as the construct being assessed is not affected. Accommodations include but are not limited to:

1. one-on-one testing
2. small group testing
3. extended time
4. oral reading of directions
5. large-print booklets
6. use of an aide to transcribe responses

Overview of 2008 NAEP

Reading

• NAEP Reading Framework specifies three contexts for reading:
  1. Reading for literary experience - involves the reader in exploring themes, events, characters, problems, and the language of literary works.
  2. Reading for information - engages the reader with aspects of the real world.
  3. Reading to perform a task - involves reading to accomplish something.

• NAEP Reading Framework specifies four aspects of reading that characterize the way readers respond to a text:
  1. Forming a general understanding – consider the text as a whole and have an overall knowledge of it
  2. Developing interpretation – extend initial impressions to develop a more complete understanding of what was read
  3. Making reader/text connections – link information in the text with knowledge and experience
  4. Examining content and structure – critically evaluate, compare and contrast, and understand the effect of features such as irony, humor, and organization

Summary of Reading Assessment

• NAEP reading assessment is composed of three different types of items/tasks:
  1. Multiple-Choice: require students to select one correct or best answer to a given question
  2. Short constructed-response: require a one- or two-sentence answer
  3. Extended constructed-response: require a paragraph or full-page response
• At least half of the questions are constructed-response questions.
• Constructed-response questions require students to integrate information from the text with their background knowledge, reorganize ideas, critically consider the text, and explain and support their ideas in writing.
• NAEP reading assessment examines whether students can actually use sets of skills in reading for different purposes.
• NAEP reading questions emphasize critical thinking and reasoning rather than factual recall.
• Items are based on the aspects of reading and the related strategies readers use to build understanding.
• Item difficulty is a function of the difficulty of the passage, the complexity of the text, and the amount of background knowledge required to respond correctly.
• Passage difficulty is determined by the complexity of arguments, abstractness of concepts, and inclusion of unusual points of view and shifting time frames.
• Assessment results are reported in the following ways:
  1. Average scores for groups of students on the NAEP 0-500 scale
  2. Percentages of students who attain each of the four achievement levels:
     • Advanced
     • Proficient
     • Basic
     • Below Basic

Mathematics

• NAEP Mathematics Framework is based on five content areas:
  1. Number Properties and Operations
  2. Measurement (combined with Geometry at Grade 12)
  3. Geometry
  4. Data Analysis and Probability
  5. Algebra

• NAEP Mathematics Framework is based on three categories of mathematical complexity:
  1. Low complexity – recall and recognize previously learned concepts and principles
  2. Moderate complexity – determine a correct answer using informal methods of reasoning and problem-solving strategies and bringing together skill and knowledge from various domains
  3. High complexity – engage in reasoning, planning, analysis, judgment, and creative thought

Each level of complexity includes aspects of knowing and doing mathematics such as reasoning, performing procedures, understanding concepts, or solving problems.

Summary of Mathematics Assessment

• NAEP mathematics assessment is composed of three different types of items/tasks:
  1. Multiple-choice: 50% of testing time - requires students to select one correct or best answer to a given problem
  2. Short constructed response: 30% to 35% of testing time - requires students to give a short answer such as a numerical result or the correct name or classification for a group of mathematical objects, draw an example of a given concept, or perhaps write a brief explanation for a given result
  3. Extended constructed response: 15% to 20% of testing time - requires students to consider a situation that demands more than a numerical response or a short verbal or graphic communication
• Calculators
  1. At each grade level, approximately 2/3 of the items measure student mathematical knowledge and skills without a calculator.
  2. One-third of the items allow use of a calculator.
  3. Assessment contains blocks for which calculators are not allowed and other blocks which contain some items that would be difficult to solve without a calculator.
• Manipulatives and Tools
  1. Approximately 10% to 15% of the items at each grade requires use of manipulative materials and tools.
  2. Number tiles, geometric shapes, rulers, and protractors are examples of what might be required to solve items.
• Assessment results are reported in the following terms:
  1. Average scores for groups of students on the NAEP 0-500 scale
  2. Percentages of students who attain each of the four achievement levels:
     • Advanced
     • Proficient
     • Basic
     • below Basic

NAGB Frameworks for 2008 NAEP

• NAEP Reading Framework (PDF)
• NAEP Math Framework (PDF)
• NAEP Writing Framework (PDF)

For questions & comments regarding education issues: | For questions & comments regarding this Web site: E-mail Webmaster
Accessibility | Copyright Florida Department of Education ©2005 | Privacy Statement | Public Records
Free Downloads: Acrobat Reader | Excel Viewer 2003 | Word Viewer 97/2000 | PowerPoint Viewer 2003
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.