Selecting the Samples for the National 2001 Geography Assessment

The national samples for the 2001 geography assessment were selected using a complex multistage sampling design that involved sampling students from selected schools within selected geographic areas across the country. The sample design had the following stages:

1. selection of geographic areas (a county, group of counties, or metropolitan statistical area);
2. selection of schools (public and nonpublic) within the selected areas; and
3. random selection of students within the selected schools.

Each selected school that participated in the assessment and each student assessed represents a portion of the population of interest. Therefore, sampling weights are needed to make valid inferences between the student samples and the respective populations from which they were drawn. Sampling weights adjust for disproportionate representation due to such oversampling.

Below is a summary of the national school and student participation rates for the NAEP 2001 geography assessment.

	Weighted school participation				Samples where accommodations were not permitted					Samples where accommodations were permitted
					Student participation		Overall participation rate			Student participation		Overall participation rate
	Percentage before substitution	Percentage after substitution	Total number of schools		Weighted percentage student participation	Total number of students assessed	Before substitution	After substitution		Weighted percentage student participation	Total number of students assessed	Before substitution	After substitution
Grade 4
Public	83	88	276		95	5,895	79	84		95	6,181	79	84
Nonpublic	83	91	89		96	1,031	80	87		96	1,038	80	88
Combined	83	88	365		95	6,926	79	84		95	7,219	79	84
Grade 8
Public	79	87	259		92	7,728	73	80		92	8,063	72	80
Nonpublic	84	88	110		96	1,232	81	84		96	1,245	80	84
Combined	79	87	369		93	8,960	74	81		92	9,308	73	80
Grade 12
Public	73	80	311		76	7,977	55	61		76	8,112	55	61
Nonpublic	67	77	63		98	1,022	66	76		91	1,021	61	70
Combined	72	80	374		77	8,999	56	62		77	9,133	56	62
Table A.4, The NAEP 2001 Geography Report Card. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2001 Geography Assessment.

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Last updated 3 June 2002 (DSS)