The distribution of items among the various mathematical content areas is a critical feature of the assessment design, as it reflects the relative importance given to each of the curricular content areas within mathematics. As has been the case with past NAEP assessments in mathematics, the categories receive different emphasis at each grade level.
| Grade 4 | Grade 8 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content Area | Target | Actual | Target | Actual |
| Number properties and operations | 40 | 39 | 20 | 17 |
| Measurement | 20 | 20 | 15 | 17 |
| Geometry | 15 | 14 | 20 | 19 |
| Data analysis, statistics, and probability | 10 | 13 | 15 | 15 |
| Algebra | 15 | 14 | 30 | 32 |
| SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2011 Mathematics Assessment. | ||||
