The 2009 NAEP science assessment was conducted at grades 4, 8, and 12. Results for the nation at all three grades and at the state level at grades 4 and 8 are available. At grade 4, approximately 156,500 students in 9,330 schools participated; 151,100 students at grade 8 in nearly 6,920 schools participated; and 11,100 students in 1,410 schools participated at grade 12.
Forty-six states and the Department of Defense schools participated in the 2009 science assessment. The schools and students participating in NAEP assessments are selected to be representative of all schools nationally and of public schools at the state level. Samples of schools and students are drawn from participating states and from the District of Columbia and Department of Defense schools. While results for students assessed in Alaska, the District of Columbia, Kansas, Nebraska, and Vermont contributed to the results for the nation at grades 4 and 8, sample sizes were not large enough to report results for these states/jurisdictions separately. The results from the assessed students are combined to provide accurate estimates of the overall performance of students in the nation and in individual states and other jurisdictions. While national results reflect the performance of students in both public schools and nonpublic schools (i.e., private schools, Bureau of Indian Education schools, and Department of Defense schools), state-level results reflect the performance of public school students only. Results are also reported separately for Department of Defense schools in state tables and maps.
The NAEP program does not, and is not designed to, report on the performance of individual students. Instead, groups of the student population from representative national samples are assessed. For example, NAEP reports results for male and female students, Black students and White students, and students in different regions of the country. Samples are selected using a complex sampling design.
For the 2009 science assessment, accommodations for students with disabilities (SD) and English language learners (ELL) were permitted for the entire sample of students. This differs from the 1996 and 2000 science assessments, in which data were collected from samples of students where assessment accommodations were not permitted and from samples of students where accommodations were permitted. In 2009 and 2005, accommodations were offered when a student had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) indicating the need for accommodation because of a disability, was protected under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 because of disability, was identified as being an English language learner, and/or was normally offered accommodations in other assessment situations. All other students were asked to participate in the assessment under standard conditions. Prior to 1996, testing accommodations (e.g., extended time, small-group testing) were not permitted for students with disabilities and English language learners selected to participate in the NAEP science assessments.
See additional information about the percentages of students with disabilities and English language learners identified, excluded, and assessed at the national and state level;
See the types of accommodations permitted for students with disabilities and English language learners at the national and state levels.
