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NAEP Technical DocumentationField Staff Structure for the 2002-2008 Assessments

Beginning in 2002 when the assessment components were combined, a single field staff has been used to administer all components.

The field staff is structured as shown below:

Field Staff Structure Since 2002 (74KB PDF file) 

NAEP State Coordinators

NAEP State Coordinators are NAEP representatives who work at and are employed by state departments of education. Each NAEP State Coordinator's role is to

• secure the cooperation and participation of sampled districts and public schools,
• confirm the assessment date for each participating public school,
• obtain the name of the school coordinator responsible for working with NAEP field staff at each public school,
• send each public school coordinator in the state specific instructions for notifying parents and guardians about NAEP,
• determine the method by which public schools will submit lists of grade-eligible students for sampling,
• keep field managers and supervisors informed of any changes to scheduled assessment dates,
• respond to any district or school questions or problems, and
• attend assessment coordinator and assessment administrator training sessions.

Field Directors

Field directors oversee all aspects of field activities and staff management to ensure the quality of the data collected. The field director's role is to

• hire and evaluate field staff,
• manage supervisors as they recruit nonpublic (private) schools to participate in NAEP,
• participate in field staff trainings,
• monitor preassessment activities,
• monitor and observe assessments, and
• monitor post-assessment activities.

Field Managers

Field managers coordinate activities between NAEP, the NAEP State Coordinator, and the supervisors. Each field manager's role is to

• recruit, hire, and train assessment teams;
• manage all field activities;
• conduct quality control visits to schools during the field period; and
• communicate regularly with supervisors.

Supervisors

Prior to the field period, supervisors work to prepare for the assessments. During this time, each supervisor's role is to

• hire assessment coordinators and assessment administrators,
• recruit nonpublic (private) schools to participate in NAEP,
• schedule assessment dates,
• collect lists of students for sampling from nonpublic schools choosing not to E-File, and
• attend and participate in assessment coordinator and assessment administrator training sessions.

During the field period, the supervisor's role shifts to one of field staff supervision and management. Supervisors oversee the assessment teams and conduct quality control visits in the field. The supervisor's role is to

• prepare and mail NAEP materials to schools,
• prepare and distribute materials to assessment coordinators,
• perform quality control visits during assessments,
• observe and evaluate the assessment day performance of assessment coordinators and assessment administrators,
• communicate with assessment coordinators to monitor and manage assessment team schedules, and
• maintain ongoing communication with field managers.

In addition, during years when the state component is not administered, supervisors also perform the tasks described below for assessment coordinators. That is, there are no assessment coordinators hired for years in which a state component is not administered.

Assessment Coordinators

The primary duty of assessment coordinators is to manage the assessment activities in schools, including supervising a team of assessment administrators. Each assessment coordinator's role is to

• conduct preassessment contacts with schools, including distribution and collection of questionnaires, recording school coordinator decisions about inclusion and accommodations for students with a disability and English language learners, planning for accommodations, and finalizing assessment schedules that meet the needs of each school;
• determine staffing requirements for carrying out the assessments based on each school's class schedule;
• monitor assessment administrator training and provide guidance, as needed;
• plan work assignments for the assessment administrators;
• coordinate all assessment activities on site and direct the work of the team of assessment administrators during assessments; and
• perform quality control checks of assessment materials, both before and after the assessments.

Assessment Administrators

The primary duty of assessment administrators is to administer the assessments in schools working in teams with the assessment coordinators. Each assessment administrator's role is to

• perform administrative tasks such as preparing the assessment booklets and materials and setting up the assessment rooms according to standard NAEP procedures;
• check student attendance at the sessions;
• read directions aloud to the students, and administer and monitor the assessment sessions in accordance with standard NAEP procedures;
• assess students with a disability or English language learners, as assigned;
• guarantee the accuracy and integrity of assessment data; and
• guarantee the security and confidentiality of all NAEP materials.

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