Long-term trend (LTT) assessments are administered according to the subject area frameworks and assessment practices in use during the 1970s and 1980s, and are conducted every four years. Though LTT has assessed student performance in a variety of subjects since its inception, beginning in 2004 it has assessed only reading and mathematics. While national main and state assessments are administered to grade-level student samples (grades 4, 8, and 12) during a single field period, long-term trend assessments are administered to age-based student samples (ages 9, 13, and 17) during different periods throughout the school year in keeping with past assessment practices:
The three most recent long-term trend assessments were conducted in 1999, 2004, and 2008.
Learn more about the differences between national main and long-term trend assessments.
Learn more about the long-term trend to understand how it is related to NAEP.
