Intended Meaning of NAEP
The primary purpose of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as The Nation’s Report Card, is to measure the educational achievement and progress of the nation’s students at established grades and ages in relation to the content of NAEP frameworks. NAEP results also enable comparisons of what representative students know and can do among states and jurisdictions, among various demographic groups, and over time. NAEP results provide insight into K-12 education and student achievement in our nation.
Because assessment results are based on samples of students, there are a number of factors to consider when drawing conclusions about NAEP data. Guides on how to interpret NAEP results and understand specific assessments (e.g. mathematics, reading, etc.) are also accessible in this section.
Learn MoreInterpreting NAEP Data Correctly
Do you know the basic rules for interpreting NAEP data? Check your knowledge below.
Individual scores are not reported.
EXPLOREIndividual scores are not reported.
Students do not receive individual scores, and reports for individual schools are not prepared. Students' names are not on any NAEP materials that leave the schools. NAEP reports results for the nation, states, and selected urban districts.
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NAEP data cannot support cause-and-effect claims.
EXPLORECause-and-effect relationships cannot be claimed based on NAEP data.
Many factors may influence student achievement, including educational polices, available resources, and more.
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Differences in scores must be statistically significant to be reported as actual differences.
EXPLOREA test of statistical significance determines whether an actual difference exists between two scores or percentages.
A statistically significant finding is when a difference has a p-value of 0.05 or less.
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State and district score rankings imply score differences that may not be statistically significant.
EXPLORECheck for statistical significance before ranking state and district results.
To be statistically significant, differences between state scores and between district scores must have a p-value of 0.05 or less.
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Scoring NAEP Proficient is not equivalent to achieving a proficient score on other assessments.
EXPLORENAEP Proficient does not represent grade level proficiency.
NAEP does not follow the same proficiency scoring standards as other state or district assessments. NAEP reports scores using NAEP achievement levels.
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NAEP results cannot be compared across subjects.
EXPLORENAEP results cannot be compared across subjects.
Because NAEP scores are developed independently for each subject, results cannot be compared across subjects.
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How Results Are Reported
Student performance on NAEP assessments is presented in two ways: scale scores and achievement levels.
Scale Scores
Average scale scores represent how students performed on each assessment. Scores are aggregated and reported at the student group level for the nation, states, and districts. They can also be used for comparisons among states, districts, and student groups.
Achievement Levels
NAEP achievement levels are performance standards that describe what students should know and be able to do. Results are reported as percentages of students performing at or above three achievement levels: NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, and NAEP Advanced.
Student Groups
Results are provided for groups of students defined by shared characteristics—race/ethnicity, gender, economically disadvantaged status, NAEP SES (socioeconomic status) index, highest level of parental education, type of school, charter school, school location, region of the country, status as students with disabilities (SD), and/or status as English learners (EL).
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Subject-Specific Guides
Explore guides on how to understand specific assessments, by subject.
Last updated 29 June 2026 (DS)