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 More

Interpreting NAEP Data Correctly

Do you know the basic rules for interpreting NAEP data? Check your knowledge below.

Map of the United States and two individual figures.

Individual scores are not reported.

EXPLORE

Individual 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.

LEARN MORE GO BACK

Abacus with ball rolling for cause and effect.

NAEP data cannot support cause-and-effect claims.

EXPLORE

Cause-and-effect relationships cannot be claimed based on NAEP data.

Many factors may influence student achievement, including educational polices, available resources, and more.

LEARN MORE GO BACK

Bell curves on graph showing high and low end from standard deviation.

Differences in scores must be statistically significant to be reported as actual differences.

EXPLORE

A 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.

LEARN MORE GO BACK

Map of the United States to showcase all NAEP jurisdictions and state profiles.

State and district score rankings imply score differences that may not be statistically significant.

EXPLORE

Check 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.

LEARN MORE GO BACK

Report card of NAEP levels of proficiency.

Scoring NAEP Proficient is not equivalent to achieving a proficient score on other assessments.

EXPLORE

NAEP 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.

LEARN MORE GO BACK

Book and mathematical symbols and an arrow between them with a question mark symbol illustrating that NAEP reading and math scores are not equivalent.

NAEP results cannot be compared across subjects.

EXPLORE

NAEP results cannot be compared across subjects.

Because NAEP scores are developed independently for each subject, results cannot be compared across subjects.

LEARN MORE GO BACK

How Results Are Reported: Scale Scores and NAEP Achievement Levels

Student performance on NAEP assessments is presented in two ways:

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.
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). Students performing at or above the NAEP Proficient level on NAEP assessments demonstrate solid academic performance and competency over challenging subject matter. It should be noted that the NAEP Proficient achievement level does not represent grade level proficiency as determined by other assessment standards (e.g., state or district assessments).

Learn More

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).

Learn More

Statistical Significance and Sample Size

Scores among groups of students may or may not be meaningful, depending on whether or not they are statistically significant. The numbers of students who participate in an assessment determines what performance differences across years or among groups are statistically significant. As a sample size increases, smaller differences between years or groups are found to be more statistically significant than would have been detected in a smaller sample size.

LEARN MORE

Exclusion Rates

Some SD and EL students may be able to participate in NAEP, with or without accommodations. Others are excluded from NAEP assessments because they cannot participate with allowable accommodations. The percentage of SD and EL students who are excluded from the NAEP assessments varies both from one jurisdiction to another and within a jurisdiction over time.

Rates of Exclusion Effects of Exclusion Rates and Accommodation Rates