Staff and Administrators (Public Schools)

You Are Essential Partners in NAEP

As a teacher, my constant focus is to help students make progress in the classroom. NAEP helps with this mission by creating a common measure of student achievement across the country.

--Iris Garcia, Teacher Biscayne Elementary Community School, Miami Beach, FL.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest continuing and nationally representative assessment of what our nation’s students know and can do in subjects such as civics, geography, mathematics, reading, science, U.S. history, technology and engineering literacy, and writing. The results of NAEP are released as The Nation’s Report Card.

As principals, you are essential partners in NAEP. You select and empower a NAEP school coordinator, meet with teachers and students who will participate in the assessment, and encourage your students to participate and do their best.

As teachers, you make an important contribution by encouraging your students to participate and give their full effort. When students take part in NAEP, we get the most accurate measure possible of student achievement across the country.

Depending on which NAEP assessment is administered, the data can be used to compare and understand the performance of demographic groups within states, nationally, between states, and in urban districts that participate in the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) over time. Educators, policymakers, and elected officials use these results as input to improve education.

Has Your School Been Selected?

If your school has been selected to participate in NAEP, here is what you need to know.

NAEP causes minimal disruption for teachers and students.
NAEP representatives provide support to your school on assessment day.
Each student only takes a subset of the full assessment.
NAEP reports on results for different demographic groups—not individual students or schools.
Students, teachers, and school administrators are asked to complete survey questionnaires. These help provide a better understanding of educational experiences and factors that may be related to students' learning.
No one involved in NAEP administration keeps personal information on participants after the assessments are completed.
There are no results for individual students, classrooms, or schools.

About NAEP

An Introduction to NAEP1.6MB An Overview of NAEP1.47MB Visión General de NAEP597KB What Every Parent Should Know880KB Facts for Parents: NAEP Survey Questionnaires76KB Survey Questionnaires Infographic198KB

Information for Schools in Puerto Rico

See resources and information for schools in Puerto Rico that are participating in NAEP.

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The 2019 NAEP Assessments

In 2019, students participating in NAEP will be assessed in mathematics, reading, and science. Most students will take the assessment on tablets, while a small subset of students will take paper-and-pencil versions. Each student will take NAEP in one format and one subject only. Results will be released at the national, state, and TUDA levels for the mathematics and reading assessments at grades 4 and 8. National results will be released for the science assessment at grades 4, 8, and 12 and the mathematics and reading assessments at grade 12.

Grade 4:

Mathematics digitally based assessment
Mathematics pilot digitally based assessment
Reading digitally based assessment
Reading pilot digitally based assessment
Science digitally based assessment
Science paper-and-pencil assessment

Grade 8:

Mathematics digitally based assessments
Mathematics pilot digitally based assessment
Reading digitally based assessment
Reading pilot digitally based assessment
Science digitally based assessment
Science paper-and-pencil assessment

Grade 12:

Mathematics digitally based assessment
Mathematics paper-and-pencil assessment
Reading digitally based assessment
Reading paper-and-pencil assessment
Science digitally based assessment
Science paper-and-pencil assessment

NAEP representatives will bring all materials and equipment, including tablets, to the school on assessment day. The school's Internet, networks, and computers will not be needed. Students will spend approximately 120 minutes completing the assessment, which includes transition time, directions, and the completion of a survey questionnaire.

Participating in a Digitally Based Assessment

During testing, NAEP provides all necessary equipment (tablets, ear buds, and administrative equipment). The only resources a school is requested to provide is space, desks or tables, and electricity. A tutorial will be provided prior to the assessment to teach students how to use the equipment and tools and to enter their responses. Questionnaires that capture the learning experiences of students in and outside of the classroom will also be administered to students on tablets.

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The NAEP-NPTS Linking Study

In 2018 a small number of schools participated in a pilot linking study to explore the feasibility of administering both NAEP and the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) to a common set of teachers and schools as part of the NAEP administration.

NAEP NTPS Linking Study Facts for School124KB