NAEP Data Available for Secondary Analysis

The National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) administers a broad range of items to assess student performance in various subject areas. In addition, NAEP collects information on background variables from students, teachers, and schools that provides context for student performance.

There are numerous opportunities for NAEP secondary analysis and education research because of NAEP's large-scale assessment design, the regularity of its administration, and its stringent quality control processes for data collection and analysis.

Explore the following sets of NAEP data to become familiar with the NAEP database before requesting a research license to access restricted-use datasets:

data from 1990 to present in the NAEP Data Explorer (NDE);
a list of available restricted-use variables, and
NAEP results prior to 1990.

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Data Available to the Public

Most NAEP data from 1990 to date are available online in the NAEP Data Explorer (NDE). This database allows researchers to familiarize themselves with NAEP and test their preliminary hypotheses before requesting a license for further exploration.

The NDE provides results from national (public and private school) and state (public school only) levels. NAEP assessments can be viewed by grade and subject assessed. You can customize the data displays according to your interests. Special versions of the NDE focus on the long-term trend assessment, the High School Transcript Study (HSTS) and the National Indian Education Study (NIES).

Other NAEP data tools are available that present different views of the data to guide your NAEP research, including the Questions Tools, Items Maps, State Profiles, and District Profiles.

NAEP Data Explorer (NDE) Explore NAEP data from 1990 to date. Customize data displays. LEARN MORE

Different Views of NAEP Data Explore different views of NAEP data: assessment questions, item maps illustrating where questions are placed on the NAEP scale, and comparisons of results between jurisdictions. LEARN MORE

Tools for Analysis Learn how to use data tools to analyze NAEP data and test preliminary hypotheses before requesting a license for further exploration. LEARN MORE

Restricted-Use Data

Micro-level NAEP data in raw format (i.e. respondent-level data, including weights) are available on CD-ROM for the purpose of secondary analysis only after your organization applies for and receives a restricted-use data license from NCES. The license is intended to protect the confidentiality of individual students and schools. These restricted-use data are available beginning with the 1990 assessment, and include respondent-level data and weights. Files listing the variables available for each year may be downloaded in Excel and text (CSV) format without a license.

ED INVENTORY THE NAEP PRIMER LICENSE TO ANALYZE RESTRICTED-USE-DATA IES RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM

Download restricted-use data variables in Excel or CSV format. Select by year and subject and begin your secondary analysis.

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Data Prior to 1990

Several sets of NAEP data from 1970 to 1980 and from the 1987 High School Transcript Study are available online from the University of Michigan Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). Data may be downloaded after agreement to ICPSR terms. See membership information for details.

1987 High School Transcript Study Datasets PCPSR Membership Information

Last updated 06 April 2022 (AA)