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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​NAEP Technical DocumentationScale Composition by Item Type for New and Trend Blocks

Each assessment typically includes blocks of new items and blocks of items from previous assessments. For the new items and for the trend items in each subject area scale, the number of multiple-choice items, dichotomously scored constructed-response items, and polytomously scored constructed-response items are provided for each grade level.

The item counts are available for each scale as defined in the final Item Response Theory (IRT) scales and are presented in tables for each assessment in the links below. These tables provide information about the items both at the block/assembly unit level before the items have been scaled and after item treatments have been applied and these items have been scaled.

 

Links to tables of scale composition, national and state assessments, by subject, year, and grade: Various years, 2000–2022
SubjectYearGrade 4Grade 8Grade 12
Arts2016 R3
2008 R3
Civics2022 R3
​2018 R3
2014 R3
2010 R3 R3 R3
2006 R3 R3 R3
Economics2012 R3
2006 R3
Geography2018 R3
2014 R3
2010 R3 R3 R3
2001 R3 R3 R3
Mathematics2022 R3 R3
2019 R3 R3 R3
2017 R3 R3
2015 R3 R3 R3
2013 R3 R3 R3
2011 R3 R3
2009 R3 R3 R3
2007 R3 R3
2005 R3 R3 R3
2003 R3 R3
2000 R3 R3 R3
Reading2022 R3 R3
​2019 R3 R3 R3
2017 R3 R3
2015 R3 R3 R3
2013 R3 R3 R3
2011 R3 R3
2009 R3 R3 R3
2007 R3 R3
2005 R3 R3 R3
2003 R3 R3
2002 R3 R3 R3
2000 R3
Science2019 R3 R3 R3
2015 R3 R3 R3
2011 R3
2009 R3 R3 R3
2005 R3 R3 R3
2000 R3 R3 R3
Technology and engineering literacy (TEL)2018 R3
2014 R3
U.S. history2022 R3
2018 R3
2014 R3
2010 R3 R3 R3
2006 R3 R3 R3
2001 R3 R3 R3
Vocabulary2015 R3 R3 R3
2011 R3 R3
2009 R3 R3 R3
Writing2011 R3 R3
2007 R3 R3
2002 R3 R3 R3
† Not applicable. Assessment not given at all grades. 
NOTE: Because preliminary analyses of students' writing performance in the 2017 NAEP writing assessments at grades 4 and 8 revealed potentially confounding factors in measuring performance, results will not be publicly reported. R3 is the accommodated reporting sample. If sampled students are classified as students with disabilities (SD) or English learners (EL), and school officials, using NAEP guidelines, determine that they can meaningfully participate in the NAEP assessment with accommodation, those students are included in the NAEP assessment with accommodation along with other sampled students including SD/EL students who do not need accommodations. The R3 sample is more inclusive than the R2 sample and excludes a smaller proportion of sampled students. The R3 sample is the only reporting sample used in NAEP after 2001. In NAEP, vocabulary, reading vocabulary, and meaning vocabulary refer to the same reporting scale. The block naming conventions used in the 2018 civics, geography, and U.S. history assessments are described in the document 2018 Block Naming Conventions in Data Products and TDW PDF File icon. The block naming conventions used in the 2019 mathematics, reading, and science assessments are described in the document 2019 Block Naming Conventions in Data Products and TDW PDF File icon. ​The block naming conventions used in the 2022 civics, mathematics, reading, and ​U.S. history assessments are described in the document 2022/2023 Block Naming Conventions in Data Products and TDW PDF File icon, and the NAEP ID naming conventions are listed in the document 2022 NAEP ID​ Naming Conventions in Data Products and TDW PDF File icon.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 2000–2022 Assessments.

 

Links to tables of scale composition, long-term trend assessments, by subject, year, and age: Various years, 2004–2023
Subject​YearAge
Mathematics long-term trend assessment2022/2023 Age 9 Age 13
2020 Age 9 Age 13
2012 Age 9 Age 13 Age 17
2008 All ages
2004 Age 9 Age 13 Age 17
Reading long-term trend assessment2022/2023​
Age 9 Age 13
2020​
Age 9 Age 13
2012 Age 9 Age 13 Age 17
2008 All ages
2004 Age 9 Age 13 Age 17
† Not applicable.​
NOTE: The 2008 mathematics and reading long-term trend assessment scales were reported in tables that included all three ages (9, 13, and 17). The 2004, 2012, 2020, and 2022/2023 long-term trend assessment scales were reported in separate tables for each individual age. In 2020 and 2022/2023, age 17 was not assessed. The block naming conventions used in the 2020 mathematics and reading long-term trend​ assessments are described in the document 2020 Block Naming Conventions in Data Products and TDW PDF File icon.​ The block naming conventions used in the 2022/2023 mathematics and reading long-term trend​ assessments are described in the document 2022/2023 Block Naming Conventions in Data Products and TDW PDF File icon.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 2004–2023 Mathematics and Reading Long-Term Trend Assessments.



Last updated 19 September 2024 (PG)