NAEP Technical DocumentationMaking Assessment Arrangements

Field staff work with school coordinators to ensure that the parents or guardians of students have been notified about the assessment and to make assessment arrangements that will facilitate efficient administration and minimize burden on students, school staff, and school facilities.

During the preassessment visit, field staff ask the school coordinator to provide a dated copy of written parent notification about the assessment. If parents have not yet been notified at this time, field staff will remind the school coordinator that NAEP must have a copy of the dated notification on or before the assessment day or the assessment will be rescheduled.

School coordinators are asked to secure locations that will be available without interruption during assessment. School coordinators are encouraged to arrange for assessment in actual classrooms whenever possible and to avoid cafeterias and other locations where traffic and noise levels tend to be high. Field staff also confirm the number of students who must be assessed in separate accommodations sessions and ask the school coordinator to identify times and locations when these sessions can be conducted.

NAEP has found that students respond more positively when they know that the assessment has the backing of the school administration. NAEP encourages the school coordinator, teachers, and school administrators to observe assessments and assist in classroom management.

Given that NAEP assessment occurs during the winter months, schools are sometimes closed on assessment day due to inclement weather. When this occurs, field staff contact the school coordinator the next business day to reschedule.

Last updated 05 June 2008 (TS)

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