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NAEP Technical DocumentationStudent Test Forms for the 2018 Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) Assessment

For the 2018 Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) assessment, 37 blocks (15 scenario-based task [SBT] blocks and 12 discrete blocks) were administered operationally at grade 8. The blocks were grouped into 16 assembly units (AUs). Following the 2018 TEL assessment, two blocks (one SBT block and one discrete block) were released to the public. The SBTs and selected discrete items can be accessed via the 2018 TEL Report Card. All released discrete items and related student performance data can be accessed via the NAEP Questions Tool.

Most operational NAEP assessments use a balanced incomplete block (BIB) design whereby (1) items are assigned to a single 30-minute timed assembly unit (or block), and (2) each assembly unit is paired with every other one while ensuring it appears the same number of times in each position (first and second) in the test form. The total number of test forms is determined by the formula N * (N-1) / 2, where N is the number of assembly units. In the case of 2018 TEL, there are 16 assembly units so the number of test forms is 16 * 15 / 2 = 120 test forms. However, since 16 is an even number, each block would appear 8 times in one position and 7 times in the other position. Hence 8 additional test forms are added to accomplish block balance, increasing the number to 128 test forms. Additionally, there are two special forms for certain accommodations offered to special needs students including (1) low mobility and (2) scribe, Sign Language, and magnification, resulting in 130 total test forms.

The table below displays the NAEP 2018 TEL assessment digital test form configurations for grade 8.

Student test form configuration for the technology and engineering literacy (TEL) grade 8 national assessment, by cognitive and contextual block designation: 2018
Form numberSection 1: Cognitive block within assembly unit1Section 2: Cognitive block within assembly unitSection 3: General and TEL student contextual questions
601TM01/DM02TM04TB01
602TM04TM06TB01
603TM06TM07TB01
604TM07TM08TB01
605TM08DM09/TM10TB01
606DM09/TM10TM11/DM12TB01
607TM11/DM12DM13/TM14TB01
608DM13/TM14DM17/TM18TB01
609DM17/TM18TM19/DM20TB01
610TM19/DM20DM21/TM22TB01
611DM21/TM22TM23/DM24TB01
612TM23/DM24DM25/TM26TB01
613DM25/TM26TM27/DM28TB01
614TM27/DM28DM33/TM34TB01
615DM33/TM34DM35TB01
616DM35TM01/DM02TB01
617TM04TM07TB01
618TM06TM08TB01
619TM07DM09/TM10TB01
620TM08TM11/DM12TB01
621DM09/TM10DM13/TM14TB01
622TM11/DM12DM17/TM18TB01
623DM13/TM14TM19/DM20TB01
624DM17/TM18DM21/TM22TB01
625TM19/DM20TM23/DM24TB01
626DM21/TM22DM25/TM26TB01
627TM23/DM24TM27/DM28TB01
628DM25/TM26DM33/TM34TB01
629TM27/DM28DM35TB01
630DM33/TM34TM01/DM02TB01
631DM35TM04TB01
632TM01/DM02TM06TB01
633TM06DM09/TM10TB01
634TM07TM11/DM12TB01
635TM08DM13/TM14TB01
636DM09/TM10DM17/TM18TB01
637TM11/DM12TM19/DM20TB01
638DM13/TM14DM21/TM22TB01
639DM17/TM18TM23/DM24TB01
640TM19/DM20DM25/TM26TB01
641DM21/TM22TM27/DM28TB01
642TM23/DM24DM33/TM34TB01
643DM25/TM26DM35TB01
644TM27/DM28TM01/DM02TB01
645DM33/TM34TM04TB01
646DM35TM06TB01
647TM01/DM02TM07TB01
648TM04TM08TB01
649TM07DM13/TM14TB01
650TM08DM17/TM18TB01
651DM09/TM10TM19/DM20TB01
652TM11/DM12DM21/TM22TB01
653DM13/TM14TM23/DM24TB01
654DM17/TM18DM25/TM26TB01
655TM19/DM20TM27/DM28TB01
656DM21/TM22DM33/TM34TB01
657TM23/DM24DM35TB01
658DM25/TM26TM01/DM02TB01
659TM27/DM28TM04TB01
660DM33/TM34TM06TB01
661DM35TM07TB01
662TM01/DM02TM08TB01
663TM04DM09/TM10TB01
664TM06TM11/DM12TB01
665TM08TM19/DM20TB01
666DM09/TM10DM21/TM22TB01
667TM11/DM12TM23/DM24TB01
668DM13/TM14DM25/TM26TB01
669DM17/TM18TM27/DM28TB01
670TM19/DM20DM33/TM34TB01
671DM21/TM22DM35TB01
672TM23/DM24TM01/DM02TB01
673DM25/TM26TM04TB01
674TM27/DM28TM06TB01
675TM19/DM20TM01/DM02TB01
676DM35TM08TB01
677TM01/DM02DM09/TM10TB01
678TM04TM11/DM12TB01
679TM06DM13/TM14TB01
680TM07DM17/TM18TB01
681DM09/TM10TM23/DM24TB01
682TM11/DM12DM25/TM26TB01
683DM13/TM14TM27/DM28TB01
684DM17/TM18DM33/TM34TB01
685TM19/DM20DM35TB01
686DM21/TM22TM01/DM02TB01
687TM23/DM24TM04TB01
688DM25/TM26TM06TB01
689TM27/DM28TM07TB01
690DM33/TM34TM08TB01
691DM35DM09/TM10TB01
692TM01/DM02TM11/DM12TB01
693TM04DM13/TM14TB01
694TM06DM17/TM18TB01
695TM07TM19/DM20TB01
696TM08DM21/TM22TB01
697TM11/DM12TM27/DM28TB01
698DM13/TM14DM33/TM34TB01
699DM17/TM18DM35TB01
700DM33/TM34TM07TB01
701DM21/TM22TM04TB01
702TM23/DM24TM06TB01
703DM25/TM26TM07TB01
704TM27/DM28TM08TB01
705DM33/TM34DM09/TM10TB01
706DM35TM11/DM12TB01
707TM01/DM02DM13/TM14TB01
708TM04DM17/TM18TB01
709TM06TM19/DM20TB01
710TM07DM21/TM22TB01
711TM08TM23/DM24TB01
712DM09/TM10DM25/TM26TB01
713DM13/TM14DM35TB01
714DM17/TM18TM01/DM02TB01
715TM19/DM20TM04TB01
716DM21/TM22TM06TB01
717TM23/DM24TM07TB01
718DM25/TM26TM08TB01
719TM27/DM28DM09/TM10TB01
720DM33/TM34TM11/DM12TB01
721DM35DM13/TM14TB01
722TM01/DM02DM17/TM18TB01
723TM04TM19/DM20TB01
724TM06DM21/TM22TB01
725TM07TM23/DM24TB01
726TM08DM25/TM26TB01
727DM09/TM10TM27/DM28TB01
728TM11/DM12DM33/TM34TB01
729DM36DM37TB01
730TM23/DM24TM04TB01
1 Each assembly unit is made up of one 30-minute cognitive block or two cognitive blocks totaling 30 minutes. The timing for the blocks ranged from seven to thirty minutes, and the blocks were combined into each assembly unit such that the total time for an assembly unit was thirty minutes, with each block occurring in only one assembly unit. The blocks contained in the assembly units were made up of discrete items, scenario-based tasks (SBTs), or a combination of discrete items and SBTs. The fifteen SBTs were categorized by length ("short," "medium," or "long").
NOTE: Scenario-based tasks (indicated by "DM" in the block designation) and discrete items (indicated by "TM" in the block designation) represent unique blocks of cognitive TEL items. There are 15 SBT blocks and 12 discrete blocks. TB01 = Student questionnaire block for grade 8 TEL, which includes both general and TEL-specific contextual questions. Forms 729 and 730 are accommodation forms. While form 729 (containing blocks DM36 and DM37, modified for accessibility) was offered for the 2018 TEL assessment, no students required it. Therefore, no students were assessed using these blocks. Only test forms for operational assessments are included in this table.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2018 Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) Assessment.

Assembly units for the technology and engineering literacy (TEL) grade 8 national assessment, by cognitive block designation: 2018
Assembly unitCognitive block(s) within assembly unit
AU01TM01/DM02
AU03TM04
AU05TM06
AU06TM07
AU07TM08
AU08DM09/TM10
AU09TM11/DM12
AU10DM13/TM14
AU12DM17/TM18
AU13TM19/DM20
AU14DM21/TM22
AU15TM23/DM24
AU16DM25/TM26
AU17TM27/DM28
AU20DM33/TM34
AU21DM35
AUX01DM36
AUX02DM37
NOTE: Assembly units AUX01 and AUX02 were modified for accessibility. While blocks DM36 and DM37 were offered for the 2018 TEL assessment, no students required them. Therefore, no students were assessed using these blocks.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2018 Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) Assessment.

Last updated 13 December 2022 (PG)
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