​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​NAEP Technical DocumentationDevelopment of the Long-Term Trend Cognitive Items and Instruments

			Long-Term Trend Mathematics Student booklets: 2022/2023​ Student booklets: 2020 Student booklets: 2012 Student booklets: 2008 Student booklets: 2004 Number of items: 2022/2023 Number of items: 2020 Number of items: 2012 Number of items: 2008 Number of items: 2004 New and common blocks: 2022/2023 New and common blocks: 2020 Common blocks: 2012 Common blocks: 2008 Common blocks: 2004 Long-Term Trend Reading Student booklets: 2022/2023 Student booklets: 2020 Student booklets: 2012 Student booklets: 2008 Student booklets: 2004 Number of items: 2022/2023 Number of items: 2020 Number of items: 2012 Number of items: 2008 Number of items: 2004 New and common blocks: 2022/2023​ New and c​ommon blocks: 2020 Common blocks: 2012 Common blocks: 2008 Common blocks: 2004

The NAEP long-term trend assessment was developed to provide data for evaluating student progress over long periods of time. It has been used to monitor trend lines first established in 1971 for reading and in 1973 for mathematics, and reports results for students at ages 9, 13, and 17. Learn about the differences between the long-term trend assessment and the national and state NAEP assessments.

Many of the long-term trend tables that are included in the Technical Documentation on the Web present data based on a​ univariate scale. A univariate scale is a single overall subject-area scale that is used to summarize the performance for a subject-area assessment. The reading long-term trend assessment and ​the ​mathematics long-term trend assessment both ​use a ​univariate scale at each age level.

The 2020 long-term trend assessment was administered during the 2019–20 school year. Age 13 students were assessed in October through December 2019, and age 9 students were assessed in January through March 2020. As age 17 students were scheduled to be assessed in March through May 2020, the administration was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. ​

​Although the long-term trend​ assessments are typically administered every four years, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducted the ​assessments ahead of schedule to provide data on post-pandemic student performance. The 2022/2023 long-term trend assessments were administered during the 2021–22 and 2022–23 school years. Age 9 students were assessed in January through March 2022, and age 13 students were assessed in October through December 2022. As in 2020, age 17 students were not assessed in 2022/2023​.​ All cognitive blocks for the 2022/2023 reading and mathematics long-term trend assessments at ages 9 and 13 were identical to those used in 2020 and are described in detail below.​​

The 2020 reading long-term trend assessment cognitive instruments were a subset of those used in the 2012 long-term trend assessment. A trend review was conducted to ensure accuracy of content and graphics, identify datedness that could impact a student's ability to correctly answer a question, identify typographical errors, ensure consistency of block directions with items, and ensure fairness and sensitivity. At both age 9 and age 13, nine of the ten blocks from 2012 were also administered in 2020. At age 9, one block was dropped, seven of the nine blocks remained intact, one block had one passage and one item removed, and one block had one passage and two items removed. At age 13, one block was dropped, seven of the nine blocks remained intact, one block had one item dropped, and one block had edits made to one passage. Students participating in the assessment responded to questions in three 15-minute cognitive blocks.​

See what the NAEP long-term trend reading assessment measures for more information.​

The 2020 mathematics long-term trend assessment cognitive instruments were a subset of those used in the 2012 long-term trend assessment. A trend review was conducted to ensure accuracy of content and graphics, identify datedness that could impact a student's ability to correctly answer a question, identify typographical errors, ensure consistency of block directions with items, and ensure fairness and sensitivity. At both age 9 and age 13, all six blocks from 2012 were also administered in 2020. At age 9, five of the six blocks remained intact, and one block had two items removed. At age 13, three of the six blocks remained intact, two blocks had one item removed, and one block had three items removed. ​​Students participating in the assessment responded to questions in three 15-minute cognitive blocks.​

See what the NAEP long-term trend ​mathematics assessment measures for more information.

In 2004, a number of changes were implemented to revitalize the long-term trend assessments. The changes implemented in 2004 were intended to reflect changes in NAEP policy, maintain the integrity of the long-term trend assessments, and increase the validity of the results obtained.

Changes to the assessment instruments included

• removal of science and writing questions;
• inclusion of students with disabilities and English learners;
• replacement of items that used outdated contexts;
• creation of a separate student contextual​ questionnaire;
• elimination of "I don't know" as a response option for multiple-choice items; and
• use of assessment booklets that pertain to a single subject area (whereas in the past, a single assessment booklet may have contained both reading and mathematics questions).

Because it was important to know that any changes in assessment results could be attributed to actual changes in student performance rather than to changes in the assessment design, a special bridge study was conducted to ensure that results under the new design were comparable to results under the earlier design and could continue to be reported on the same trend line.

Explore sample items and related student performance data from the national and state NAEP and long-term trend assessments.

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