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NAEP Weighting Procedures → Weighting Procedures for the 2005 Assessment → Computation of Full-Sample Weights for the 2005 Assessment → School and Student Nonresponse Adjustments for the 2005 Assessment → Student Nonresponse Adjustment for the 2005 Assessment → Development of Final Student Nonresponse Cells for the 2005 Assessment

NAEP Technical DocumentationDevelopment of Final Student Nonresponse Cells for the 2005 Assessment

Similar to the school nonresponse adjustment, cell and adjustment factor size constraints are in place to prevent unstable nonresponse adjustments or unacceptably large adjustment factors. All initial weighting cells with either less than 20 participating students or adjustment factors greater than 2.0 were collapsed with suitable adjacent cells.

Initial weighting cells were generally collapsed in reverse order of the cell structure; that is, starting at the bottom of the nesting structure and working up towards the top level of the nesting structure. For public schools, race/ethnicity cells within SD/ELL and subject status, school nonresponse cell, age, and gender classes were collapsed first. If further collapsing were required, cells were next combined across gender, then age, and finally school nonresponse cells. (In NAEP assessments, cells for public schools are never collapsed across SD/ELL and subject status). Likewise, for private schools, race/ethnicity cells within school nonresponse cell, age, and gender classes were collapsed first. If further collapsing were required, cells were next combined across gender, then age, and finally school nonresponse cells.

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