​​​​​​​​​​​NAEP Technical ​DocumentationDevelopment of Initial School Nonresponse Cells

The cells for nonresponse adjustments are generally functions of the school sampling strata for the individual samples. School sampling strata usually differ by assessment subject, grade​, and school type (public or private). Assessment subjects that are administered together by way of spiraling have the same school samples and stratification schemes. Subjects that are not spiraled with any other subjects have their own separate school sample. In NAEP 2024, the following assessments were spiraled together:

  • mathematics and reading assessments at grades 4 and 8;
  • science assessments at grade 8; ​and ​
  • mathematics and reading assessments ​at grade 12.

​The initial nonresponse cells for the various NAEP 2024 samples are described below.

State Public School Samples for Mathematics and Reading Assessments at Grades 4 and 8
 For these samples, initial weighting cells were formed within each jurisdiction and grade using the following nesting cell structure:

In general, the nonresponse cell structure used race/ethnicity classification stratum as the lowest level variable. However, where there was only one race/ethnicity classification stratum within a particular urbanicity stratum, then categorized achievement, median income, or enrollment data was used instead.

National Public School Sample for Science Assessment at Grade 8
The initial weighting cells for these samples were formed using the following nesting cell structure:
  • census division stratum;
  • urbanicity stratum (urban-centric locale); and
  • Black/Hispanic composition stratum.
National Public School Samples for Mathematics and Reading Assessments at Grade 12
 The initial weighting cells for these samples were formed using the following nesting cell structure:
  • census division stratum;
  • urbanicity stratum (urba​n-centric locale); and
  • Black/Hispanic composition stratum.
National Private School Samples for Mathematics and Reading Assessments at Grades 4 and 8
 The initial weighting cells for these samples were formed within each grade using the following nesting cell structure:
  • census region stratum;
  • urbanicity stratum (urban-centric locale); and
  • Black/Hispanic/American Indian/Alaska Native composition stratum.
National Private School Sample for Science Assessment at Grade 8
The initial weighting cells for these samples were formed using the following nesting cell structure:
  • affiliation;
  • census region stratum;
  • urbanicity stratum (urban-centric locale); and
  • Black/Hispanic/American Indian/Alaska Native composition stratum.
National Private School Samples for Mathematics and Reading Assessments at Grade 12
 The initial weighting cells for these samples were formed using the following nesting cell structure:
  • affiliation;
  • census region stratum;
  • urbanicity stratum (​urban-centric locale); and
  • ​​Black/Hispanic/American Indian/Alaska Native composition​ stratum.
Last updated 07 January 2026 (SK)
Back to Top