Other Publications

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Vol 1, Issue 2, Topic: Data Products, Other Publications, and Funding Opportunities

Other Publications

The NAEP 1998 Reading Report Card: National and State Highlights
NAEP 1998 Reading State Reports
Directory of NAEP Publications
Highlights From TIMSS
Learning About Education Through Statistics
Programs and Plans of the National Center for Education Statistics: 1999 Edition

The NAEP 1998 Reading Report Card: National and State Highlights

Sheida White

In 1998, NCES administered the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment to a national sample of students at grades 4, 8, and 12, and to state samples of students at grades 4 and 8. The results of this assessment present a broad view of how America's students are achieving in reading—one of the most important sets of skills that young people acquire and develop throughout their lives. Because the assessment administered in 1998 shared a common set of reading passages and comprehension questions with assessments given in 1992 and 1994, it is possible to use NAEP results to chart the progress American students have made in reading since 1992.

This publication provides highlights from the 1998 NAEP reading assessment, describing its content, its major findings at the national and state levels, and students' experiences at school and at home that support achievement in reading.

Author affiliation: S. White, NCES.

For questions about this publication, contact Sheida White (sheida.white@ed.gov).

To obtain this publication (NCES 1999-479), call the toll-free ED Pubs number (877-433-7827) or visit the NCES Web Site (http://nces.ed.gov).

NAEP 1998 Reading State Reports

Nada Ballator and Laura Jerry

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessments are administered to representative samples of students at the national level as well as at the state level for those states that participate. The NAEP reading assessment has been administered at the state level three times: in public schools at grade 4 in 1992, in public and nonpublic schools at grade 4 in 1994, and in public and nonpublic schools at grades 4 and 8 in 1998.

The customized report for each participating state or jurisdiction presents results for that state, along with national and regional results for comparison. ( The NAEP 1998 Reading Report Card for the Nation and States [NCES 1999-500] is the companion to the state reports; it offers data for all states and additional national data.)

The state reports have two sections: The first section provides basic information on NAEP and overall state-level results for public schools in graphic form. The second section reports findings for the entire public school population at grades 4 and 8 as well as for the population broken out by major demographic characteristics and school type.

Author affiliations: N. Ballator and L. Jerry, Educational Testing Service.

For questions about the state reports, contact Sheida White (sheida.white@ed.gov).

To obtain a state report (NCES 1999-460), visit the NCES Web Site (http://nces.ed.gov).

Directory of NAEP Publications

Sahar Akhtar, Alicia Darensbourg, Munira Mwalimu, Kelly Weddel, and Sheida White

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as "the Nation's Report Card," is the only ongoing nationally representative assessment of what America's students know and can do. A congressionally mandated project directed by NCES, NAEP has been conducted periodically since 1969 in reading, mathematics, science, writing, history, geography, and other subject areas.

The Directory of NAEP Publications is a comprehensive listing of government-funded NAEP publications dating back to the project's inception. The Directory groups NAEP's many compendia, reports, brochures, and other informational documents into eight main categories: national reports; state reports; abbreviated documents; technical reports; focused reports and special studies; conference proceedings and commissioned papers; NAEP evaluation studies and grant publications; and subject area objectives, frameworks, and achievement levels. A brief description of content, purposes, and intended audiences introduces the listings in each category. Within categories, publications are listed chronologically. Each listing includes a source from which the publication can be obtained.

Author affiliations: S. Akhtar, K. Weddel, and S. White, NCES; A. Darensbourg and M. Mwalimu, Aspen Systems Corporation.

For questions about this directory, contact Sheida White (sheida.white@ed.gov).

To obtain this directory (NCES 1999-489), call the toll-free ED Pubs number (877-433-7827), visit the NCES Web Site (http://nces.ed.gov),or contact GPO (202-512-1800).

Highlights From TIMSS

Chris Calsyn, Patrick Gonzales, and Mary Frase

With information on a half-million students worldwide, including more than 33,000 U.S. students in more than 500 U.S. public and private schools, the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is the largest, most comprehensive, and most rigorous international study of schools and students ever conducted. During the 1995 school year, students from 41 nations were assessed at three different grade levels (fourth grade, eighth grade, and the final year of secondary school) to compare their mathematics and science achievement. TIMSS researchers also looked at schools, curricula, lessons, textbooks, policy issues, and the roles of teachers and students to understand the educational context in which mathematics and science learning take place. This 12-page brochure provides a summary of the main findings of TIMSS for each grade level, as well as overall comparative results.

Author affiliations: C. Calsyn, American Institutes for Research; P. Gonzales and M. Frase, NCES.

For questions about this brochure, contact Patrick Gonzales (patrick.gonzales@ed.gov).

To obtain this brochure (NCES 1999-081), call the toll-free ED Pubs number (877-433-7827) or visit the NCES Web Site (http://nces.ed.gov).

Learning About Education Through Statistics

Claire Geddes

NCES gathers data on all aspects of education from across the country, organizes the data in useful forms, and releases the resulting surveys and studies as survey reports, information compendia, and special reports that focus on specific educational topics. NCES studies provide the facts and figures needed to help policymakers understand the condition of education in the nation today, to give researchers a foundation of data to build on, and to help teachers and administrators decide the best practices for their schools. The current edition of this booklet provides general information about NCES surveys and studies, as well as guidance on how to access information from NCES.

Author affiliation: C. Geddes, NCES.

For questions about this booklet, contact Thomas D. Snyder (Tom.Snyder@ed.gov).

To obtain this booklet (NCES 1999-028), call the toll-free ED Pubs number (877-433-7827) or visit the NCES Web Site (http://nces.ed.gov). National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) and Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) databases, and (3) the use of NCES analysis tools. In these seminars, participants will learn how

Programs and Plans of the National Center for Education Statistics: 1999 Edition

Celestine J. Davis

NCES has the congressionally mandated responsibility to collect and disseminate information on the condition of education in the United States and other countries, to analyze and report on the meaning and significance of these statistics, and to assist states and local education agencies in improving their own education statistics systems.

This report summarizes current NCES statistical programs, including major publications and plans for future work. In addition to updating the descriptions of long-standing NCES data collections, such as the Common Core of Data (CCD), the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), this edition focuses on some new and innovative work, such as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten cohort (ECLS-K).

Author affiliation: C. J. Davis, NCES.

For questions about this report, contact Celestine J. Davis (celestine.davis@ed.gov).