Understanding NAEP: Inside the Nation鈥檚 Education Report Card
A attempts to unravel the complexities of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the federally sponsored testing program that has gauged student achievement in core subjects for nearly 40 years.
Education Sector, the Washington-based think tank that produced the report, outlines the history and purpose of the assessment program, as well as the appropriate uses and interpretations of NAEP鈥檚 test data.
The 17-page online guide says it describes 鈥渉ow the assessment is designed, how its scores are calculated and what they mean, and what controversies surround the reporting and use of NAEP data. It seeks to set straight what conclusions can and cannot be legitimately drawn from the NAEP assessment and examines what challenges lay ahead for the 鈥榥ation鈥檚 report card鈥� in an era of increased accountability.鈥�
