About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (November 2, 2018)

handle is hein.crs/govyws0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Updated November 2, 2018 National and International Educational Assessments Assessing the academic achievement of students in elementary and secondary schools and the nation's overall educational progress is fundamental to informing education policy approaches. Congressional interest in this area includes and extends beyond the annual assessments administered by states to comply with the educational accountability requirements of Title I-A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Congressional interest in testing also encompasses large-scale national assessments, authorized by the National Assessment of Educational Progress Assessment Act (NAEPAA; P.L. 107- 279, Title III), and international assessments, authorized by the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA; Title I, Section 153(a)(6) of P.L. 107-279). These assessments include the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), and the Program for International Student Achievement (PISA). These national and international assessments are typically administered every two to five years to a sample of students in the United States. Results from national and international assessments aim to highlight achievement gaps, track educational progress over time, compare student achievement within the United States, and compare U.S. achievement to that of other countries. None of the aforementioned assessments, however, provide data on individual student performance. This In Focus provides an overview of all four assessment programs, describes the major distinctions between them, and provides a brief discussion of considerations when comparing results across the assessments. NAEP The NAEP is referred to as the Nation's Report Card because it is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. The NAEP consists of two assessment programs-the long-term trends (LTT) NAEP, and a group of assessments that the National Center for Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) refers to as the main NAEP assessments. Student participation in all NAEP assessments is voluntary. The LTT NAEP assessment program was developed in the late 1960s, and has remained relatively unchanged. The LTT NAEP program assesses 9-, 13-, and 17-year-old students in reading and mathematics and was most recently administered in 2012. In that year, approximately 53,000 9-, 13-, and 17-year-old students participated in the program. While previously administered about every four years, the next LTT NAEP administration is scheduled for 2024. The main NAEP assessment has tracked student achievement since the early 1990s and changes periodically to reflect changes in school curricula and practice. It currently assesses students in 4th and 8th grade every two years within the content areas of reading, mathematics, science, writing, the arts, civics, economics, geography, U.S. history, and technology and engineering literacy (TEL). The main NAEP also assesses 12th graders, though less frequently. All content areas are not assessed at every administration of the main NAEP. Reading and mathematics, however, are assessed at two-year intervals. The next mathematics and reading assessment is scheduled for 2019. As part of its research in exploring new testing methods, the NAEP administered the reading, mathematics, and writing assessments digitally in 2017. Additional subjects will be administered digitally in future years. The Commissioner of NCES in ED is responsible for the administration of the NAEP. The Secretary of Education appoints members to the independent National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) to set the policy for NAEP administration. The Commissioner of NCES and the NAGB meet regularly to coordinate activities. The main NAEP assessment program has three levels of assessment: national, state, and the trial urban district assessment (TUDA). Assessment items across the national, state, and TUDA levels are the same. The primary differences are the subject areas assessed, participation requirement, and sampling procedures at each level. The national NAEP assesses the widest range of subject areas. A sample is selected from public and private schools and students, creating a representative sample across the nation. The state NAEP program assesses four subject areas: reading, mathematics, writing, and science. All states that accept funding under Title I-A of the ESEA are required to participate in the biennial assessments of 4th and 8th grade reading and mathematics, provided that the Secretary of Education pays for the testing. Although states receiving funding are required to participate, only a sample of public schools and students are selected, creating a representative sample of students within each state. Participation is voluntary at the individual level. In 2017, approximately 585,000 4th and 8th grade students participated in the reading and mathematics assessments (national and state NAEP sample). The TUDA program assesses four subject areas: reading, mathematics, writing, and science. Like the state NAEP, only a sample of public schools and students are selected to participate. In 2017, 27 districts voluntarily participated in the TUDA. A total of 66,500 students participated in the https://crsreports.cong

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most