Knowledge Base
What is NAEP?
According to the National Center for Education Statistics:
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) provides important information about student achievement and learning experiences in various subjects. Also known as The Nation’s Report Card, NAEP has provided meaningful results to improve education policy and practice since 1969. Results are available for the nation, states, and 27 urban districts.
NAEP is a congressionally mandated program that is overseen and administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the US Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences. The National Assessment Governing Board, an independent body appointed by the Secretary of Education, sets NAEP policy.
To learn more, visit the NCES website here.
What is the long-trend assessment?
According to the National Center for Education Statistics:
The long-term trend assessments in reading and mathematics provide a more extended perspective on student performance over time with trend lines going back to the 1970s. Unlike main NAEP, which is administered to students in grades 4, 8, and 12, the LTT assessments are administered to students sampled by age. In addition, the assessment instruments are less frequently updated to reflect changes in curriculum and the assessments remain paper-based.
What have school districts done right and wrong when it comes to student achievement?
The effectiveness of schools is highly dependent on the quality of teachers within each school. Schools that have been able to hire and retain very able teachers have done well. After the relief funds from the Great Recession ran out, schools made poorly planned large cuts. These cuts targeted the most junior teachers, regardless of their effectiveness.