National Assessment of Educational Progress

National Assessment of Educational Progress is a United States Department of Education project that measures student achievement in various subjects, including mathematics, reading, science, and writing, across the United States. The assessment is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and is often referred to as the Nation's Report Card. It provides a comprehensive picture of student performance, allowing for comparisons between states, school districts, and urban and rural areas, as well as between different demographic groups, such as African American, Hispanic, and Asian American students. The assessment is also used to track progress over time, with data going back to the 1960s, and has been influenced by the work of Benjamin Bloom and Ralph Tyler.

Introduction

The National Assessment of Educational Progress is a federal program that aims to provide a comprehensive picture of student achievement in the United States. The assessment is based on the work of Jerome Bruner and Lee Shulman, and is designed to measure student performance in a range of subjects, including mathematics, reading, science, and writing. The assessment is administered to a representative sample of students in public schools and private schools across the United States, including students in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The results of the assessment are used to inform education policy and to identify areas where students may need additional support, as recommended by Diane Ravitch and Linda Darling-Hammond.

History

The National Assessment of Educational Progress was first administered in the 1960s, with the goal of providing a comprehensive picture of student achievement in the United States. The assessment was influenced by the work of John Dewey and Jean Piaget, and was designed to measure student performance in a range of subjects, including mathematics, reading, science, and writing. Over the years, the assessment has undergone several changes, including the addition of new subjects, such as geography and civics, and the use of new technologies, such as computer-based testing, as developed by ETS and Pearson. The assessment has also been influenced by the work of No Child Left Behind Act and Every Student Succeeds Act, and has been used to track progress towards the goals of Education for All and UNESCO.

Assessment Areas

The National Assessment of Educational Progress assesses student performance in a range of subjects, including mathematics, reading, science, and writing. The assessment also includes questions on arts, music, and physical education, as well as foreign languages, such as Spanish and French. The assessment is designed to measure student performance in different cognitive domains, including knowledge, reasoning, and application, as outlined by Bloom's taxonomy and Anderson and Krathwohl. The assessment is also designed to measure student performance in different content areas, including algebra, geometry, and biology, as well as American history and world history, as taught by Howard Zinn and Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Administration and Scoring

The National Assessment of Educational Progress is administered to a representative sample of students in public schools and private schools across the United States. The assessment is typically administered in the spring, and is designed to take approximately 2 hours to complete, as timed by ETS and College Board. The assessment is scored using a combination of machine scoring and human scoring, with the goal of providing accurate and reliable results, as ensured by American Educational Research Association and National Council on Measurement in Education. The results of the assessment are then used to create scaled scores, which can be used to compare student performance across different states and school districts, as well as between different demographic groups, such as African American, Hispanic, and Asian American students, as analyzed by Civil Rights Project and Education Trust.

Results and Reporting

The results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress are reported in a range of formats, including scaled scores, percentiles, and achievement levels. The results are also reported by demographic group, including African American, Hispanic, and Asian American students, as well as by socioeconomic status and English language learner status, as categorized by US Census Bureau and Pew Research Center. The results are used to inform education policy and to identify areas where students may need additional support, as recommended by National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers. The results are also used to track progress over time, with data going back to the 1960s, and have been influenced by the work of NAEP and CCSSO.

Impact and Criticisms

The National Assessment of Educational Progress has had a significant impact on education policy in the United States. The assessment has been used to inform No Child Left Behind Act and Every Student Succeeds Act, and has been used to track progress towards the goals of Education for All and UNESCO. However, the assessment has also been subject to criticisms, including concerns about test bias and cultural sensitivity, as raised by FairTest and National Center for Fair & Open Testing. Some critics have also argued that the assessment is too narrow, and that it does not provide a comprehensive picture of student learning, as argued by Diane Ravitch and Alfie Kohn. Despite these criticisms, the National Assessment of Educational Progress remains an important tool for measuring student achievement and informing education policy in the United States, as supported by Brookings Institution and Center for American Progress. Category:Education in the United States