Frequently Asked Questions About the Indian Education Study and the National Assessment of Educational Progress
Questions about the National Indian Education Study
Questions about the National Assessment of Educational Progress
What is the National Indian Education Study (NIES)?
The National Indian Education Study is a two-part study designed to describe the condition of education for American Indian/Alaska Native students in the United States. The study was conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at the request of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Indian Education (OIE).
Results of the study are divided into two parts. Part I presents the performance results of American Indian/Alaska Native students at grades 4 and 8 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading and mathematics. Part II presents the results of a special survey of American Indian/Alaska Native students, their teachers, and their principals, focusing on native language and culture related to the education of AI/AN students.
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What is the purpose of the NIES?
The goal of the study is to describe the condition of education of American Indian/Alaska Native students by focusing on both their academic achievement (Part I) and educational experiences (Part II) in grades 4 and 8. This activity is part of a collaborative effort among Indian tribes and organizations, the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and state and local education agencies toward meeting the challenging academic standards of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 for all students.
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Who conducted the study?
The study was conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) with support from the Office of Indian Education (OIE), U.S. Department of Education. NCES designed the study in consultation with a Technical Review Panel whose members include American Indian and Alaska Native educators and researchers from across the country.
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Who participated in NIES?
A national sample of 10,100 AI/AN students at grades 4 and 8 participated in the reading assessment and 10,300 in the mathematics assessment. The Part I and Part II samples included students attending public, private, and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools. Read more about the sample design of the study.
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Did the sample for the NIES differ from the main NAEP sample?
American Indian/Alaska Native students represent about 1 percent of the total student population in the United States. While sufficient for reliable reporting of national-level results, a typical NAEP American Indian/Alaska Native sample is often not large enough to provide reliable results by state or by region, or for variables such as gender, eligibility for free/reduced-price school lunch, or type of geographic location of the schools. Because the purpose of the current study was to probe more deeply into the reading and mathematics achievements of American Indian/Alaska Native students, the typical NAEP samples for this population of students were augmented to permit reporting of performance in greater detail.
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What types of questions were asked in the NIES survey?
The survey included five sets of questions, each designed to collect information from one of the groups that participated in NIES: grade 4 American Indian/Alaska Native students, grade 8 American Indian/Alaska Native students, mathematics teachers, reading/language arts teachers, and principals of the schools from which the students were selected. The questionnaires were developed with the guidance of a Technical Review Panel (TRP) assembled to advise the NIES.
Examples of the themes that were addressed by the student respondents include demographic characteristics, perceptions about school and learning, and involvement with school. Teachers were asked questions about their general qualifications, experience with American Indian/Alaska Native culture, and preparation to teach American Indian/Alaska Native students. The demographic characteristics of students and staff, school governance and funding, and the general emphasis on American Indian/Alaska Native culture and curriculum are some of the types of questions that were asked of school principals.
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How will the results of the NIES be used to further explore education and policy issues related to Indian education?
The 2005 results of Part I of the NIES set a baseline for 21st century NAEP reading and mathematics performance of American Indian/Alaska Native students in grades 4 and 8. The 2007 reports build on this information to form a more complete picture of the status of education for American Indian/Alaska Native students in the United States.
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What is the President's Executive Order, and why is it important?
Executive Order 13336, signed by the President in 2004, is a follow-up to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) . The order is aimed at assisting American Indian/Alaska Native students in meeting the challenging student academic standards of NCLB.
The order called for studies and reports on the current educational status of American Indian/Alaska Native students, including a compilation of comprehensive data on the academic achievement and progress of these students. The present study falls within the spirit of the compilation of information about education achievement called for by the executive order.
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What is the Office of Indian Education (OIE), and what does it do?
The mission of the Office of Indian Education, within the U.S. Department of Education, is to support the efforts of local educational agencies, Indian tribes and organizations, postsecondary institutions, and other entities to meet the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives so that these students can meet the standards set for all students.
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What is the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)?
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is often called the "Nation's Report Card." NAEP, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, has been conducted in various subject areas since 1969. NAEP is the only measure of student achievement in the United States where the performance of students in one state can be compared with the performance of students across the nation or in other states. The results are widely reported by the national and local media. Beginning with the 2003 assessments, NAEP conducts national and state assessments at least once every two years in reading and mathematics at grades 4 and 8.
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What subjects does NAEP assess, and how are the subjects chosen?
Since its inception in 1969, NAEP assessments have been conducted in numerous academic subjects, including the arts, civics, economics, geography, mathematics, reading, science, U.S. history, and writing. In addition to these subjects, NAEP is developing assessments in foreign language and world history.
Since 1988, the National Assessment Governing Board has been responsible for selecting the subject areas to be assessed. Furthermore, the Governing Board oversees development of the frameworks that underlie the assessments and the specifications that guide the development of the assessment instruments. The framework for each subject area is determined through a collaborative development process that involves teachers, curriculum specialists, subject-matter specialists, school administrators, parents, and members of the general public.
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What types of questions are asked in the NAEP assessments?
NAEP questions are based on content frameworks developed by the Governing Board. NAEP asks both multiple-choice and open-ended questions in all assessments. After each assessment, a number of NAEP questions are released to the public. Questions released from the mathematics and reading assessments are available in the NAEP Questions Tool. The tool also provides the percentage of students who answered each question correctly, the content classification, the scoring guide for open-ended questions, and sample student responses.
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What are background questionnaires, and how are they used?
NAEP collects background information that serves to fulfill reporting requirements of federal legislation and to provide a context for reporting student performance. The legislation requires that, whenever feasible, NAEP include information on special groups such as race/ethnicity, students eligible for the National School Lunch Program, gender, students with disabilities, and English language learners. View the NAEP background questionnaires.
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Who participates in NAEP?
NAEP assesses students in grades 4, 8, and 12 attending all types of schools (public and nonpublic). NAEP selects a stratified random sample across the country in each grade. NAEP has always endeavored to assess all students selected as a part of its sampling process, including students who are classified by their schools as students with disabilities and/or English language learners. Some students may participate with testing accommodations. Find out more about the NAEP policy of inclusion.
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