More About NAEP ScienceThe NAEP science assessment presents a broad view of what America's students know and can do in science. The NAEP science assessment was developed by a committee of science and measurement experts to capture the goals of the NAEP science framework. The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), through a comprehensive national consultative process involving science teachers, researchers, measurement experts, policymakers, and members of the general public, created the framework, which describes the goals of the assessment and what kinds of exercises it ought to feature. The Science Development Committee was instrumental in the development of the assessment. The framework is organized according to two major dimensions: fields of science and knowing and doing science. The three fields of science are defined as Earth, physical, and life. Each question in the assessment is also categorized by the elements of knowing and doing science that it requires. The assessment consisted of multiple-choice and constructed-response questions as well as hands-on tasks. Multiple-choice questions require students to select an answer from four options, while constructed-response questions require students to write either short or extended answers. About half of the students in each school sample performed one of three hands-on tasks and answered questions related to the task. These performance tasks require students to conduct actual experiments using materials provided to them, and to record their observations and conclusions in their test booklets by responding to both multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. Examples of hands-on tasks used in previous assessments are available in PDF format in the NAEP Questions Tool. Look at the detailed distribution of questions by type. NAEP also gives background questionnaires to teachers, students, and schools that are part of the NAEP sample. Responses to these questionnaires give NAEP information about school policies affecting science instruction, as well as information about schools' educational resources. For more about NAEP, the nation's only ongoing assessment of what students know and can do in various subjects. View the NAEP 2005 Science Report Card.
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