[Federal Register: November 29, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 231)]
[Notices]
[Page 60688-60690]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Assessment Governing Board; Opportunity for Comment
AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education.
ACTION: Notice of request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The National Assessment Governing Board announces the
opportunity for public comment on a proposed long-range schedule for
the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The National
Assessment, authorized by Congress, is our only continuing measure of
student achievement providing both national and state-level results in
academic subjects at grades 4, 8, and 12.
The subjects to be assessed are stated in the National Assessment
legislation. These subjects are: ``reading, writing, and other subjects
listed in the third National Education Goal'' (i.e., mathematics,
science, history, geography, civics, the arts, foreign language, and
economics). However, the frequency of testing in each subject is not
specified.
The National Assessment Governing Board sets policy for NAEP; this
includes determining the schedule of assessments. On November 16, 1996,
the Governing Board approved a proposed schedule for the purpose of
obtaining public comment.
The Governing Board's intent is to provide the public with a
predictable, reliable schedule of subjects to be assessed by the
National Assessment. The Governing Board has conducted feasibility
studies and, in conjunction with the National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES), prepared cost estimates for the proposed schedule.
The Governing Board and NCES have concluded that the proposed schedule
is achievable under conservative assumptions about costs, future
appropriations, and continued legislative authority for the National
Assessment. However, if resources permit, additions to the schedule may
be made, with advance public notice. The Governing Board will consider
comments received by February 3, 1997 in developing a final schedule.
The Governing Board intends to take action at its meeting on March 6-8,
1997.
Background
The National Assessment tested annually, about three subjects per
year, during its first decade (1970-1980). However, during the 1980s
and into the 1990's, a period of growing demand for National Assessment
data, the testing schedule became reduced by half. NAEP testing
occurred only every other year and was limited to two or three subjects
each time.
In November 1994, the Governing Board established a work group on
planning to evaluate the current operating design of the National
Assessment. The work group's goal was to identify options to improve
the design of the National Assessment, so that more subjects could be
assessed more frequently.
In August 1996, after 21 months of review and study, the Governing
Board redesigned the National Assessment. Its redesign statement
includes the following:
The National Assessment shall assess all subjects listed in the
third National Education Goal * * * according to a publicly released
schedule adopted by the National Assessment Governing Board,
covering eight to ten years, with reading, writing, mathematics and
science tested more frequently than the other subjects.
The National Assessment shall be conducted annually, two or
three subjects per year, in order to cover all required subjects at
least twice a decade.
The NAEP redesign statement requires the Governing Board to adopt a
long-range schedule for two primary reasons. First, to provide states
and others with adequate time to plan for participation in the national
and state assessments. Second, to enable NCES to include the schedule
as a part of the requirements for new NAEP operations grants, the next
of which is to be awarded during fiscal year 1998.
The redesign statement expresses six major principles intended to
increase efficiency, permit the testing of more subjects more
frequently, and control costs. These principles are to: (1) Focus the
purpose of NAEP on measuring and reporting student achievement, (2)
specify the main audience for reports, (3) limit activities that NAEP
is not well-designed to carry out, (4) vary testing and reporting, (5)
provide stability in the NAEP tests and predictability in the NAEP
schedule, and (6) simplify the design of NAEP. (The full text of the
NAEP redesign statement is available on the Governing Board's web
site--http://www.nagb.org--or by request to the address below.)
Two of these principles bear directly on the schedule and have a
large impact on costs. The first is ``vary testing and reporting.'' The
redesign statement calls for three kinds of testing and reporting:
standard, comprehensive, and focused. Working definitions for standard,
comprehensive, and focused reports are described in Attachment A.
Beginning in the year 2000, the schedule provides for standard and
comprehensive assessments in the various subjects. The schedule assumes
that focused assessments will be approved on an ``as-needed'' basis and
as resources permit. The second principle has to do with the
``stability of tests.'' Under this principle, National Assessment tests
in a subject would remain stable for at least ten years.
The Proposed Schedule: Overview
The schedule for the years 1996-1998 is set. The proposed schedule
begins in the year 1999 and provides for annual testing. The national
and state assessments in reading, writing, mathematics, and science
would be conducted once every four years and assessments at the
national level in the other subjects once every eight years. This
ensures at least two assessments in
[[Page 60689]]
a ten-year period in each subject, at a minimum. Reading and writing
would be paired for testing, as would mathematics and science. Each
pair of subjects would be tested in alternating even-numbered years.
The state-level assessments in reading, writing, mathematics, and
science would be in grades 4 and 8.
The long-term trend assessments would be conducted once every four
years beginning in 1999. Long-term trend assessments report results in
reading, writing, mathematics and science. These assessments provide
trend data from as early as 1970. The tests used for long-term trends
are based on conceptions of the curricula prevalent during the 1970s.
They are markedly different from the more recently developed ``main''
NAEP tests in mathematics, science, reading and writing displayed in
the schedule in 1996 and beyond. The schedule provides for three more
administrations of the long-term trend assessments while the transition
is being made to ``main NAEP'' for long-term trend reporting.
By the year 1998, ``new'' tests (i.e., developed since 1990) will
be in use for the ``main NAEP'' in reading, writing, mathematics,
science, U.S. history, geography, civics, and the arts. A foreign
language assessment will be developed for use in 2003 and world history
and economics assessments will be developed for use in 2005. In
planning for comprehensive assessments in mathematics in 2004, and in
reading, the arts, science, U.S. history, and writing in 2006-2010,
respectively, the Governing Board will decide whether to change the
content of the tests.
Instructions for Submitting Comments on the Proposed Schedule
Comments on the proposed schedule should be submitted so they are
received by February 3, 1997. Comments submitted by mail should be
addressed to Ray Fields, Assistant Director for Policy and Research,
National Assessment Governing Board, Suite 825, 800 North Capitol
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20002-4233. Comments submitted by e-mail
over the Internet should be addressed to Ray __ Fields@ED.GOV with
subject title ``NAEP Schedule Comments.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ray Fields, Assistant Director for
Policy and Research, Suite 825, 800 North Capitol Street, N.W.,
Washington, DC 20002-4233. Telephone: (202) 357-0395.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Assessment of Educational
Progress is the primary means by which the public is able to know how
students in grades 4, 8 and 12 are achieving nationally and state-by-
state. The National Assessment Governing Board is established to
formulate policy guidelines for the National Assessment. The National
Assessment and its Governing Board are authorized under sections 411
and 412, respectively, of the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994.
(Pub. L. 103-382).
At its November 14-16, 1996 meeting, the Governing Board gave
approval to disseminate the proposed schedule for public comment. The
public comment period closes on February 3, 1997. The Governing Board
intends to take action on a final policy at its meeting scheduled for
March 6-8, 1997, in Charleston, South Carolina.
Records are kept of all Board proceedings, and are available for
public inspection at the National Assessment Governing Board, 800 North
Capitol Street, N.W., Suite 825, Washington, DC, from 8:30 am to 5:00
pm, Monday through Friday.
Proposed Schedule for the National Assessment of Educational Progress
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year National State
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996.............. Math........................ Math (4, 8).
Science..................... Science (8).
Long-term trend* (reading, ......................
writing, math, science).
1997.............. Arts (8).................... ......................
1998.............. Reading..................... Reading (4, 8).
Writing..................... Writing (8).
Civics...................... ......................
1999.............. Long-term trend* (reading, ......................
writing, math, science).
2000.............. Math........................ Math (4, 8).
Science..................... Science (4, 8).
2001.............. U.S. History................ ......................
Geography................... ......................
2002.............. Reading..................... Reading (4, 8).
Writing..................... Writing (4, 8).
2003.............. Civics...................... ......................
FOREIGN LANGUAGE (12)....... ......................
Long-term trend* (reading, ......................
writing, math, science).
2004.............. MATH........................ MATH (4, 8).
Science..................... Science (4, 8).
2005.............. WORLD HISTORY (12).......... ......................
ECONOMICS (12).............. ......................
2006.............. READING..................... READING (4, 8).
Writing..................... Writing (4, 8).
2007.............. ARTS........................ ......................
Long-term trend* (reading, ......................
writing, math, science).
2008.............. Math........................ Math (4, 8).
SCIENCE..................... SCIENCE (4, 8).
2009.............. U.S. HISTORY................ ......................
Geography................... ......................
2010.............. Reading..................... Reading (4, 8).
WRITING..................... WRITING (4, 8).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Grades 4, 8 and 12 will be tested unless otherwise indicated.
Comprehensive assessments are indicated in BOLD ALL CAPS; standard
assessments are indicated in upper and lower case.
* Long-term trend assessments are conducted in reading, writing
mathematics and science. These assessments provide trend data as far
back as 1970 and use tests developed by the National Assessment at
that time.
[[Page 60690]]
Attachment A--Working Definitions
Types of National Assessment Reports
The Redesign Policy Statement, adopted by the National
Assessment Governing Board on August 2, 1996, provides for three
types of National Assessment reports:
* Standard Reports
* Comprehensive Reports
* Focused or Special Reports.
The content of these reports is described below. To provide the
data needed for each report, the design of each assessment should be
of high technical quality and cost-effective while not going beyond
reporting requirements.
Standard Report Card
This shall be the primary vehicle for reporting the National
Assessment of Educational Progress and shall present the principal
results for grades 4, 8, and 12. Whenever state NAEP is conducted,
the standard report card will include both national and state
results. Data shall be reported in terms of both achievement levels
and a scale score or percent-correct metric.
The standard report card will be prepared for a general public
audience and written in understandable, jargon-free style with
attractive charts, tables, and graphics. The report will be
relatively modest in length--about 50 to 100 pages. In addition to
key results, it will include a substantial sample of test questions
and student responses--with item-level data--to illustrate
performance standards and actual student work for each grade tested.
For each subject the standard report card will be based on the
assessment framework and specifications approved by the Governing
Board. However, the size of student samples may be more limited than
in comprehensive assessments, described below. Also, special studies
carried out in comprehensive assessments may be omitted.
The report card will be publicly released within six months
after the end of student testing. This normally would be by the end
of September of the assessment year.
Data shall be reported on a representative-sample basis for the
nation, states, and demographic subgroups. Overall scores and
achievement-level results must be strictly comparable to previous
assessments based on the same NAEP framework so that trends in
achievement may accurately be reported. However, the content-area
subscales reported in previous comprehensive assessments may or may
not be included, depending on the subject assessed.
Data in the standard report card shall be reported by the
following categories, as required by law: sex, race/ethnicity,
public and private schools, and factors bearing on socio-economic
status. Such factors may include the education level of parents,
type of community, and participation in Title I and subsidized lunch
programs.
Any report with state-by-state results shall include information
on demographic characteristics and resource inputs that may provide
context for understanding results. In addition to data collected by
NAEP, the contextual information may include data from other
sources, such as per capita income, the poverty rate for school-aged
children, current expenditures per pupil, pupil/teacher ratio, and
average teacher salary.
States will appear in tables listed alphabetically. However, an
overall rank order shall be prepared using average scores and
indicating where differences are not statistically significant.
The report shall include information on a limited number of
student background characteristics directly related to academic
achievement, which may be obtained from student questionnaires or
from data needed to draw samples of schools and students, such as
census and Title I data. It will also include information on the
proportion of students tested with disabilities and limited English
proficiency. However, the standard report card will not include
surveys of instructional practices or school policies, though these
shall be included in comprehensive NAEP assessments.
Comprehensive Reports
These reports shall be based on large-scale assessments which
implement fully the test frameworks and specifications adopted by
the Governing Board. Normally, a comprehensive assessment shall be
the first one done for a new test framework. Its results shall be
issued in a series of reports, designed for general and specialized
audiences, including national and state policymakers, educators, and
researchers.
The first report--with key results for a general audience--shall
be comparable to the standard report described above, though it may
be somewhat more extensive and may be issued within nine months
after testing rather than six months. Included in this series,
though not necessarily in each report, shall be content area
subscales and data on a wide range of school policies, instructional
practices, and student work-habits and behavior, gathered from
background questionnaires for students, teachers, and schools.
Comprehensive assessments and reporting shall be done for
national samples in grades 4, 8, and 12 and for state-level samples
in some subjects and grades.
Focused Reports
These reports shall be more limited and focused than the
standard NAEP report. They may be targeted to a particular grade or
group of students rather than being based on representative samples
of the population. Generally, the cost would be less than that of a
standard assessment, although focused reports may also be used to
assess in a particular subject, such as the performing arts, where
testing costs are high.
The focused reports may extend the range of the National
Assessment and permit the testing of new populations, e.g., out-of-
school youth. They will also provide NAEP with the opportunity to
develop new methods of assessment and reporting without the
constraints of the standard report. Some may be financed by a
particular organization, e.g., the Department of Labor for a test of
work readiness skills, rather than from the regular NAEP
appropriation.
In most cases the special reports will involve only national
samples, although states that wish to participate may do so at their
own expense.
Dated: November 25, 1996.
Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 96-30452 Filed 11-27-96; 8:45 am]
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