Research Comparing NAEP and State Proficiency StandardsStates vary widely in the standards for proficiency that they set for students on their state assessments, but it is possible to compare state proficiency standards by using NAEP as a common yardstick. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 requires that states report adequate yearly progress (AYP) based on the state’s plan to achieve proficiency for all students in grades 3 through 8 in reading and mathematics. Each individual state develops its own state assessment and sets its own proficiency standard for reporting AYP. Because of the variations in state tests and standard setting, there is no way for parents, educators, and policymakers to compare one state’s standard to any other using these assessments. NCLB also requires states to participate in NAEP's fourth- and eighth-grade reading and mathematics assessments. Since 2003, NAEP has assessed representative samples of students in each state in these subjects and grades, providing both national trend data and state-level data that allow for state by state comparisons. To provide a basis for comparison, NCES developed several documents on NAEP and state proficiency standards.
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