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NAEP Frameworks

Introduction

Each NAEP assessment is built around an organizing framework, which is the blueprint that guides the development of the assessment instrument and determines the content to be assessed. The National Assessment Governing Board develops the NAEP frameworks.

Frameworks capture a range of subject-specific content and thinking skills needed by students in order to deal with the complex issues they encounter inside and outside their classrooms. The NAEP frameworks are determined through a framework development process that ensures they are appropriate for current educational requirements. Because the assessments must remain flexible to mirror changes in educational objectives and curricula, the frameworks must be forward-looking and responsive, balancing current teaching practices with research findings.

NAEP frameworks can serve as guidelines for planning assessments or revising curricula. These frameworks also can provide information on skills appropriate to the three grade levels and can be models for measuring these skills in innovative ways.

Developing a framework generally involves the following steps:

  • widespread participation and reviews by educators and state education officials;
  • reviews by steering committees whose members represent policymakers, practitioners, and members of the general public;
  • involvement of subject supervisors from education agencies;
  • public hearings; and
  • reviews by scholars in the field, by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) staff, and by a policy advisory panel.

Framework Overviews

Complete Framework Specifications

The following frameworks are available for viewing or download in HTML and/or PDF format:


Last updated 07 April 2009 (JM)
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