The Setting of Achievement LevelsThe National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), as directed by the NAEP legislation, has been developing achievement levels for NAEP since 1990. The Board defined three levels for each grade tested: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. The Basic level denotes partial mastery of the knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work at a given grade. The Proficient level represents solid academic performance. Students reaching this level demonstrate competency over challenging subject matter. The Advanced level signifies superior performance at a given grade. For each grade, the levels are cumulative; that is, abilities achieved at the Proficient level presume mastery of abilities associated with the Basic level, and attainment of the Advanced level presumes mastery of both the Basic and Proficient levels. Adopting three levels of achievement for each grade signals the importance of looking at more than one standard of performance. The Board believes, however, that all students should reach the Proficient level; the Basic level is not the desired goal, but rather represents partial mastery that is a step toward Proficient. The achievement levels discussed throughout this Web site were adopted by the Board based on a standard-setting process designed and conducted under a contract with ACT, Inc. To develop these levels, ACT convened a cross section of educators and interested citizens from across the nation and asked them to judge what students should know and be able to do relative to a body of content reflected in the NAEP framework for science. This achievement-level-setting process was reviewed by a variety of individuals including policy makers, representatives of professional organizations, teachers, parents, and other members of the general public. Prior to adopting these levels of student achievement, NAGB engaged a large number of persons to comment on the recommended levels and to review the results.
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