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Educator Resources

NAEP Contributes to the Conversation

Hear More from NAEP Experts NCES regularly writes blogs and hosts or attends events to discuss student achievement, educational experiences, and opportunities for improvement. Learn more about recent results and findings that can inform policy and practice, and explore upcoming NAEP conferences and events.
Panel of NAEP experts in recent virtual conference.
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Student Experience and NAEP Performance

As part of an assessment, students, teachers, and school administrators also answer a questionnaire about their opportunities to learn in and outside of the classroom, educational experiences in and out of school, and demographic characteristics. Many factors may influence student achievement, including

  • educational policies and practices,
  • available instructional resources,
  • and experiences outside of school.

Although comparisons are made in students’ performance on NAEP based on demographic characteristics and educational experiences, the comparisons cannot be used to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the characteristic or experience and achievement. However, educators can view results from the student, teachers, and school questionnaires, as well as average scores on the assessment.

Additional Findings

NAEP in the Classroom

Released NAEP assessment questions can be used as a helpful educational resource in the classroom. Use the Take NAEP Now tool to take or give a NAEP assessment using innovative digitally based questions that have been previously administered to students throughout the nation. You can also explore our database of over 3,000 sample questions, download sample question booklets, and use the NAEP Questions Tool to create and customize tests to see how your students’ performance compares nationally on specific test items.

Using NAEP Frameworks: Curricula Planning and Instruction

An assessment framework is like a blueprint; it lays out the basic design of the assessment by describing the content that should be tested and the types of assessment questions that should be included in NAEP. Frameworks attempt to answer the question, “What skills should be assessed on NAEP at grades 4, 8, and 12?”

This information may serve as a roadmap to help teachers and curriculum planners

  • evaluate and revise current state and/or district standards, and
  • evaluate classroom instruction and assessment focus on each cognitive level.

How Do I See Data for My State or District?

State PerformanceExplore how your state has performed on NAEP mathematics, reading, science, and writing assessments over a specified period and see how your state and state proficiency standards compares to the nation and other states.
Map of the United States
City skyline
District Performance Use the District Profiles Tool to compare the performance of students in 27 select urban districts to public school students in large cities (cities with populations of 250,000 or more).

NAEP Performance Scales and Achievement Levels: Grades 4, 8, 12

NAEP item maps show the knowledge and skills of students in grades 4, 8, and 12 who performed at different NAEP performance levels in each assessment. Item maps help answer the question, “What skills do students have at the NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, and NAEP Advanced achievement levels.

Learn More
Item map for mathematics grade 12 in 2019.

Get Ready for NAEP

See information and resources for schools selected for NAEP participation.

Learn More

Last updated 23 October 2024 (DS)