Also known as The Nation's Report Card, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of student achievement and their learning experiences in various subjects for the nation, states, and 27 urban districts. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is currently…

"Assessing the Nation's Report Card" examines the history of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and outlines plans for improving and modernizing the organization. Educational policy analyst Chester E. Finn, Jr. imparts a rare inside analysis of the evolution of the NAEP program at key moments in its history, and…

COVID-19 gave the country a crash course in public health data. It underscored the value of data that can support well-informed, timely action in a crisis. Good data are just as important for education systems in crisis. Schools and districts have been struggling to reach and educate students safely. Students who were disproportionately…

The National Assessment Governing Board (Governing Board) is an independent, bipartisan organization that sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly known as The Nation's Report Card. This paper provides a summary of the history of the Governing Board framework development processes and the evolution of the…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) -- often called "The Nation's Report Card" -- is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students in public and private schools in the United States know and can do in various subjects and has provided policy makers and the public with invaluable…

Students and educators have returned to the classroom for the fall of 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted in-person learning in schools across the country. Yet, this does not mean the pandemic's effects on education and students are behind everyone, and the pandemic continues to linger across America. The current understanding of the…

Common sense and recent research make it clear that schools cannot be successful without strong principals. Strong principals help improve student performance in many ways, from shaping a school's mission and culture to hiring, developing, and retaining its teachers. Even so, principals often get short shrift in today's debates about human capital…

In the past several decades, Boston has been a proving ground for new strategies such as mayoral control, charter schools, and expanded access to early childhood education. Located in a state known for rigorous standards and accountability, Boston Public Schools (BPS) has consistently ranked among the top-performing large public school districts…

In many ways standards-based school reform is at a crossroads. On one side, the movement has made tremendous strides. The Common Core State Standards Initiative, known simply as Common Core, is now strongly established in more than 40 states. Many teachers believe that the new, higher academic standards have helped them improve instruction. And,…

National Assessment is a survey of how much U.S. citizens know about and what they are capable of doing in 10 broad subject areas. This pamphlet outlines the types of findings on educational achievement that might be made from the statistical data on knowledge, attitudes, and skills being gathered. Additionally, the report examines social…

In an interview, Willard Wirtz discusses his recent report, "Measuring the Quality of Education." Wirtz believes that the National Assessment of Educational Progress should be widely publicized and used and directed toward framing nationwide standards of educational quality. (Author/WD)

Three aspects of the match between education and the demands of our changing economic situation are examined. First, the skills students will need for the future are identified. These skills included competencies in reading, writing, speaking and listening, mathematics, science, reasoning, basic employment, economics, and computer literacy.…

American education has gradually improved since the 1970s. The United States leads the world in the number of content requirements and math, science, and language objectives. When measured on the basis of Bloom's Taxonomy and the Application Model, U.S. students, compared to their European and Asian counterparts, are high on content knowledge but…

The focus of this 2-day hearing was on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Witnesses testified about the importance of the NAEP as a national assessment tool and the changes that the Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Education (SESVE) might consider for the future. On March 13, the following persons…

Analysis of data on grade 11 students from the 1985-86 National Assessment of Educational Progress indicates that minority students are substantially disadvantaged in mathematics, and that students of all races score low enough to jeopardize future United States leadership in science and technology. (Author/MSE)