National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Series

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) series is a project of the Education Commission of the United States and is funded by the National Center for Education Statistics to help the United States Office of Education fulfill part of its mission to assess the nation's educational progress. It provides measures of educational quality and direct assessment of educational outcomes and attainments on a national basis. NAEP's actual assessment activities began in 1969 under the auspices of the Education Commission of the States, but the idea for the project was proposed in 1963 and explored subsequently with initial funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. NAEP is an ongoing, periodic assessment of the knowledge, skills, understandings, and attitudes of American students in the various subject areas and disciplines taught in the nation's schools at four age levels: 9, 13, 17, and young adult - ages 26-35. NAEP monitors changes in the performance level of students. School-level and student information is gathered for both handicapped and nonhandicapped students. NAEP also surveys 17-year-olds not enrolled in school to accurately reflect the skills, knowledge and attitudes of the 17-year-olds in school. Also, the young adults are assessed to determine the skills, knowledge, and attitudes of those who have completed their formal education and have probably been away from school for a number of years. NAEP data provide information to education decision-makers and practitioners that can be used to identify education problem areas, establish education priorities, and determine the national progress in education.

For more information, visit The Nation's Report Card.