National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Private School Focus Groups

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Private School Focus Groups

Appendix B

Focus Group Materials

OMB #1850-0803 v.256

National Center for Education Statistics

Institute of Education Sciences

U.S. Department of Education

Washington, D.C.

October 2019

Appendix B-1. NAEP Statement

NAEP is conducted by the U.S. Department of Education. NAEP is the largest nationally representative assessment of what our nation’s students know and can do in subjects such as mathematics, reading, science, writing, civics, and U.S. history. Teachers, parents, policymakers, and researchers use NAEP results to assess progress and develop ways to improve education in the United States. NAEP is a trusted resource and has been providing valid and reliable data on student performance since 1969.

NAEP is often referred to as the gold standard of assessment. NAEP assessments are generally conducted in late January through early March and NAEP representatives work with each school to select a date that is suitable to the school’s schedule. NAEP assessments are given digitally and take approximately two hours. NAEP representatives give the assessment and provide all materials and equipment. In addition to the NAEP subject-based assessments, students, teachers, and school administrators are asked to complete survey questionnaires about educational experiences, learning opportunities, and learning environments. NAEP results are reported for different demographic groups and are not reported for individual students or schools. Within a school, just some of the student population participates, and student responses are combined with those from other participating students to produce the results.

Appendix B-2. Private School Statements

By participating in NAEP, private school students have an important role in representing thousands of other private school students throughout the country.

Private schools represent about 25 percent of the schools in the nation and educate approximately 9 percent of the nation’s students.

Private school data are essential to providing a complete and accurate picture of education in the U.S. and to informing future policy decisions.

Without the participation of private schools, NAEP would not be able to accurately report how the nation’s students are performing in important subjects.

Historically, NAEP data have shown, across subjects and over time, that the performance of private school students compares favorably with that of public school students.

By participating in NAEP, private school students will set a positive example for their peers by practicing good citizenship and contributing to data that serve to improve and strengthen the educational options for the nation’s youth.

NAEP cannot have a comprehensive picture of education in the U.S. without including private school students. NAEP gives private schools a voice in the national conversation.

Private schools have participated in NAEP for decades and are an integral part of providing a complete picture of U.S. education.

NAEP results allow private schools to document and track academic levels and compare those with public education.