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The Evolution of NAEP

The state of Kansas participates in the National Assessment of Educational Progress, otherwise known as the Nation’s Report Card. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is considered the “gold standard” of assessments.  It is the largest nationally representative assessment of what America’s students know and can do and it serves a different role than state assessments.  The NAEP assessments allow each state to be compared to national results and to evaluate progress over time. It informs the public about the academic achievement of elementary and secondary students in Kansas and in the United States.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is authorized and funded in the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Each state and local educational agency (LEA) that receives Title 1 funding is required to participate in the reading and mathematics assessments if selected.  Kansas, as a state, receives Title 1 funding and all LEA’s in Kansas (Unified School Districts) also receive some Title 1 funds.  The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is responsible for the development, administration, scoring and reporting the results of these assessments. 

The NAEP provides policy makers and leaders at the federal and state level a measure to guide important decisions on educational resources and funding.  NAEP is not a high stakes assessment. It does not reveal a particular student’s or schools score.  It is an assessment completely independent of politics and education reform efforts and is the only yardstick currently available that reveals student achievement nationally, by state, and by large urban district. Used as a resource, NAEP is a window into the state of our educational system and what students are learning.