NAEP

NAEP, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, is the United States’ long-running program for measuring what students know and can do in core subjects. It is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education. Initiated in 1969 and commonly called The Nation’s Report Card, NAEP provides a national benchmark of student achievement and, where participating, state-level results.

NAEP tests samples of students in grades 4, 8, and 12 in subjects such as reading, mathematics, and science, with additional areas including writing, U.S. history, Civics, Geography, and the arts. The results come from a representative sampling design, so they reflect national performance and, when states participate, state-level results.

Assessments include a mix of multiple-choice and constructed-response items. Results are reported as average scale scores and by four achievement levels: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. NAEP also maintains Long-Term Trend assessments in some subjects to track changes over decades.

Results are published as The Nation’s Report Card and are used by policymakers, educators, researchers, and the public to track trends, compare groups, and inform discussions about standards, curricula, and accountability. Because NAEP relies on samples, results include sampling error and do not measure any individual student or specific school.

NAEP results are publicly available on the NAEP website, providing a common reference point for U.S. education over time.