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The purpose of this report is to examine aspects of oral reading performance--accuracy, rate, and fluency--that cannot be observed from results of the main NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) reading assessment. The results provided here are intended to inform educators and researchers about these three aspects of fourth-graders' oral reading performance and how they relate to their overall reading ability as measured by the 2002 reading assessment. This study focuses on one relevant, but sometimes overlooked, aspect of reading performance--oral reading ability. Oral reading performance, measured by the components of accuracy, rate, and fluency, constitutes a cluster of critical literacy proficiencies and functions as a significant indicator of overall reading ability. The report is divided into the following chapters: (1) Introduction; (2) Oral Reading Accuracy; (3) Oral Reading Rate; (4) Reading Fluency; and (5) Summary of Oral Reading Study Results. Appended are: (1) Overview of Procedures Used for the NAEP 2002 Oral Reading Study; (2) Oral Reading Passage and Questions to Prompt Students' Recall of the Passage; and (3) Standard Errors. (Contains 28 tables and 26 figures.) [Project Officer for this report was Arnold Goldstein.]

This report presents the results of the 2002 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment for the nation and for the participating states and jurisdictions. Comparisons are made to students' performance in the national assessments of 1992, 1994, and 1998 at grades 4, 8, and 12. Comparison data are given within and across participating states and jurisdictions for 1992, 1994, 1998, and 2002 at grades 4 and 8. Additional comparisons for national and cross-state/jurisdictional data are given for the 2000 assessment at grade 4 only. Student performance is reported in terms of average scale scores on the NAEP reading scale and by the percentages of students who attained the achievement levels set by the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB). In addition, the report presents percentile distributions and demographic subgroup results for the nation, including results by gender, race/ethnicity, student eligibility for free/reduced-price school lunch, Title I, parents' highest level of education, type of school, and type of school location. For participating states and jurisdictions, performance results for subgroups defined by gender, race/ethnicity, and student eligibility for free/reduced-price school lunch are presented. The report also includes sample assessment questions for grades 4, 8, and 12, including multiple-choice, short constructed-response, and extended constructed-response items, along with examples of student responses to all three item types. Rationales for the scores of constructed responses are included. Maps of selected fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade items on the NAEP reading scale and descriptions of the framework specified knowledge or skills each item addresses are presented. Appendices include information on national and state samples, school and student participation rates, participation and accommodation of students with disabilities and/or limited-English-proficient students, subgroup percentages, state-level contextual variables, and sample texts from the NAEP 2002 reading assessment. (RS)

This report presents the results of the 2000 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) fourth-grade reading assessment for the nation. Results in 2000 are compared to previous NAEP reading assessments. After an introduction, chapter 1 presents average scale scores and achievement level results for the nation. Chapter 2 presents average scale score and achievement level results for selected subgroups of the fourth-grade students. In Chapter 3, school and home contexts for learning are addressed. Chapter 4 discusses becoming a more inclusive national assessment. Major findings are: (1) the reading performance of the nation's fourth graders remained relatively stable across assessment years; (2) significant changes were evident at the upper and lower ends of the performance distribution--higher performing students made progress, and the score at the 10th percentile in 2000 was significantly lower than 1992; (3) in 2000, the percentage of fourth-grade students performing at or above the "basic" level was 63%, and performance at or above the "proficient" level was achieved by 32% of fourth graders; (4) female fourth graders had a higher average score than their male peers; (5) white and Asian/Pacific Islander students outperformed their black, Hispanic, and American Indian peers; (6) students in the Northeast and Central regions outperformed their counterparts in the Southeast and the West; (7) students in central city schools had a lower average score than their peers in urban fringe/large town and rural/small town locations; (8) students eligible for the free/reduced lunch program had a lower average score than students ineligible for that program; (9) students attending public schools had lower average scores than their peers attending nonpublic schools; (10) students who reported reading more pages daily in school and for homework had higher average scores than students reporting reading fewer pages daily; and (11) the average score for the nation was lower in the results that included the performance of students who needed and were provided with testing accommodations. Appendixes contain an overview of the procedures used; sample text and questions; and data. (RS)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has served as the only ongoing monitor of student achievement in the United States across time. This report summarizes major findings from 10 administrations of the long-term reading assessment since 1971, 9 administrations of the long-term trend mathematics assessment since 1973, and 10 administrations of the long-term trend science assessment since 1969 and 1970. Generally, the trends in mathematics and science are characterized by declines in the 1970s followed by increases during the 1980s and early 1990s and mostly stable performance since then. Some gains are evidenced in reading, but they are modest. Overall improvement across the assessment years is most evidenced in mathematics. National trends are reported in the three subject areas, by quartiles, and in the attainment of performance levels. Trends in academic achievement among student subgroups are reported for racial and ethnic groups and for males and females and by parents' educational level, and for public and nonpublic students. Trends are also reported for students' school and home experiences as they have reported them over the years. Appendixes contain an overview of the procedures used in the NAEP trend assessments and a review of NAEP data. (Contains 59 figures.) (SLD)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the nation's only ongoing survey of what students know and can do in various academic subject areas. This report summarizes the results of the 1998 NAEP civics assessment for the nation. The results are based on an assessment of students at grade 4, grade 8, and grade 12. Students' performance is described in terms of their average civics score on a 0 to 300 scale and in terms of the percentage of students attaining each of three achievement levels: (1) basic; (2) proficient; and (3) advanced. The achievement levels are performance standards adopted by the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) as part of its statutory responsibilities. In addition to providing average scores and achievement level performance for the nation, this report also provides results for subgroups of students defined by various background and contextual characteristics. Further, the report explores relationships between selected teacher and classroom activities and student performance. The chapter titles include: (1) "Average Scale Score and Achievement Level Results for the Nation"; (2) "Average Civics Scale Score Results for Selected Subgroups"; (3) "Civics Achievement Level Results for Selected Subgroups"; (4) "Contexts for Learning Civics: School/Teacher Policies and Practices"; and (5) "Contexts for Learning Civics: Classroom Practices and Student Variables." The appendices include an overview of procedures used in the assessment, standard errors, and a list of the members of the NAEP civics development and standing committees. (LB)

This report presents the results of the 1998 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) writing assessment of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade students for the nation and for participating states or jurisdictions. It provides results for subgroups of students defined by various background and contextual characteristics. The Introduction frames the results by describing the objectives of the assessment and the kinds of questions it contained. Chapter 1 presents national results, including achievement level definitions and results, and exemplars of student writing from the assessment at each of the three achievement levels: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. This is the first time NAEP has set achievement levels for writing. Chapters 2 and 3 present results for regions of the country and for subgroups of students (for example, male and female students), by average scale scores and achievement levels, respectively. Chapter 4 provides information about some instructional practices. In that chapter, students' answers to such questions as "how often does your teacher talk to you about your writing" are reported, along with student performance data. Chapter 5 presents results of the state-by-state assessment done at grade 8, which was the first NAEP state-by-state assessment in writing. That chapter also reports results by subgroups of the population in each participating state or jurisdiction. Chapter 6 explores in greater depth how student writing on the assessment was evaluated. It shows the scoring guides that were used and reports on student performance in narrative, informative, and persuasive writing. Chapter 6 also provides additional samples of student writing. Contains numerous tables and figures of data. Appendixes contain: information about procedures for the administration and evaluation of the assessment, as well as about how subgroups (such as race/ethnicity) were defined; standard errors for tables included in the body of the report; the percentage of students in each subgroup by state or jurisdiction; other contextual information, such as expenditures on education, from nonNAEP sources such as the census; more detailed achievement level results for subgroups of students; and results for students in nonpublic schools. (RS)

This report presents the results of the 1998 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) reading assessment of 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students for the nation and for participating states or jurisdictions. Results in 1998 are compared to those in 1994 and 1992. It provides results for subgroups of students defined by various background and contextual characteristics. After an introduction, chapter 1 presents overall national results in terms of average scores on the NAEP composite scale and in terms of the three reading achievement levels. Chapter 2 presents average scale scores for regions of the country and for demographic subgroups of the population. Achievement level results for the regions and subgroups are presented in chapter 3. In chapter 4, school and home contextual factors related to literacy development are the focus for presenting results of the 1998 NAEP assessment. Chapter 5 looks at public school results of the state-by-state assessments at grades 4 and 8. Major findings are: (1) average reading scores increased for students in grades 4, 8, and 12; (2) at all 3 grades in 1998, female students had higher average reading scale scores than their male peers; (3) at all 3 grades in 1998, the average reading score for White students was higher than that for Black, Hispanic, and American Indian students; (4) students in 1998 who reported higher levels of parental education had higher average reading scale scores; (5) students attending nonpublic schools had higher average scale scores than their counterparts attending public schools; and (6) students who reported watching 3 or fewer hours of television each day had higher average reading scores than students who reported watching more television. Appendixes contain an overview of the procedural aspects the standard errors for all data presented; sample texts for the released questions; 1998 state level results for additional subgroups not discussed in Chapter 5; and characteristics of individual states and jurisdictions that are drawn from non-NAEP sources. (RS)

An important feature of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is its ability to document trends in academic achievement on core curriculum areas over an extended period of time. This report presents the major results of the NAEP 1996 science, mathematics, reading, and writing long-term assessments. These results chart trends going back to the first year in which each NAEP assessment was given: 1969-70 in science, 1973 in mathematics, 1971 in reading, and 1984 in writing. Trends in average performance differences between White and Black students, White and Hispanic students, and male and female students are also discussed. In general, the trends in science and mathematics show early declines or relative stability followed by improved performance. Because it represents educational objectives that were established in 1969 for 17-year-olds and 1970 for 9- and 13-year-olds, the long-term science trend assessment may represent a more constrained view than the 1996 main science assessment, as this revision clarifies. In reading and writing the results are somewhat mixed; although some modest improvement is evident in the trend for reading assessments, few indications of positive trends were evident in the writing results. More in-depth understanding is achieved by examining the types of abilities associated with different levels on the NAEP scale and the percentages of students who have gained these levels across the trend assessment. This information is summarized. (Contains four figures and nine tables.) (SLD)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has measured students' progress toward higher achievement since 1969, assessing students in public and nonpublic schools in various subject areas on a regular basis. The NAEP has also collected background information about students to provide a context for interpreting assessment results and documenting the implementation of educational reform. This addendum is a revision and full reprint of sections of the report: (1) the Executive Summary; (2) Chapter 1; (3) Chapter 2; and (4) Appendix A of "NAEP 1996 Trends in Academic Progress" (NCES 97-985). It contains revisions to the text, tables, and figures of the Long Term Trend Science results. The material in this addendum replaces the corresponding sections of the original report. The original report presented the results of science, mathematics, reading, and writing trend assessment, charting them back to the year in which the assessment was first given. Trends are discussed for students at ages 9, 13, and 17, in grades 4, 8, and 11. Trends in average performance differences between White and Black, White and Hispanic, and male and female students are also discussed. The overall pattern of science performance has been one of decline followed by recent improved performance. The long-term science trend assessment contains a content dimension and a cognitive dimension. Because it represents educational objectives that were established in 1969 for 17-year-olds and 1970 for 9- and 13-year-olds, the long-term science trend assessment may represent a more constrained view than the 1996 main science assessment, as this addendum clarifies. (Contains 9 figures and 18 tables.) (SLD)

Measuring student progress toward higher achievement has been the purpose of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) since its inception in 1969. Students in both public and nonpublic schools have been assessed in various subject areas on a regular basis. This report presents results of the 1994 NAEP trend assessments in science, mathematics, reading, and writing. To provide a numeric summary of students' performance on the assessment questions and tasks, the NAEP uses a 0-to-500 scale for each subject area. Nationally representative samples of approximately 31,000 students were involved in the NAEP 1994 trend assessments. Trend assessment results are included for each area, going back to: 1969-70 in science; 1973 in mathematics; 1971 in reading; and 1984 in writing. Trends are discussed for students at ages 9, 13, and 17 for science, mathematics, and reading, and for students in grades 4, 8, and 11 for writing. Trends in performance differences among ethnic and racial groups are also discussed. Tests of linear and quadratic trends were supplemented by a second set of statistical tests that compared results for selected pairs of assessment years within each trend sequence. In general, trends in science and mathematics show early declines or relative stability, followed by improved performance, but reading and writing results show few indications of positive trends. (Contains 4 figures and 10 tables.) (SLD)