National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

Program Overview

NAEP, also known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” is a program of the US Department of Education that provides information on state and national student achievement. It also provides information on how student achievement has changed over time. NAEP conducts state and large-district assessments in grades four and eight and national assessments in grades four, eight, and twelve. Results are based on a representative sample of students, and individual student or school results are not provided. In California, district-level results are available only for Fresno Unified School District (USD) through 2019, Los Angeles USD, and San Diego USD.

NAEP – CalEdFacts provides a more detailed overview of the test.

Resources and Communication Materials

General Resources

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

An Introduction to NAEP (PDF)

Overview of NAEP (PDF)

Visión General de NAEP (PDF)

Parents and Student Resources

NAEP Brochure for Parents (PDF)

What Every Parent Should Know About NAEP

Lo que cada padre debe saber acerca de NAEP (PDF)

Introducing NAEP to Students

District and School Resources

NAEP 2024 Facts for Districts (PDF)

NAEP State Assessment Sample Design FAQs

Introducing NAEP to Teachers

NAEP Sampling Fact Sheet (PDF)

Test Administration

Schedule of Assessments

Digitally Based Assessments

Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and English Learners

Scores and Results Reporting

California NAEP Results

The Nation’s Report Card

NAEP Data Explorer

Laws, Regulations, and Requirements

NAEP is guided by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 and the NAEP Authorization Act (part of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002) as well as by policies enacted by the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB). These laws require that states and districts receiving Title 1 federal funding participate in NAEP reading and mathematics assessments in grades four and eight. Assessments in other subjects, and in grade twelve, are optional.

The exact wording of ESSA of 2015 can be found in Public Law 114-95 (PDF). The exact wording of the NAEP Authorization can be found in Public Law 107-219 (PDF).

The NAGB is an independent, bipartisan group whose members include governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators, business representatives, and members of the general public. Congress created the 26-member Governing Board in 1988 to set policy for NAEP.

Technical Documents

NAEP Technical Documentation

Assessment Spotlight web page contains archives of all previous Assessment Spotlight emails. Send a blank email to subscribe-caaspp@mlist.cde.ca.gov to receive regular updates on the latest information about the statewide assessment system.