Is participation in NAEP voluntary?
Federal law specifies that NAEP is voluntary for every student, school, school district, and state. However, federal law also requires all states that receive Title I funds to participate in NAEP reading and mathematics assessments at fourth and eighth grades. Similarly, school districts that receive Title I funds and are selected for the NAEP sample are also required to participate in NAEP reading and mathematics assessments at fourth and eighth grades. All other NAEP assessments are voluntary. Learn more about NAEP and why participation is important.
Yes. Unlike your state’s assessment, which is mandatory for students, NAEP is voluntary for students. However, your child represents hundreds of students in your state. If all selected students participate, The Nation’s Report Card provides a very accurate measurement of your state’s overall achievement. States want their assessment results to be accurate and fair indicators of how well their students are doing. The NAEP results are widely publicized. Your state’s NAEP performance is often presented in comparison with that in other states and the nation, as is the progress that your state makes from one national assessment year to another.
