What are the NAEP achievement levels?
Achievement levels are the standards that the Governing Board adopts, used to report what students should know and be able to do for basic, proficient, and advanced performance in each grade and subject tested. For each level there is a written description of performance, a set of illustrative sample questions, and a minimum score on the NAEP scale. The general policy definitions for achievement levels were adopted by the Governing Board in 1990 and revised slightly in 1993. To set the levels for each subject, preliminary descriptions are adopted after wide public consultation. Broadly representative panels are then convened to make final recommendations to the Board. The panels are composed of classroom teachers, other educators, and knowledgeable members of the public. They examine the questions and student performance data in a tightly structured process, conducted by a contractor with extensive experience in the field of standard-setting.
