LegiStorm

Summary:

U.S. students participate in many assessments to track their educational achievement. Perhaps the most widely discussed of these are statewide assessments required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which was most recently comprehensively amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; P.L. 114-95). However, U.S. students also participate in large-scale national assessments, authorized by the National Assessment of Educational Progress Assessment Act (NAEPAA; Title III, Section 303 of P.L. 107-279), and international assessments, authorized by the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA; Title I, Section 153(a)(6) of P.L. 107-279). At the national level, students participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). At the international level, U.S. students participate in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), and Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Although there are some similarities between statewide, national, and international assessments, they differ in purpose and level of reporting. For example, the purpose of statewide assessments is primarily to inform statewide accountability systems and provide information on individual achievement. By contrast, the purpose of large-scale assessments is to highlight achievement gaps, track national progress over time, compare achievement within the United States, and compare U.S. achievement to that of other countries. Results of these assessments are not reported for individuals. National Assessments: The NAEP is a series of assessments measuring achievement in various content areas. The long-term trends NAEP (LTT NAEP) has tracked achievement since the 1970s and has remained relatively unchanged. The main NAEP assessment has tracked achievement since the 1990s and changes periodically to reflect changes in school curricula. The main NAEP has three levels: national, state, and Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA). States that receive Title I-A funding under the ESEA are required to participate in biennial state NAEP assessments in reading and mathematics for 4th and 8th grade. Results from the 2017 main NAEP show a small but significant increase in 8th grade reading since 2015. There were no significant changes in 4th grade reading, 4th grade mathematics, or 8th grade mathematics since 2015. Longer term, however, average reading and mathematics scores have increased significantly since the initial administrations in the 1990s. International Assessments: The United States participates in three international assessments: TIMSS, PIRLS, and PISA. TIMSS is an assessment of mathematics and science for 8th grade students. PIRLS is an assessment of reading literacy for 4th grade students. PISA is an assessment of reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy for 15 year old students. In general, U.S. students have made statistically significant gains since the initial administrations of international assessments; however, achievement did not consistently increase in the most recent administrations of international assessments. Issues of Interpretation of National and International Assessments: Results of national and international assessments are difficult to interpret. One challenge is processing the large amount of data. Another is understanding the difference between statistical significance and educational significance. Reporting statistical significance is standard practice in research, but it does not convey the magnitude of a difference and its associated educational significance. Another issue is the tendency to focus narrowly on one assessment at one point in time. A narrow focus may not provide the appropriate context to interpret results accurately. International assessment results may also be affected by socioeconomic considerations within and across countries. Comparing Results Across Assessments: Comparing results across national and international assessments can be challenging. Each assessment was created for a unique purpose by different groups of stakeholders, which makes direct comparisons difficult. There are a number of issues to consider when evaluating U.S. students' performance across assessments. For example, consideration must be given to the differences in (1) the degree of alignment of content standards and assessments, (2) the target population being assessed, (3) the voluntary nature of student participation, (4) the participating education systems, (5) the scale of the assessment, and (6) the precision of measurement for each assessment.