Dec 20, 2022

A Worksheet for Exploring NAEP Scores

Chris Dwyer
Capacity Building Lead
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The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores have been released, and one of the big questions on educators’ minds is, “How has the pandemic affected students’ progress?” The NAEP scores act as a report card for the nation, announcing which groups of students are landing below, at, or above the proficiency line. Confirming people’s fears, the results were disheartening this year. However, there were some signs of upward trajectories, consistencies by some groups, and the potential for insights that can help educators take actions for improvement in the future.

 

The CCNetwork’s Accelerated Learning Work Group developed the NAEP Results Exploration Worksheet to help individuals, states/jurisdictions (NAEP is administered in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Agency), and districts add clarity and highlight trends as they navigate the extensive details. By comparing patterns of state and national scores, Regional Comprehensive Centers (RCCs) can assess what’s working and what’s not and be a helpful resource to state and local education agencies.

 

Work Group member and Co-Director of R11CC, Joe Simpson, has already shared the tool with his colleagues. He agrees that it requires group collaboration and focused training to ensure districts and schools have the capacity to select and provide the best evidence-based curriculum for their students.

 

The power of the RCCs is their ability to act as connectors. If one state is struggling in eighth-grade math, for example, the RCC can facilitate connections to another state with more positive score trajectories to help determine any missing ingredients. By asking the right questions, aided by the Worksheet, RCC staff can highlight strategies that have been proven successful in other areas.

 

The Accelerated Learning Work Group encourages all RCCs to share data from this Worksheet and with their state education agencies to further the conversation for improvement.