NATIONAL CENTER FOR 

EDUCATION STATISTICS (NCES)

NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF

EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS

WAVE 2 SUBMITTAL FOR 2015

VOLUME I 

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

OMB# 1850–0790 v.40

Grade 4

Student — Core, Science, TBA (Technology Based Assessments) Start-ups in 

Reading, Mathematics, Science 

Knowledge and Skills Appropriate (KaSA) - (Puerto Rico version), 

National Indian Education Study (NIES) Survey Questions

Teacher Questionnaires — Science, KaSA (Puerto Rico version), NIES

School Questionnaires — Science, KaSA (Puerto Rico version), NIES

Grade 8

Student — Core, Science, TBA Start-ups in Reading, Mathematics, Science 

KaSA - (Puerto Rico version), 

NIES Survey Questions

Teacher Questionnaires — Science, KaSA (Puerto Rico version), NIES

School Questionnaires — Science, KaSA (Puerto Rico version), NIES

Grade 12

Student — Core, Science, TBA Start-ups in Reading, Mathematics, Science 

School Questionnaires — Science 

June 12, 2014
2015 Wave 2 Supporting Statement ii

Contents

1. Explanation for This Submittal..............................................................................................1

Table 1: List of Components in Wave 2 ............................................................................................................1

2. Overview of Wave 2 NAEP 2015 Assessments....................................................................2

3. Sampling Information ............................................................................................................2

4. Information Pertaining to the 2015 Questionnaires in This Submittal ..................................2

Table 2: School Survey Questionnaire Structures - 2015 NAEP Assessments .................................................3

5. 2015 Wave 2 Burden Information .........................................................................................4

Table 3: Total Burden for Wave 2 .....................................................................................................................5

Table 4: Wave 2 Questionnaires – Survey Per Respondent Burden Time.........................................................6

Table 5: Estimated Burden for NAEP 2015 Activities Described in This Submittal (Wave 2).........................7

6. How, by Whom, and for What Purpose the Data Will Be Used............................................8

7. Estimates of Costs to the Federal Government......................................................................8

Table 6: Administration Cost Estimates (Wave 2 subjects)...............................................................................8

Appendix A: Committee Lists...................................................................................................9

Appendix B: Sample Parent/Guardian Notification Letter......................................................12

Appendix C: List of New/Revised Items (Science, NIES)......................................................13

Appendix D: School Coordinator Responsibilities

Appendix E: Sample MyNAEP System Instructions for Completion of SD and ELL 

Inclusion Information (from 2014 Version)

Appendix F: NIES Cognitive Interview Reports

Appendix G: NAEP 2015 Sample Design Memo

NAEP Main 2015 Wave 2 Student Surveys Gr4,8,12

NAEP Main 2015 Wave 2 Teacher Surveys Gr4,8

NAEP Main 2015 Wave 2 School Surveys Gr4,8,12

NAEP Main 2015 Wave 2 Assessment Feedback Forms
2015 Wave 2 Supporting Statement 1

1. Explanation for This Submittal

This document contains supplemental information pertaining to the 2014-2016 National Assessment of 

Educational Progress (NAEP) clearance proposal. NAEP is administered by the National Center for 

Education Statistics (NCES) in the Institute for Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education. The 

National Assessment Governing Board (henceforth referred to as the Governing Board) sets policy for NAEP 

and determines the content framework for each assessment. The system clearance was approved in March 

2013 (OMB# 1850-0790 v.36), and the terms of clearance state that NCES will publish a notice in the 

Federal Register allowing a 30-day public comment period on the details of each collection concurrent with 

submission to OMB.

The 2015 submittal is divided into two waves to meet scheduling and question development requirements. 

The first wave contained the core,

1

reading, mathematics, and KaSA (Knowledge and Skills Appropriate)2

descriptions, burden, and survey questionnaires (student, teacher, and school). Wave 2 contains the 

descriptions, burden, and where relevant questionnaires for the following:

 science assessment (paper and pencil);

 technology-based assessment (TBA)

3

studies for mathematics, reading, and science;

 science pilot for ICTs (interactive computer tasks) and HOTs (hands-on tasks) assessments4; and 

 the National Indian Education Study (NIES) – special study;

 KaSA study (in Puerto Rico) – special study; and

 Information and burden regarding activities of school coordinators.

Table 1: List of Components in Wave 2

Component

Student

Grade 4 — Core, Science (paper-and-pencil, TBA, ICTs and HOTs), KaSA (PR5), NIES

Grade 8 — Core, Science (paper-and-pencil TBA, ICTs and HOTs), KaSA (PR), NIES

Grade 12 — Core, Science (paper-and-pencil TBA, ICTs and HOTs) 

Teacher

Grade 4 — Classroom Organization and Instruction (COI) - Science;6 KaSA (PR), NIES 

Grade 8 — Background, Education, and Training (BET) - Science; Classroom Organization and Instruction (COI) - Science; 

KaSA (PR), NIES 

School

Grade 4 — Science7; KaSA (PR), NIES 

Grade 8 — Science; KaSA (PR), NIES 

Grade 12 — Science

1 NCES collects student question data, referred to as core questions, that are required by law (20 U.S.C. § 9622; i.e., race, 

ethnicity, and socioeconomic status) and provide a context for reporting student performance.

2 KaSA study booklets will be administered to representative student samples in both national schools (included in Wave 1) 

and Puerto Rico (included in Wave 2 submittal) in grades 4 and 8.

3

In 2015, NAEP will begin to study the transition of reading, mathematics, and science to technology-based assessments 

(TBA). The TBA reading and mathematics survey questions are the same as the reading and math survey questions 

submitted with Wave 1. These questions will not be submitted again with Wave 2. The versions used in the science TBA are 

the same as the versions used in the science paper-and-pencil administration (included in Wave 2 submittal). 

4

Science ICT and HOTs will contain the same survey questions as the science paper-and-pencil versions.

5 An adapted version of the questions will be administered in Spanish in Puerto Rico, given that Spanish rather than English is 

the primary language in Puerto Rico.

6The Background, Education, and Training (BET) portion of the grade 4 teacher questionnaire was included in Wave 1.

7 The School Characteristics and Policies and Charter School portions of the School questionnaires were included in Wave 1.
2015 Wave 2 Supporting Statement 2

2. Overview of Wave 2 NAEP 2015 Assessments 

Much of the following broad overview of the 2015 NAEP assessments was included as part of the 2014 –

2016 system clearance submittal. The Governing Board determines NAEP policy and assessment schedule, 

and future Governing Board decisions may result in changes to some aspects of an assessment (e.g., which 

subjects are assessed in which years). However, the overall methodology and assessment process remains

consistent. The NAEP assessments contain two kinds of questions: cognitive (assessment questions that 

measure student knowledge of an academic subject) and survey (contextual questions that gather 

demographic information, as well as classroom instructional procedures). The Governing Board is 

responsible for approving all of NAEP’s survey questions, as well as the cognitive items. 

The main NAEP assessment reports current achievement levels and trends in student achievement at 

grades 4, 8, and 12 for the nation and, for certain assessments, states and select urban districts. These 

assessments follow subject-area frameworks developed by the Governing Board and use the latest 

advances in assessment methodology. The subject-area frameworks evolve to match instructional 

practices. 

3. Sampling Information

The 2015 Sampling Design Memo8(see appendix G) provides specific sampling information regarding 

the 2015 NAEP assessments. It includes information on

• Assessment types

• Primary Sampling Units Selection

• Stratification and Oversampling

• Overlap Control of Samples

• Substitute Samples

• Student Sampling Information

• Weighting Requirements 

4. Information Pertaining to the 2015 Questionnaires in This Submittal 

Student Questionnaires 

Core — the first survey question block for all students contains core questions, many of which are related 

to demographic information. The core section was included in Wave 1 but is also included in Wave 2 as 

part of the overall science assessments.

Science — the subject-specific questions contained in the operational, pilot, and special study science 

administrations are trend questions and some previously piloted new items, at grades 4 and 8, and trend 

questions at grade 12.

KaSA (Puerto Rico) — Spanish versions of the KaSA survey questions will be administered in Puerto 

Rico. The questions included in Wave 2 are the adapted English versions of these questions. The grade 4 

and 8 KaSA survey questions are the same as the mathematics survey questions plus three additional 

KaSA-related questions, which were part of the Wave 1 submittal.

National Indian Education Study (NIES) will be conducted as part of the 2015 assessments in reading and 

mathematics at grades 4 and 8. The national sample includes students from public and nonpublic schools 

8 The draft 2015 Sampling Memo (dated 2-26-2014) contains the most recent 2015 sampling information.
2015 Wave 2 Supporting Statement 3

that have both large and small American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) student populations. The 

administration of the 2015 NAEP assessment will be followed with the administration of a questionnaire 

specifically designed for the NIES study. Questionnaire data will be linked to NAEP performance data. 

Refer to appendix F for reports associated with cog labs conducted in 2013 in preparation for the 2015 

NIES administration.

Membership of the committees that helped define the cognitive and survey questions pertaining to the 

2015 subjects in Wave 2 is provided in this document, in appendix A.

Teacher Questionnaires

Wave 2 materials include science, KaSA (Puerto Rico), and NIES teacher questionnaire components for 

teachers of those students participating in the grades 4 and 8 science, KaSA (Puerto Rico), and NIES 

administrations. In 2015, teacher questionnaires will not be administered at grade 12.

Science Grade 4 Teacher – This questionnaire will contain a BET section9and a COI section. The 

operational COI questions in the science assessments are trend or previously piloted questions.

KaSA (Puerto Rico) — Spanish versions of the KaSA survey questions will be administered in Puerto 

Rico. The questions included in Wave 2 are the adapted English versions of these questions. 

NIES – Teachers of grade 4 and 8 students participating in the NIES survey (administered with reading 

and mathematics) will be asked to complete an NIES questionnaire. 

The plan is for the teacher questionnaires (excluding Puerto Rico) to be completed online in 2015. If 

grade 8 teachers teach more than one subject, the online questionnaire system will administer the 

appropriate BET and COI questions to the teacher.

School Questionnaires

Table 2 depicts the composition of the 2015 school questionnaires. The science, KaSA (Puerto Rico), and 

NIES components are part of the Wave 2 submission, as the other components were in Wave 1. The 

shaded components indicate Wave 2 materials in Wave 2. The plan is for the school questionnaires 

(excluding Puerto Rico) to be completed online in 2015.

Table 2: School Survey Questionnaire Structures - 2015 NAEP Assessments

Grade Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4 Section 51Section 62

4 SCP Reading Mathematics Science Charter School NIES

8 SCP Reading Mathematics Science Charter School NIES

12 SCP Reading Mathematics Science Charter School

note: SCP = School Characteristics and Policies; NIES = National Indian Education Study; Shaded sections are part of the 

Wave 2 materials. The KaSA Math Puerto Rico adapted versions are also included.

1

this section is only completed by Charter schools.

2

this section is only administered to schools with students participating in the NIES.

Refer to appendix C for a list of new questions contained in student, teacher, and school questionnaires.

School Personnel Assessment Responsibilities

E-filing – Demographic data are collected for potential students who may participate in NAEP. This 

sample information is gathered at the state, district, or school level. If gathered at the district or school 

level, that burden is included in the burden calculation.

9 The Grade 4 BET includes reading, mathematics, and science and was part of the Wave 1 submittal.
2015 Wave 2 Supporting Statement 4

Pre-Assessment and Assessment Activities – Each school participating in NAEP has a designated staff 

member to serve as its NAEP school coordinator. Pre-assessment and assessment activities include such 

functions as finalizing student samples, verifying student demographics, reviewing accommodations, and 

planning logistics for the assessment.

NAEP is moving in the direction of paperless administrations. In 2014, a new electronic pre-assessment 

visit system (known as MyNAEP) was developed so that school coordinators could provide requested 

administration information online, including logistical information, updates of student and teacher 

information, and the completion of inclusion and accommodation information.

A sample brochure communication (from 2014) from the NAEP state coordinators to the participating 

schools describing the pre-assessment and e-filing activities is included as appendix D and will be

finalized prior to the 2015 assessment year. It outlines the school coordinator’s responsibilities.

SD and ELL information – The SD and ELL inclusion information is provided by either the school 

coordinator or teachers/school personnel most knowledgeable about the school’s SD and ELL students. 

This information will then be entered into the MyNAEP system by the school coordinator. With the 

MyNAEP system, inclusion guidelines can now be customized on a state-by-state basis. The SD and ELL 

information provided can be formatted with appropriate skip patterns and consistency checks, allowing 

field staff to monitor exclusions in real time. The types of SD and ELL information gathered will be the 

same as was previously obtained on the SD and ELL worksheets. See appendix E for instructions from 

the MyNAEP system that deal with collecting SD and ELL information.

Assessment Feedback Activities

School Coordinator Debriefing Interview – After each assessment, the field staff will meet with the school 

coordinator for a debriefing interview. The purpose of this interview is to obtain feedback on

• how well the assessment went in that school, 

• usefulness of NAEP materials (publications, letters, etc.),

• school staff feedback,

• preparation activities,

• strategies utilized for increasing participation, and

• any issues that were noted.

Post-assessment Follow-up Survey – As part of the on-going quality control of the assessment process, 25

percent of the schools will be randomly selected for an additional follow-up survey. Survey questions 

solicit feedback on pre-assessment, assessment, and procedural processes. A sample post-assessment 

follow-up survey, which will be updated for 2015, is included in the attached “NAEP Main 2015 Wave 1 

Assessment Feedback Forms.pdf” document.

5. 2015 Wave 2 Burden Information

The Wave 2 burden includes student, teacher, and school survey burden; school coordinator burden; and 

school personnel burden for completion of SD and ELL information for the science, TBA start-ups, and 

special study components of the 2015 main NAEP administration. The total burden for the Wave 2 

materials is shown in Table 3.
2015 Wave 2 Supporting Statement 5

Table 3: Total Burden for Wave 2

Respondent Category Number of 

Respondents

Total Burden 

Hours

Student 389,000 169,750

Teacher 42,414 19,093

School 7,292 5,646

School Coordinator (for pre-assessment activities, e-filing and assessment feedback) 18,076 44,799

School Personnel (for SD & ELL data completion) 18,076 31,189

Total 474,858 270,477

Further breakdown of the survey per-respondent and overall burden times are included in Tables 4 and 5, 

respectively, and include the following categories:

Students10– For the science paper-and-pencil administrations, students complete assessment booklets that 

contain two 25-minute cognitive blocks; these are followed by two contextual question sections which 

include core and subject-specific items that require a total of 15 minutes to complete. 

For the TBA start-up assessments and the ICT/HOTs science assessments, students are presented two 30-

minute cognitive sections followed by a 15-minute survey questionnaire section, which includes core and 

subject-specific items.

Time estimates for the special studies questionnaires are 15 minutes for the NIES questionnaire and no 

additional time for the KaSA questions (the three additional questions are completed as part of the core 

questionnaire for KaSA students).

Additional student burden time is included for receiving instructions, reading directions, etc. For paperand-pencil assessments, this time is estimated at 10 minutes. For computer-based assessments, this time is 

estimated at 15 minutes because it includes time for taking a tutorial on using the system.

Appendix B includes a sample parental notification letter regarding NAEP. The letter will be adapted for 

each grade/subject combination and the school principal may edit it. However, the information regarding 

confidentiality and the appropriate law reference will remain unchanged.

Teachers – In 2015, teachers will be asked to complete questions about their teaching background, 

education, training, and classroom organization and instruction. At fourth-grade, the teacher burden is 

estimated at 30 minutes because most teachers teach multiple subjects and, therefore, will complete the 

questionnaire for all subject areas. The eighth-grade teacher burden is estimated to be 20 minutes for most 

teachers (who only teach one subject area), and 30 minutes for an estimated 10 percent who may teach 

more than one subject. For those teachers completing an NIES questionnaire, the teacher burden is 

estimated to be 20 minutes at both grades 4 and 8. Science, KaSA (Puerto Rico), and NIES teacher 

questionnaire components are included with Wave 2.

Principals/Administrators – The school administrators in the sampled schools will be asked to complete a 

school questionnaire. The school questionnaire burden is estimated to be 30 minutes. The NIES school 

questionnaire burden is 30 minutes for the schools that have students participating in the NIES study.

School Personnel: Pre-Assessment, Electronic Filing, Inclusion, and Assessment Feedback Activities

Pre-Assessment Activities – As described in section 4, school personnel perform multiple activities in 

preparation for the assessment, including information gathering, communication of teacher and 

10

 The time for the cognitive sections is not part of the burden calculation. 
2015 Wave 2 Supporting Statement 6

student information, and review of NAEP procedures. These pre-assessment activities are estimated to 

require two hours of school personnel time. 

E-filing – If the survey sample information needed for e-filing is obtained at the school or district 

level, school or district personnel will incur burden estimated at one hour per school. We used 32 

percent of schools to estimate the e-filing burden because in the most recent state and national NAEP

assessment approximately 32 percent of schools and districts participated in the e-filing process.

School Personnel: SD and ELL Inclusion Activities – SD and ELL burden is the average number of 

hours school personnel spend on completing the SD/ELL information for students identified as SD 

and/or ELL (estimated at 10 minutes per student). The overall SD/ELL burden is a factor of the 

number of students identified as SD/ELL. Based on most recent data, 22 percent of grade 4 students, 

17 percent of grade 8, and 13 percent of grade 12 students were identified as SD/ELL. 

Table 4: Wave 2 Questionnaires – Survey Per Respondent Burden Time

Respondent Category Time per Respondent

Grade 4

Student Core + Subject-specific Questions 15 minutes

Student NIES Questions 15 minutes

Student Directions and Set-up (paper-and-pencil administrations) 10 minutes

Student Directions and Set-up (TBA administrations) 15 minutes

Teacher Questionnaire 30 minutes

KaSA (PR) Teacher Questionnaire 20 minutes

NIES Teacher Questionnaire 20 minutes

School Questionnaire 30 minutes

KaSA (PR) School Questionnaire 30 minutes

NIES School Questionnaire 30 minutes

Grade 8

Student Core + Subject-specific Questions 15 minutes

Student NIES Questions 15 minutes

Student Directions and Set-up (paper-and-pencil administrations) 10 minutes

Student Directions and Set-up (TBA administrations) 15 minutes

Teacher Questionnaire (one subject) 20 minutes

Teacher Questionnaire (more than one subject) 30 minutes

KaSA (PR) Teacher Questionnaire 20 minutes

NIES Teacher Questionnaire 20 minutes

School Questionnaire 30 minutes

KaSA (PR) School Questionnaire 30 minutes

NIES School Questionnaire 30 minutes

Grade 12

Student Core + Subject-specific 15 minutes

Student Directions and Set-up (paper-and-pencil administrations) 10 minutes

Student Directions and Set-up (TBA administrations) 15 minutes

School Questionnaire 30 minutes

Assessment Feedback Activities – As described in section 4, school personnel will participate in a 

School Coordinator Debriefing Interview immediately following the assessment. The estimated 

burden for this interview is 7 minutes. In addition, 25 percent of the school personnel will be 

contacted for a more in-depth Post-assessment Follow-up Survey. The burden for this survey is 

estimated at 10 minutes per school.
2015 Wave 2 Supporting Statement 7

All 2015 school personnel activities (pre-assessment activities, e-filing, SD and ELL information collection, and feedback activities) are included as

part of this Wave 2 submittal. Therefore, the burden for school personnel who complete them is included with Wave 2 for all 2015 assessments (i.e., 

those included in Wave 1 and those included in Wave 2).

Table 5: Estimated Burden for NAEP 2015 Activities Described in This Submittal (Wave 2)

Assessment / Grade

Students Teachers School Questionnaire 

(school principals)

School Coordinator

Pre-assessment, e-filing, 

& assessment feedback

SD/ELL (school personnel) Total 

Burden

(in 

hours) # of 

Students

Avg. 

minutes 

per 

response

Burden

(in hrs)

# of 

Teachers

Avg. 

minutes 

per 

response

Burden

(in hrs)

# of 

Schools

Avg. 

minutes 

per 

response

Burden

(in hrs)

# of 

Schools

Burden1

(in hrs)

# of 

Schools

Avg. 

minutes 

per 

response

Burden2

(in hrs)

Grade 4

Science, TBA startups (Reading, 

Math, Science), Science ICT & 

HOTs, KaSA (PR), NIES

164,000 25-30 70,083 19,433 30 10,383 3,239 30 2,619 3,239 8,027 3,239 10 min

per student 6,013 97,126

School personnel burden for preassessment and assessment feedback 

activities for Wave 1 schools

5,731 14,203 5,731 10 min

per student 10,413 24,616

Grade 8

Science, TBA startups (Reading, 

Math, Science), Science ICT & 

HOTs, KaSA (PR), NIES

169,000 25-30 72,583 22,981 20 8,710 2,873 30 2,436 2,873 7,119 2,873 10 min

per student 4,788 95,637

School personnel burden for preassessment and assessment feedback 

activities for Wave 1 schools

4,622 11,455 4,622 10 min

per student 8,047 19,502

Grade12

Science, TBA startups (Reading, 

Math, Science), Science ICT & 

HOTs

56,000 25-30 27,083 1,181 30 591 1,181 2,927 1,181 10 min

per student 1,213 31,814

School personnel burden for preassessment and assessment feedback 

activities for Wave 1 schools

431 1,068 431 10 min

per student 715 1,783

Total 389,000 169,750 42,414 19,093 7,292 5,646 18,076 44,799 18,076 31,189 270,477

Note: Due to rounding, some totals may differ slightly from sum of subtotals. The number of total respondents and responses is 474,858 each.

1

Pre-assessment burden is 2 hrs, e-filing is 1 hr (for 32% of schools, based on recent data), school coordinator debriefing is 7 min, and post-assessment follow-up survey is 10 min (for 25% of the 

schools).

2

SD and ELL burden is the number of hours that school personnel spend to complete the SD/ELL information for each student identified as SD and/or ELL (estimated at 10 minutes per student). 

Based on most recent data, 22 percent of grade 4 students, 17 percent of grade 8, and 13 percent of grade 12 students were identified as SD/ELL.
2015 Wave 2 Supporting Statement 8

6. How, by Whom, and for What Purpose the Data Will Be Used

The purpose of NAEP is to collect and report assessment data on student achievement in the subject areas 

assessed for use in monitoring educational progress. In addition to reporting overall results of student 

performance and achievement, NAEP also reports student performance results for various subgroups of 

students and on various educational factors. The Governing Board sets guidance for what is asked in the 

questions. NCES is responsible for developing the questions and for selecting the final set of questions. 

The questions are designed to (a) provide the information for disaggregating data according to categories 

specified in the legislation,

11 (b) provide contextual information that is subject specific (e.g., reading, 

mathematics) and has an impact and known relationship to student achievement, and (c) provide policyrelevant information specified by the Governing Board. An expanded description of the purposes of the 

data is provided in the system clearance submittal. 

7. Estimates of Costs to the Federal Government 

Table 6 provides estimates for the Wave 2 portion of the 2015 administrations.

Table 6: Administration Cost Estimates (Wave 2 Subjects) 

Activity Provider Estimated 

Costs

Printing, packaging, and distribution phases of the 

administration including:

• prepare and package the assessment and all 

auxiliary materials

• distribute assessment booklets and materials to 

the test administrators for each school

Pearson (the Materials, Distribution, Processing and 

Scoring [MDPS] contractor) $2.5 M

Web support and maintenance related to the TBA 

assessments Fulcrum IT Services $1.3M

Field administration, including administration of 

assessments and data collection from the field

Westat (the Data Collection contractor and the NAEP 

Support and Service Center [NSSC] contractor) $5.0M

Totals $8.8 M

11 Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA), National Assessment of Educational Progress (20 USC § 9622).
2015 Wave 2 Supporting Statement – Appendix A 9

Appendix A: Committee Lists

NAEP Survey Questionnaires Standing Committee 

Name Affiliation

Gerunda Hughes Howard University

David Kaplan University of Wisconsin-Madison

Henry Levin Teachers College, Columbia University

Stanley Presser University of Maryland

Leslie Rutkowski Indiana University Bloomington

Rob Santos Urban Institute, Washington, DC

Norbert Schwarz University of Michigan

Jonathon Stout Lock Haven University

Roger Tourangeau Westat, Rockville, MD

Ting Yan University of Michigan Institute for Social Research

NAEP Mathematics Committee 

Name Affiliation

Lourdes Latorre Alvarado Escuela Segunda Unidad Botijas #1,Orocovis, PR

Jennifer Alvarez Sultana Elementary School, Ontario CA

Daniel Chazan University of Maryland

Herb Clemens Ohio State University

Carl Cowen Indiana University-Purdue University

Julie Guthrie Texas Education Agency, Austin, TX

Kathleen Heid Penn State University

Mark Howell Gonzaga College High School, Washington, DC

Russ Keglovits Nevada Department of Education, Carson City, NV

Carolyn Maher Rutgers University

Michele Mailhot Maine Department of Education

Brian Nelson Curtis Corner Middle School, Wakefield, RI

Matthew Owens Spring Valley High School, Columbia, SC

Carole Phillip Alice Deal Middle School, Washington, DC

Ann Trescott St. Michael’s School, Poway, CA
2015 Wave 2 Supporting Statement – Appendix A 10

NAEP Reading Committee 

Name Affiliation

Marilyn Adams Brown University

Peter Afflerbach University of Maryland

Patricia Alexander University of Maryland

Margretta Browne Richard Montgomery High School, Silver Spring, MD

Julie Coiro The University of Rhode Island

Valerie Harrison Claflin University, Orangeburg, SC

Karen Malone Fort Wingate High School, Fort Wingate, NM

Pamela Mason Harvard Graduate School of Education

Margaret McKeown University of Pittsburgh

P. David Pearson The University of California, Berkeley

Monica Verra-Tirado Florida Department of Education

Karen Wixson University of North Carolina

Victoria Young Texas Education Agency, Austin, TX

Zynia Zepeda Gadsden Elementary, Gadsen, AZ

NAEP Science Committee 

Name/Position Affiliation

Alicia Cristina Alonzo Michigan State University

Mary Thandi Buthelezi Wheaton College

Susan Craft Hanahan High School, Hanahan, SC 

George Deboer American Association for the Advancement Of Science, Washington, DC

Alex Decaria Millersville University

Ibari Igwe Consultant

Michelle Lombard Kenmore Middle School, Arlington VA

Ellen Mingione Consultant

Brett Moulding Utah Partnership for Effective Science Teaching and Learning, Ogden UT

Amy Pearlmutter Littlebrook Elementary School, Princeton NJ

Steve Semken Arizona State University

Gerald Wheeler National Science Teacher Association

David White Vermont Department Of Education
2015 Wave 2 Supporting Statement – Appendix A 11

NAEP Science ICT Committee

Name Affiliation

Melissa Collins John P. Freeman Optional School, Memphis, TN

Sergio De Alba R.M. Miano Elementary School, Los Banos, CA

George Deboer AAAS Project 2061, Washington, DC

Janice Gobert Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Charlie Gutierrez Austin Independent School District, Austin, TX

Ibari Igwe Consultant

Eric Klopfer Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jim Minstrell FACET Innovations LLC, Seattle, WA

Brett Moulding Utah Partnership for Effective Science Teaching and Learning, Ogden UT

Jerome Shaw University of California, Santa Cruz

Mike Steiner Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Area School District, Chetek, WI

Holly Sullivan Lugoff-Elgin High School, Lugoff, SC

Ted Willard National Science Teachers Association, Arlington, VA

NAEP National Indian Education Study Technical Review Panel

Name Affiliation

Henry Braun Lynch School of Education, Boston College

Robert Cook Native Achievement Initiative, Teach for America, Summerset, SD

Steve Culpepper University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Susan Faircloth Pennsylvania State University

Rebecca Izzo-Manymules University of New Mexico

Debora Norris Arizona Department of Educational Bin #32

CHiXapkaid (Michael Pavel) University of Oregon

Martin Reinhardt Northern Michigan University

Tarajean Yazzi-Mintz Wakanyeja ECE Initiative, Denver CO
2015 Wave 2 Supporting Statement: Appendix B 12

Appendix B: Sample Parent/Guardian Notification Letter

NAEP (NAEP Assessment Year) PARENT/GUARDIAN NOTIFICATION LETTER

(School Letterhead)

(Insert Date Here)

Dear Parent or Guardian:

We are pleased to notify you that (school name) has been selected to represent schools across the nation by 

participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). First administered in 1969, NAEP is the 

largest nationally representative assessment of what students know and can do in various subject areas. It is 

administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, within the U.S. Department of Education. NAEP is 

different from state assessments because it provides a common measure of student achievement across the 

country. The results of NAEP are released as The Nation's Report Card, which provides information about student 

achievement to educators, parents, policymakers, and the public.

In our school, the NAEP assessment will be given on (date) in (subject). Your child (may be/has been) selected to 

take the assessment. In addition to subject area questions, students will be asked some questions about 

themselves and their educational experience. These questions provide contextual information for the assessment, 

as well as information that may be related to students’ learning. If you would like to view sample subject area and 

student questions, please visit http://nationsreportcard.gov/parents.asp.

It will take about (assessment time) minutes for most students to participate in the assessment. The results are 

completely confidential (in accordance with the Confidential Information Protection provisions of Title V, Subtitle 

A, Public Law 107-347), and the information provided will be used for statistical purposes only. Your child’s grades 

will not be affected. Your child may be excused from participation for any reason, is not required to complete the 

assessment, and may skip any question. While NAEP is voluntary, we depend on student participation to provide 

an accurate measure of student achievement that will inform improvements in education. Your child will 

represent many other students, so participation is very important. However, if you do not want your child to 

participate, please notify me in writing by (date).

There is no need to study in preparation for NAEP. We do, however, ask parents to encourage their children to do 

their best and get plenty of rest the night before the assessment. A brochure that explains what participation in 

NAEP means for you and your child is available at 

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/parents/2012469.pdf. Should you have questions, please contact me at 

(telephone number) or at (e-mail address).

We are excited that our school will be participating in NAEP and pleased that your child (may be/has been)

selected. We know that (school name)'s students will help us show what our nation’s students know and can do.

Sincerely,

School Principal
2015 Wave 2 Supporting Statement: Appendix C 13

Appendix C: List of New/Revised Items (Science, NIES)

12

List of New or Revised Items - Science

Questionnaire Grade New Operational Items

Science Student

L1SB1 4 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 16, 17, 19, 27, 28, 29

Science Student

L2SB1 8 2a-g, 3b-d, 5g, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13e-f, 14a-c, 15, 16, 

Science Student

L3SB1 12 5e-f, 7a-g, 8b-d, 10g, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18a-c, 19, 20

Science Teacher

L1TQ-COIS 4 2, 3, 4, 5a-c, 6d-e, 9f, 9j, 10a-l, 11c, 13c, 16a-c

Science Teacher

L2TQ-COIS 8 2, 3, 4, 5a-c, 6d-e, 9f, 9j, 10a-l, 11c, 14c, 17a-c

Science School

L1SQ-S 4 1, 2a-d, 3, 4a-c, 5i, 9a-b, 10c, 11a-c, 12a-c

Science School

L2SQ-S 8 1, 2a-d, 3, 4a-c, 5i, 9a-b, 10c, 11a-c, 12a-c

Science School

L3SQ-S 12 1, 4, 5a-d, 6, 7a-c, 8i, 9, 10a-j, 11a-b, 12c, 13a-c, 14a-c

Note: Revised items are considered “new” items because they have not been administered in previous 

operational questionnaires.

List of New or Revised Items - NIES

Questionnaire Grade New Operational Items

NIES Student

L1AIB 4

2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 

28

NIES Student

L2AIB 8

2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13a-d, 14a-d, 15, 16, 17, 18a, 19a-d, 

20a-c, 24, 25d, 26e-f, 28a-f

NIES Teacher

L1TQ-AI 4 2, 5a-e, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13a-i, 14, 15a-b, 18, 19a-b, 22a-d, 23a-i

NIES Teacher

L2TQ-AI 8 4a-e, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11a-i, 15a-b, 21a-b, 24a-d, 25, 26, 27a-k

NIES School

L1SQ-AI 4 3, 4, 5, 6, 9a-k, 11a-e, 16a-j, 17f-g

NIES School

L2SQ-AI 8 3, 4, 5, 6, 9a-k, 11a-e, 16a-l, 17f-g, 19, 21

Note: Revised items are considered “new” items because they have not been administered in previous 

operational questionnaires.

12 New/revised items have been pretested in cog labs prior to operational use. Cog lab reports for science items were previously 

submitted to OMB. Appendix F contains the cog lab report for NIES questions.