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​​​​​Illinois participates in national and international assessments conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education. These assessments are designed to assess educational systems, not individual students or schools. A relatively small number of Illinois schools participate in these assessments each year.

NAEP

The National Assessment of Educational​ Progress (NAEP) has frequently been called "The Nation's Report Card." It is the only national assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. NAEP is useful because it provides a snapshot of how Illinois students compare to students in other states. State tests can’t do this because different states use different tests. NAEP assessments require 90-120 minutes to administer.

International Assessments

International assessments serve the same function as NAEP, but on a global level. ISBE works with the U.S. Department of Education to administer international assessments that tell us how America’s students compare to those living in other countries. International assessments require 2-4 hours to administer.

NAEP and international assessments in Illinois are coordinated by Dr. James Norris.​

 NAEP Overview

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The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is an important measure of academic progress across the nation and over time. It is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what our nation’s students know and can do in various subjects such as mathematics, reading, science and civics. NAEP also provides valuable insights into students’ educational experiences and opportunities to learn in and outside of the classroom. The schedule of NAEP assessments varies somewhat from year-to-year.

NAEP assessments fall into several categories:

  • National NAEP is a digital assessment that reports information for the nation and specific geographic regions of the country. It includes students drawn from both public and nonpublic schools and reports results for student achievement at grades 4, 8, and 12.
    These assessments follow the Frameworks developed by the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), and use the latest advances in assessment methodology. For example, NAEP assessments include a large percentage of constructed-response questions and questions that require the use of calculators and other materials. Innovative types of questions have been used in assessments such as the arts (theatre, music, and visual arts) and science to measure students' ability to perform hands-on tasks.
  • State NAEP assessments have been conducted since 1990. The state NAEP assessment is identical to the national NAEP. However, because the national NAEP samples were not, and are not currently designed to support the reporting of accurate and representative state-level results, separate representative samples of students are selected for each state. State NAEP is administered in even-numbered years.
  • Long-Term Trend assessments are designed to track the basic achievement of America's youth over the past 50+ years. They are administered nationally and report student performance at ages 9, 13, and 17 in mathematics and reading. Measuring trends of student achievement or change over time requires the precise replication of past procedures. Therefore, the long-term trend instrument has remained a paper-and-pencil test that does not evolve based on changes in curricula or in educational practices.
  • Special studies: NAEP also conducts smaller-scale assessments, including the High School Transcript Study. This study provides information about the types of courses that graduates take, how many credits they earn, their grade point averages, and the relationship between course-taking patterns and graduates' achievement based on their performance on NAEP in 12th grade.​

 NAEP Information for Parents

Our children take tests for everything, but the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) – also called The Nation's Report Card – is unique.

The Nation's Report Card offers a window into the state of our K-12 education system and what our children are learning. The results provide educators, policymakers, elected officials, and parents across the country with invaluable information regarding how our children are doing compared to other children in large urban districts, other states, and the nation.

When our children participate in NAEP, they are helping to inform decisions about how to improve education in our state and in nation. The participation of your child can and often does lead to change.

NAEP resources for parents can be found  here​. You can see many examples of the types of questions your child will be asked in a NAEP assessment. You can also explore Illinois’ performance on past assessments, ask further questions, and submit comments.​

 NAEP Resources

 Summary of NAEP Results

 International Assessments Overview & Results

International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS)​. This assessment measures international differences in students’ computer and information literacy and computational thinking. The ICILS assessment is administered once every 5 years and provides crucial information on U.S. students’ skills and experience using technology compared with that of our peer countries around the world. In addition to an assessment of students’ computer and information skills, ICILS provides information on factors such as teachers’ experiences and school resources in support of computer and information literacy education.

In 2018 U.S. 8th-graders scored above the international average for computer and information literacy, and on par with the international average in computational thinking. With the dramatic shift to virtual learning in 2020, the results of the 2023 ICILS are more important than ever in understanding the role of technology in education within the U.S. and globally.

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). This assessment is the largest international education assessment in the world. PISA measures the reading, mathematics, science, and financial literacy of students nearing the end of compulsory education. It provides comparative information on the performance of U.S. students with their peers in more than 80 other countries. PISA fosters international engagement across education systems, allowing teachers, education professionals, and policy experts to compare shared experiences in the global learning community. The financial literacy component of PISA provides a range of contextual data that offer insight into students’ school and home environments, socioeconomic advantages and disadvantages, sense of well-being, and use of time outside of school.​

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). This assessment is designed to measure reading achievement at the fourth-grade level, as well as school and teacher practices related to instruction. Fourth-grade students complete a reading assessment and questionnaire that addresses students’ attitudes toward reading and their reading habits. In addition, questionnaires are given to students’ teachers and school principals to gather information about students’ school experiences in developing reading literacy. Since 2001, PIRLS has been administered every 5 years, with the United States participating in all past assessments. PIRLS is sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS)​. This assessment has provided reliable and timely trend data on the mathematics and science achievement of U.S. students compared to that of students in other countries. TIMSS data have been collected from students at grades 4 and 8 every four years since 1995, with the United States participating in every administration of TIMSS. TIMSS Advanced studies the achievement in advanced mathematics and physics of students in their final year of secondary school. It has been conducted in 1995, 2008, and 2015, with the United States participating in 1995 and 2015. TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced are sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).TIMSS’ high quality, internationally comparative, trend data provide critical information to inform education policy discussions and monitor educational inequalities (e.g., socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, and gender) within and across countries.

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