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Reading Framework for the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress

Since 1969, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has been an ongoing national indicator of what American students know and can do in major academic subjects, including reading in English. NAEP reading assessments have been administered on a regular schedule to students in grades 4, 8, and 12. Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), NAEP will assess reading in grades 4 and 8 every 2 years. NAEP will also measure reading in grade 12 every 4 years.

The 2015 NAEP Reading Assessment will measure national, regional, state, and sub-group achievement in reading but is not designed to report individual student or school performance. The assessment will measure students’ reading comprehension and their ability to apply vocabulary knowledge to assist them in comprehending what they read. The reading assessment will use the same framework used in 2009. The public will have access to performance results and released questions through NAEP reports and websites.

This document, the Reading Framework for the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress, presents the conceptual base for, and discusses the content of, the assessment. It is intended for a broad audience. A more detailed technical document, the Reading Assessment and Item Specifications for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, is available on the Web. The specifications will provide information to guide passage selection, item development, and other aspects of test development.