Design of Content Alignment Studies in Mathematics and Reading for 12th Grade NAEP and Other Assessments
Design of Content Alignment Studies in Mathematics and Reading for 12th Grade NAEP and Other Assessments
The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed design to guide implementation of content alignment studies for the grade 12 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading and mathematics with respect to other assessments that the National Assessment Governing Board plans to use to provide indicators for reporting preparedness of 12th graders on NAEP in these subjects. The alignment studies are to form a part of the evidence in a series of research studies designed to explore NAEP’s capacity to produce and report valid data on the preparedness of 12th graders for post-secondary activities.
This design document addresses all key points that must be considered for implementing a content alignment study between two tests. NAEP is a highly visible assessment program, and the alignment studies are central to the 12th grade preparedness research. Because different assessments will be used, the Governing Board faces the challenge of developing alignment studies that produce comparable information. The Board wants to generate as much information as possible about the content relationship and alignment between NAEP and the other assessments of interest while also assuring that the information comparing NAEP across assessments is comparable. Whatever the process used to judge the content alignment between two assessments, the process should be transparent and replicable.