Developing a NAEP Indicators Framework: Lessons from Major International and Domestic Education Indicator Reports
Developing a NAEP Indicators Framework: Lessons from Major International and Domestic Education Indicator Reports
This is the first of two reports exploring the use of the background data collected by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to develop key education indicators at national, state, and urban district system levels. Key indicators are statistics that regularly measure an important condition of education. For example, NAEP can tie to its student achievement results the reporting of background conditions on: students' attitudes, motivations and excessive absenteeism; measures of teacher quality; and indicators of the nature of reading and math instruction (e.g., amount of instructional time).
The GAO identifies three broad purposes of indicators:
- Increase transparency and public awareness.
- Foster civic engagement and collaboration.
- Monitor progress, establish accountability for results, and aid decision-making.
In a NAEP context, indicators also serve to:
- Identify for each cognitive assessment (e.g. reading) a set of key indicators, which are derived from the background variables and are continuously monitored.
International
- OECD’s Education At a Glance
- International Education Association’s 2011 TIMSS Mathematics Assessment covering grade 4 and 8
- OECD’s 2009 PISA Report
Domestic
- National Center for Education Statistics Condition of Education
- Education Week’s Quality Counts
- U.S. Department of Education’s Annual Priority Performance Goals
- National Academy of Sciences’ Key National Education Indicators