National Assessment of Educational Progress

For over thirty years, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) or "The Nation's Report Card" has provided state and national data on the academic performance of U.S. students at grades 4, 8, and 12.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that all states receiving Title I grants participate in NAEP. Beginning in 2003, NAEP reading and mathematics assessments will be administered biennially at the state and national levels in grades 4 and 8. Depending upon the availability of time and funds, NAEP may also assess other content areas in grades 4 and 8 and conduct reading and mathematics assessments in grade 12.

Tennessee has voluntarily participated in state-level NAEP assessments from 1992 to the present. NAEP staff administer the assessments in a sample of schools representing various subgroups of Tennessee students. Because no district, school, or individual student reports are generated, this sampling is constructed to ensure that the statewide results are a valid indicator of how Tennessee students perform relative to other states and the nation.