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NAEP Analysis and Scaling → Estimation of NAEP Score Scales → NAEP Scales → Scale Composition by Item Type for New and Trend Blocks → Science Assessment Subscale Composition for New and Previously Administered Blocks at Grade 4

NAEP Technical DocumentationScience Assessment Subscale Composition for New and Previously Administered Blocks at Grade 4

Each science assessment usually includes blocks of new items and blocks of items from previous assessments. However, the 2009 science assessment was based on a new framework and consisted of all new items. The number of multiple-choice, dichotomously scored constructed-response and polytomously scored constructed-response items are provided at grade 4. The item counts are available for each scale as defined in the final Item Response Theory (IRT) scales.

Scale composition for new blocks as defined after scaling, grade 4 science combined national and state main assessment, by item type: 2009
Multiple-choice items Dichotomously scored constructed-response items Polytomously scored constructed-response items
Scaled Dropped Scaled Dropped Polytomous uncollapsed Dichotomous collapsed Polytomous collapsed Dropped
NOTE: Univariate scale. "Dropped" denotes items that were deleted from the final scaling. "Collapsed" denotes items that had categories that were combined and recoded for scaling. Some items were administered previously under different contexts.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2009 Science Assessment.
Total 95 3 3 0 37 3 3 0

Subscale composition for new blocks as defined after scaling, grade 4 science combined national and state main assessment, by item type: 2009
Subscale Multiple-choice items Dichotomously scored constructed-response items Polytomously scored constructed-response items
Scaled Dropped Scaled Dropped Polytomous uncollapsed Dichotomous collapsed Polytomous collapsed Dropped
NOTE: "Dropped" denotes items that were deleted from the final scaling. "Collapsed" denotes items that had categories that were combined and recoded for scaling. Some items were administered previously under different contexts.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2009 Science Assessment.
Total 96 2 3 0 40 3 0 0
Physical science 30 1 0 0 17 1 0 0
Earth & Space science 35 0 1 0 9 1 0 0
Life science 31 1 2 0 14 1 0 0

Block composition, grade 4 science combined national and state assessment, by item type and block: 2009
Block Total number of items Number of multiple-choice items Number of constructed-response items
2-category 3-category 4-category 5-category
NOTE: For a small number of constructed-response items, adjacent categories were combined.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2009 Science Assessment.
Total 144 98 3 29 9 5
S3 17 12 0 3 2 0
S4 15 10 2 2 1 0
S5 17 11 0 5 0 1
S6 16 11 0 3 2 0
S7 16 10 0 5 1 0
S8 16 11 0 3 1 1
S9 15 11 0 2 1 1
S10 16 11 0 3 1 1
S11 16 11 1 3 1

Last updated 07 January 2016 (GF)