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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

NAEP Technical DocumentationScale Composition by Item Type for New and Trend Blocks

Each assessment typically includes blocks of new items and blocks of items from previous assessments. For the new items and for the trend items in each subject area scale, the number of multiple-choice items, dichotomously scored constructed-response items, and polytomously scored constructed-response items are provided for each grade level.

The item counts are available for each scale as defined in the final Item Response Theory (IRT) scales and are presented in tables for each assessment in the links below. These tables provide information about the items both at the block/assembly unit level before the items have been scaled and after item treatments have been applied and these items have been scaled.

Links to scale composition by subject, year, and grade: Various years, 2000–2018
Subject	Year	Grade 4	Grade 8	Grade 12
Arts	2016	†	R3	†
Arts	2008	†	R3	†
Civics	2018	†	R3	†
	2014	†	R3	†
	2010	R3	R3	R3
	2006	R3	R3	R3
Economics	2012	†	†	R3
Economics	2006	†	†	R3
Geography	2018	†	R3	†
	2014	†	R3	†
	2010	R3	R3	R3
	2001	R3	R3	R3
Mathematics	2017	R3	R3	†
	2015	R3	R3	R3
	2013	R3	R3	R3
	2011	R3	R3	†
	2009	R3	R3	R3
	2007	R3	R3	†
	2005	R3	R3	R3
	2003	R3	R3	†
	2000	R3	R3	R3
Reading	2017	R3	R3	†
	2015	R3	R3	R3
	2013	R3	R3	R3
	2011	R3	R3	†
	2009	R3	R3	R3
	2007	R3	R3	†
	2005	R3	R3	R3
	2003	R3	R3	†
	2002	R3	R3	R3
	2000	R3	†	†
Science	2015	R3	R3	R3
	2011	†	R3	†
	2009	R3	R3	R3
	2005	R3	R3	R3
	2000	R3	R3	R3
Technology and engineering literacy (TEL)	2018	†	R3	†
Technology and engineering literacy (TEL)	2014	†	R3	†
U.S. history	2018	†	R3	†
	2014	†	R3	†
	2010	R3	R3	R3
	2006	R3	R3	R3
	2001	R3	R3	R3
Vocabulary	2015	R3	R3	R3
	2011	R3	R3	†
	2009	R3	R3	R3
Writing	2011	†	R3	R3
	2007	†	R3	R3
	2002	R3	R3	R3
† Not applicable. Assessment not given at all grades. NOTE: Because preliminary analyses of students' writing performance in the 2017 NAEP writing assessments at grades 4 and 8 revealed potentially confounding factors in measuring performance, results will not be publicly reported. R3 is the accommodated reporting sample. If sampled students are classified as students with disabilities (SD) or English learners (EL), and school officials, using NAEP guidelines, determine that they can meaningfully participate in the NAEP assessment with accommodation, those students are included in the NAEP assessment with accommodation along with other sampled students including SD/EL students who do not need accommodations. The R3 sample is more inclusive than the R2 sample type and excludes a smaller proportion of sampled students. The R3 sample is the only reporting sample used in NAEP after 2001. In NAEP, vocabulary, reading vocabulary, and meaning vocabulary refer to the same reporting scale. The block naming conventions used in the 2018 civics, geography, and U.S. history assessments are described in the document 2018 Block Naming Conventions in Data Products and TDW. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 2000–2018 Assessments.

Links to scale composition by subject, year, and age: 2004, 2008, and 2012
Subject	Year	Age
Subject	Year	Mathematics long-term trend assessment	2012	Age 9	Age 13	Age 17
2008	All ages
2004	Age 9		Age 13	Age 17
Reading long-term trend assessment	2012		Age 9	Age 13	Age 17
	2008	All ages
	2004	Age 9	Age 13	Age 17
NOTE: The 2008 mathematics and reading long-term trend assessment scales were reported in tables that included all three ages (9, 13, and 17). The 2004 and 2012 long-term trend assessment scales were reported in separate tables for each individual age. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2004, 2008, and 2012 Long-Term Trend Assessments.

Last updated 02 November 2022 (SK)

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