NAEP Technical DocumentationRace/Ethnicity

Two race/ethnicity variables are used in NAEP: school-recorded race/ethnicity (SDRACE) and student self-reported race/ethnicity (DRACE).

The school-recorded race/ethnicity variable (SDRACE) records the race/ethnicity of each student as reported by the student's school on the administration schedule. This variable became the reporting variable for race/ethnicity student group comparisons starting in 2002. When school-recorded information is missing, student-reported data derived from the student background questions (DRACE) are used to derive race/ethnicity. The mutually exclusive racial/ethnic categories are White, Black or African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian (including Alaska Native), and Other. The category of Other includes three groups:

those students whose school records indicated "other race;"
those students whose school-record race is missing and who did not respond to the student background questions on race/ethnicity; and
those students whose school-record race is missing, who are not Hispanic according to the student background question on race/ethnicity, and who identified themselves as multi-racial on the student race/ethnicity question.

The student self-reported race/ethnicity variable (DRACE) is an imputed definition of race/ethnicity, derived from up to three sources of information. This variable was used as the standard reporting variable for comparing race/ethnicity student groups prior to 2002.

The format and order of the race/ethnicity questions were changed in the student booklets in 2003. View the different versions of the race/ethnicity items for 2002 and prior administrations and for 2003 and subsequent administrations in the student demographics questionnaires.

Derived race/ethnicity cannot be determined for students who do not respond to background items 1 or 2 and for whom race/ethnicity is not provided by the school.

Last updated 14 October 2008 (RF)

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