NAEP Technical DocumentationDevelopment of the Reading Cognitive Items and Instruments

			Student test forms: 2017 Student booklets: 2015 Student booklets: 2013 Student booklets: 2011 Student booklets: 2009 Student booklets: 2007 Student booklets: 2005 Student booklets: 2003 Student booklets: 2002 Student booklets: 2000  Number of items: 2017 Number of items: 2015 Number of items: 2013 Number of items: 2011 Number of items: 2009 Number of items: 2007 Number of items: 2005 Number of items: 2003 Number of items: 2002 Number of items: 2000  New blocks: 2017 Common blocks: 2015 Common blocks: 2013 Common blocks: 2011 Common blocks: 2009 Common blocks: 2007 Common blocks: 2005 Common blocks: 2003 Common blocks: 2002 Common blocks: 2000

The instruments used in the NAEP reading assessment are composed of blocks containing reading passages and items from previous NAEP assessments, as well as blocks that are newly developed for the current assessment year. Administering the same blocks of items across years allows for the reporting of trends in reading performance. At the same time, developing new sets of items makes it possible to release some blocks to the public. Released blocks can be accessed via the NAEP Questions Tool.

The NAEP reading specifications and framework documents guide the item development efforts. In 2009, a new reading framework was introduced, and thus all of the items were newly developed. The framework for the 2017 assessments was the same as that used in 2009.

Items in the reading blocks are written by NAEP item development staff and reviewed by members of the Reading Standing Committee. All assessment materials are reviewed by specialists in reading education, measurement, and assessment development for accessibility and potential bias. The reading passages and associated cognitive items are assembled into blocks containing a range of questions aligned to one of three cognitive targets for reading:

• locate/recall;
• integrate/interpret; and
• critique/evaluate.

For more information, see what the NAEP reading assessment measures.

Following approval from the National Center for Education Statistics, the blocks are packaged as test booklets or digital test forms for computer delivery of the administration of the assessment.

In 2009, a special trend study was conducted to determine whether the results of the 2009 reading assessment could be compared to those from earlier assessment years, thereby maintaining the trend lines established in 1992. The 2017 assessment continues this trend line.

NAEP officially transitioned from a paper-based assessment to a digitally based assessment in reading in 2017 in order to keep pace with the new generation of classroom environments in which digital technology has become an increasing part of students' learning. The 2017 bridge study involved randomly equivalent samples receiving the NAEP reading assessment in either the paper or the digital format.

In accordance with the principles of bridge studies historically employed by NAEP, the 2015 operational NAEP reading assessment was re-administered in 2017 as a paper-based assessment. The paper-based assessment was identical to the 2015 operational assessment in terms of the instruments, including all of the items, with the same design of the test booklets which divided cognitive testing time into two 25-minute blocks.

In addition to the 2017 paper-based assessment, a digitally based reading assessment which divided cognitive testing time into two 30-minute blocks was also administered. Most of the content administered in the 2017 digitally based reading assessment was also used in the 2015 paper-based assessment. The previously used passages and questions were adapted to fit a tablet screen. While the presentation of content changed, the content itself did not change. Of the 19 unique passages and question sets administered across grades 4 and 8, one set at each grade was newly developed for 2017.

For more information, see the white paper on the 2017 NAEP transition to digitally based assessments.

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