NAEP Technical DocumentationPackaging and Distribution

			Spiraling and Bundling Booklets Accommodations Booklets Questionnaires and Tracking Forms  Distribution of Assessment Materials

The packaging and distribution effort for the assessment involves packaging and mailing documents (including booklets for the paper-based assessment and log-in cards for the digitally based assessment), questionnaires, and bulk supplies to the data collection administrators. The materials distribution system software is utilized for this activity. Information stored in the system includes shipping addresses, schools, scheduled assessment dates, student names, demographic information, and a listing of all materials available for use by a participant in a particular subject area. Shortly after the test administration begins, the materials processing development staff securely destroys all student names and demographic information in their systems that were received from the data collection staff. 

Bar code technology is utilized in document control, as has been done since the 1990 NAEP assessment, for the paper-based assessments. Each document is identified with a unique identification (ID) number or bar code. Each form type (i.e., Test Book 1 and Test Book 2), is assigned a range of ID numbers. Bar codes reflecting this ID number are applied to the front covers of documents. Bar codes are also created and used to identify the digital booklet assigned to each student taking the digitally based assessment. Bar codes are applied to the paper teacher and school questionnaires or assigned to the questionnaires in NAEPq. The first 3 digits of the ID number indicates the form type.

Spiraling and bundling of the NAEP booklets are done according to the pattern specified by NAEP test developers to capture the sample size needed for each subject per grade. The materials staff use the online bundle assignment and distribution system to complete the final packaging of paper booklets and log-in cards.

After test booklets are bar coded and spiraled, the materials processing staff members use the school and student data information received from the data collection staff to assign a bar coded booklet (either paper or digital) to each student listed. This information is sent to the data collection staff who upload the assigned books into their electronic administration form to be used by data collection administrators.

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