Table of Contents  |  Search Technical Documentation  |  References

NAEP Sample Design → NAEP 2002 Sample Design → 2002 State Assessment Sample Design → Stratification of Schools in Public School Sampling Frame → Stratification Variables for the 2002 State Assessment → Urban Classification

NAEP Technical DocumentationUrban Classification

Urbanization classification is based on the NCES type of location variable. The type of location variable contains the following levels:

1. Large Central City: A central city of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) with a population greater than or equal to 250,000;

2. Mid-Size Central City: A central city of an MSA but not designated as a large central city;

3. Urban Fringe of Large City: A place within an MSA of a large central city and defined as urban by the U.S. Bureau of Census;

4. Urban Fringe of Mid-Size City: A place within an MSA of a mid-size central city and defined as urban by the U.S. Bureau of Census;

5. Large Town: A place not within an MSA, but with a population greater than or equal to 25,000 and defined as urban by the U.S. Bureau of Census;

6. Small Town: A place not within an MSA, with a population less than 25,000, but greater than 2,499 and defined as urban by U.S. Bureau of Census;

7. NonMSA Rural: A place with a population of less than 2,500 and defined as rural by the U.S. Bureau of Census, and not within an MSA; 

8. MSA Rural : A place with a population of less than 2,500 and defined as rural by the U.S. Bureau of Census, and within an MSA; and

9. Missing : Department of Defense International school, or type of location missing (whole jurisdiction).

Urbanization classification was created by collapsing type of location categories, as necessary, according to the collapsing hierarchy given in the table below. The criterion for adequacy is that the cell have at least 10 percent of the enrollment for the jurisdiction. The urbanization variable is equal to the original type of location if no collapsing is necessary at the first level to cover an inadequate original cell (less than 10 percent enrollment). For example, type of location cells 1 and 2 are collapsed if either cell has less than 10 percent enrollment. If first-level cells are still inadequate they are collapsed to the second level. The urbanization variable is equal to the cell value at the final level of collapsing. Categories 1 through 4 are always kept separate from categories 5 through 8, even if the 10 percent condition is violated.

Collapsing hierarchy for urbanization classification strata

Collapsing group	Original type of location	First-level collapsing	Second-level collapsing
Large central city	Large central city	Large central city	Large central city
	Mid-size central city
	Urban fringe of large city	Urban fringe of large city
	Urban fringe of mid-size city
Mid-size central city	Large town	Large town	Large town
	Small town
	NonMSA rural	NonMSA rural
	MSA rural
Urban fringe of large city	Missing	Missing	Missing
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

Printer-friendly Version