NAEP Technical DocumentationComparisons of the 2002 and 2003 Sampling Frames

The NAEP 2002 and 2003 school samples were derived primarily from the Common Core of Data (CCD) and Private School Survey (PSS) frames. The NAEP 2002 school frame was derived from the 1999–2000 CCD and the 2000 PSS. The NAEP 2003 school frame was derived from the 2000–2001 CCD and the 2000 PSS. Comparisons between the two school frames highlight overall changes in demographics, achievement, and urbanicity between the two years. They may be helpful in explaining any observed changes in NAEP outcome variables.

This page summarizes comparisons of the CCD frames for the fourth- and eighth-grade public school sample. For the private school samples from the PSS, no comparisons are presented since the same frame was used for both NAEP years. Comparisons occur among such sociodemographic variables as minority status (Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian), median income, and type of location. The race/ethnicity percentages come from the CCD records for each school. Type of location is the urbanicity variable treated as an interval variable. (Type of location defined as an interval variable is 1=center of large city, 2=center of mid-size city, 3=urban fringe of large city, 4=urban fringe of mid-size city, 5=large town, 6=small town, 7=rural area, 8=rural area in Metropolitan Statistical Area. A mean value of 6.0 for example can mean all in small town, or half in urban fringe of mid-size city and half in rural area of MSA stratum.)

For fourth-grade public schools, differences between the frames for the two years are summarized as follows:

There was an overall increase in percent of Black students from 17.0 in 2002 to 17.2 in 2003.
There was an overall increase in percent of Hispanic students from 16.5 in 2002 to 18.7 in 2003.
There was a small change in percent of Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9 to 4.0) and American Indian (1.1 to 1.2) students.
There was a small change in the median income variable (a decrease of $83)
There was a small change in type of location (0.07 percent increase).

For eighth-grade public schools, differences between the frames for the two years are summarized as follows:

There was an overall increase in percent of Black students from 16.3 in 2002 to 16.5 in 2003.
There was an overall increase in percent of Hispanic students from 14.5 in 2002 to 16.2 in2003.
There was a small change in percent of Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9 to 4.0) and American Indian (1.1 to 1.2) students.
There was a small change in the median income variable (an increase of $24).
There was a small change in type of location (0.06 percent increase).

Last updated 11 March 2009 (RF)

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