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NAEP Sample Design → NAEP 2005 Sample Design → National Assessment Sample Design → Fourth- and Eighth-Grade Public School Science Assessment and Bridge Study → Sampling of Schools for the 2005 National Science Assessment

NAEP Technical DocumentationSampling of Schools for the 2005 National Science Assessment

			Computing Measures of Size Sample Selection

An important objective in sampling schools for both the national science assessment and science bridge study in 2005 was to minimize overlap of the national school samples with the fourth- and eighth-grade state assessment's school samples. NAEP sampling staff implemented this overlap control to lessen the burden on fourth- and eighth-grade public school officials. The result was two-fold:

• The overlap between the national and state school samples was reduced.
• The desired probabilities of selection for all schools were attained.

Like the 2005 state operational sample, the general goal for the national sample was to achieve a self-weighting sample at the student level. In the 2005 national science assessment, the target sample size per school for each grade varied based on whether the jurisdiction was one in which

• only the supplemental national science operational assessment was to be administered (Alaska only),
• only the science bridge and pilot studies were to be given, or
• the supplemental national science operational assessment, bridge study, and pilot study were all to be administered.

The target sample size in each school was determined to be 30 for Alaska, 44 for jurisdictions in which only the bridge and pilot studies were to be administered, and 75 (fourth grade) or 78 (eighth grade) for jurisdictions in which all three (national operational assessment, bridge study, and pilot study) were to be given.

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