Table of Contents  |  Search Technical Documentation  |  References

NAEP Weighting Procedures → 2003 Weighting Procedures and Variance Estimation → School and Student Nonresponse Adjustments → Student Nonresponse Adjustment → Development of Initial Student Nonresponse Cells

NAEP Technical DocumentationDevelopment of Initial Student Nonresponse Cells

Cell definitions for the student nonresponse adjustment vary by public and private schools. The public school samples formed initial student nonresponse cells within grade, jurisdiction, Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) district, and charter school status domains using the following nesting cell structure:

• SD/LEP students by subject (SD/LEP mathematics, SD/LEP reading), or non-SD/LEP;
• school nonresponse cell;
• age¹ ("older" student versus "normal age" or "younger" student);
• gender; and
• free or reduced lunch status (students eligible for free or reduced lunch, students not eligible).

The highest level variable in the cell structure separates SD/LEP students from non-SD/LEP students since SD and LEP students tend to score lower on assessment tests than non-SD/LEP students. In addition, the students in the SD/LEP category were further broken down by subject, since rules for excluding students from the assessment differ by subject. Non-SD/LEP students were not broken down by subject since the exclusion rules did not apply to them.

Private school samples formed initial student nonresponse cells hierarchically as follows:

• school nonresponse cell;
• age¹ ("older" student versus "normal age" or "younger" student);
• gender; and
• race/ethnicity.

The structure for private school cells for student nonresponse was slightly different from public school cells. SD/LEP status and free or reduced lunch status were not included in the private school cell structure because very few students in private schools fall into the SD/LEP category or receive free or reduced lunch. Student race/ethnicity was used instead of free or reduced lunch status to further differentiate among private school students.

¹ Older students are those born before October 1, 1992 for grade 4 and October 1, 1988 for grade 8.

Printer-friendly Version