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NAEP Assessment Weighting Procedures → Weighting Procedures for the 2006 Assessment → Computation of Full-Sample Weights for the 2006 Assessment → School and Student Nonresponse Adjustments for the 2006 Assessment → Student Nonresponse Adjustment for the 2006 Assessment → Development of Initial Student Nonresponse Cells for the 2006 Assessment

NAEP Technical DocumentationDevelopment of Initial Student Nonresponse Cells for the 2006 Assessment

Cell definitions for the student nonresponse adjustment vary by public and private schools. The public school samples formed initial student nonresponse cells within grade using the following nesting cell structure:

• SD/ELL by subject,
• school nonresponse cell,
• age¹ (classed into "older" student and "modal age or younger" student),
• gender, and
• race/ethnicity.

The highest level variable in the cell structure separates students who were classified as either SD or ELL from those who are neither, since SD or ELL students tend to score lower on assessment tests than those without these limitations. In addition, the SD/ELL categories are further broken down by subject since rules for excluding students from the assessment differ by subject. Non-SD/ELL students are not broken down by subject because the exclusion rules do not apply to them.

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

• school nonresponse cell,
• age¹ (classed into "older" student and "modal age or younger" student),
• gender, and
• race/ethnicity.

The structure for private school cells for student nonresponse is slightly different from public school cells. SD/ELL status is not included in the private school cell structure because very few students in private schools fall into the SD/ELL category.

¹ Older students are those born before October 1, 1995 for grade 4; October 1, 1991 for grade 8; and October 1, 1987 for grade 12.

 

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