NAEP Technical DocumentationNonresponse Bias Analysis for the 2014 Assessment

NCES Statistical Standards call for a nonresponse bias analysis to be conducted for a sample with a response rate below 85 percent at any stage of sampling. Weighted school response rates for the 2014 assessment indicate a need for school nonresponse bias analyses for private school samples for grade 8. Even though the school-level participation rate for public schools was above 85 percent, an analysis was conducted due to the states of Kansas and Maryland refusing to participate. No student nonresponse bias analyses were necessary since the student-level participation rates for all reporting groups were above the 85 percent participation threshold.

Separate analyses were conducted for the social studies (U.S. history and geography) and the technology and engineering literacy (TEL) assessments. Note that the schools selected for the civics assessment were largely a subsample of those selected for U.S. history and geography and thus were not considered in these analyses. The procedures and results from these analyses are summarized briefly below. The analyses conducted consider only certain characteristics of schools and students. They do not directly consider the effects of the nonresponse on student achievement, the primary focus of NAEP. Thus, these analyses are not conclusive of either the existence or absence of nonresponse bias on student achievement. For more details, please see the NAEP 2014 NRBA report (435.75 KB).

Each school-level analysis was conducted in three parts. The first part of the analysis looked for potential nonresponse bias that was introduced through school nonresponse. The second part of the analysis examined the remaining potential for nonresponse bias after accounting for the mitigating effects of substitution. The third part of the analysis examined the remaining potential for nonresponse bias after accounting for the mitigating effects of both school substitution and school-level nonresponse weight adjustments. The characteristics examined were census region, reporting subgroup (private school type), urbanization classification (four categories based on urban-centric locale), size of school (categorical), size of school (continuous), and race/ethnicity enrollment percentages.

Based on the school characteristics available, for the private school samples, there does not appear to be evidence of substantial potential bias resulting from school substitution or school nonresponse. However, the analyses suggest that a potential for nonresponse bias remains in the public school samples for the U.S. history and geography assessments. The state refusals by Kansas and Maryland may have contributed to this potential bias. Please see the full report for more details.

 

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