National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as The Nation's Report Card, is the only national perspective on American education. The NAEP measures and reports on a regular basis what America's students know and can do in core subjects like reading, mathematics, writing, and science. As a congressionally mandated project of the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education, NAEP participation is required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorized as Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 for any district receiving Title I funding.

NAEP News

NAEP 2026 Assessment

  • Assessment Window: January 26 - March 20, 2026
  • Format: Digitally-Based Assessment
  • Subjects & Grades: Mathematics & Reading - Grades 4, 8 and 12 and Civics & U.S. History - Grade 8

NAEP 2027 Assessment

  • Assessment Window: January 25 - March 19, 2027
  • Format: Digitally-Based Assessment
  • Subjects & Grades: Science - Grade 8
  • No schools in Montana selected.

Communications

District Authorized Representative Notification

  • Facts for Districts

Principal Notification

  • NAEP in Your School

Tech Coordinator Notification

  • School Technology Survey Notification
  • eNAEP Download Center
  • NAEP 2026 School Technology Survey (STS)

School Coordinator Notification #1

  • NAEP in Your School
  • Checklist and Timeline

School Coordinator Notification #2

  • Preassessment Responsibilities Guide
  • Facts for Teachers
  • NAEP-MAST Accommodation Crosswalk

Preassessment Activities Webinars

  • Tasks 1-3: AMS Registration, Provide School Information, and Schedule Assessment Planning Meeting (APM)
  • Task 4: Provide Student Information
  • Tasks 5 & 6: Assessment Logistics & Technical Logistics
  • Tasks 7 & 8: Add New Students & Parents/Guardians Notifications
  • Tasks 9 & 10: Support Assessment Day Activities & Assessment Day

Focused Support Videos

NAEP Task 1: AMS Registration | Step-by-Step Registration Guide

NAEP Task 2: Provide School Information | Presentation Slides

NAEP Task 3: Schedule Assessment Planning Meeting (APM) | Presentation Slides

NAEP Task 4: Provide Student Information | Presentation Slides

NAEP Task 5: Assessment Logistics | Presentation Slides

NAEP Task 6: Technical Logistics | Presentation Slides

NAEP Task 7: Add Students: Review Student List | Presentation Slides

NAEP Task 8: Notify Parents and Guardians | Presentation Slides

NAEP Task 9: Support Assessment Activities | Presentation Slides

Montana Results

NAEP 2024 MT Grade 4 Math Snapshot

NAEP 2024 MT Grade 4 Reading Snapshot

NAEP 2024 MT Grade 8 Math Snapshot

NAEP 2024 MT Grade 8 Reading Snapshot

Previous Montana Results

International Assessments

International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS)

The International Computer and Informational Literacy Student (ICILS) is a computer-based international assessment of 8th-grade students' capacities to use information communications technologies (ICT) productively for a range of different purposes, in ways that go beyond a basic use of ICT. ICILS assesses students in two domains: computer and information literacy (CIL) and computer thinking (CT). CIL focuses on understanding computer use, gathering information, producing information, and communicating digitally, while CT focuses on conceptualizing problems and operationalizing solutions.

ICILS is sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and is conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The study allows the United States to monitor U.S. students’ skills and experience using technology, compare U.S. students’ skills internationally, and provide data on factors that may influence students’ CIL and CT skills. The data collected through ICILS provide valuable information with which to understand the nature and extent of the “digital divide” and inform our understanding of the relationship between technology skills/experience and student performance in other core subject areas.

U.S. results for the 2023 test administration are available on the NCES ICILS 2023 results web page.

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international comparative study of 15-year-old students’ performance in reading, mathematics, and science literacy. The PISA 2022 results represent outcomes from the 8th cycle of PISA since its inception in 2000. PISA has been conducted every 3 years except for a 1-year delay in the current cycle (from 2021 to 2022) due to the pandemic. After the 2025 data collection, PISA will change to a 4-year data collection cycle. The major domain of study rotates between mathematics, science, and reading in each cycle. PISA also offers optional domains such as financial literacy and includes measures of general or cross-curricular competencies, such as collaborative problem solving. By design, PISA emphasizes functional skills that students have acquired as they near the end of compulsory schooling. PISA is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental organization of industrialized countries, and is conducted in the United States by NCES. Data collection for the most recent assessment was completed in fall 2022.

PISA 2022 assessed students' science, reading, and mathematics literacy in about 80 countries and education systems. Mathematics was the focal subject of the 2022 data collection, as it was in 2012. The United States took part in the optional Financial Literacy domain along with 19 other education systems in 2022.

The most recent PISA results, from 2018 and released in May 2020 are available. For more information, visit the National Center for Education Statistics PISA main page.

Resources

Progress in International Reading Literacy Student (PIRLS)

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is an international assessment and research project designed to measure reading achievement at the fourth-grade level, as well as school and teacher practices related to instruction. Since 2001, PIRLS has been administered every 5 years, with the United States participating in all past assessments. In PIRLS, fourth-grade students complete a reading assessment and a questionnaire that addresses their attitudes toward reading and their reading habits. In addition, questionnaires are given to students’ teachers and school principals to gather information about students’ school experiences in developing reading literacy.

PIRLS complements what we learn from national assessments by providing valuable benchmark information on how U.S. students compare to students around the world. PIRLS allows educators, researchers, and policymakers to examine other education systems for practices that could have applications to the United States, and it contributes to ongoing discussions of ways to improve the quality of education of all students. PIRLS is sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

The most recent PIRLS data collection was in 2021. U.S. results for the 2021 administration are available on the NCES PIRLS 2021 results web page. The results from previous administrations can be obtained by clicking on the instructions on the banner on the same page. The sixth assessment cycle of PIRLS is scheduled to be conducted in 2026. For more information on PIRLS 2026, refer to the PIRLS 2026 brochure.

For more information, visit the National Center for Education Statistics PIRLS main page.

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) provides reliable and timely data on the mathematics and science achievement of U.S. students compared to that of students in other countries. TIMSS data have been collected from students at grades 4 and 8 since 1995, generally every 4 years; the United States has participated in every administration of TIMSS. TIMSS Advanced studies the achievement in advanced mathematics and physics of students in their final year of secondary school. It has been conducted in 1995, 2008, and 2015, with the United States participating in 1995 and 2015.

TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced are sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). In addition to the mathematics and science assessments, questionnaires are given to students, their teachers, and school principals to gather information about the background contexts for learning. 

The most recent TIMSS data collection was in 2023 and included students in grades 4 and 8; the U.S. highlights web report for this administration of TIMSS is available on the NCES TIMSS 2023 results web page providing 28 years of trend data. The previous results, including results for TIMSS Advanced, are also available via the TIMSS dropdown menu.

Explore more about TIMSS and U.S. participation in TIMSS by viewing the resources provided on the NCES TIMSS website. Related international resources, including the TIMSS International reports, TIMSS assessment frameworks, TIMSS Methods & Procedures, and international data files, are available at the TIMSS International site.

For more information, visit National Center for Education Statistics TIMSS main page.

Responsibilities & Resources

Each principal will be responsible for

  • assigning a school staff member to serve as the School Coordinator;
  • including the NAEP assessment date on the school calendar;
  • empowering the designated School Coordinator to work with NAEP Representatives and NAEP State Coordinator to prepare for the assessment, and
  • informing school staff and students about NAEP and why student participation is critically important.

The School Coordinator is the single point of contact for all matters pertaining to the NAEP assessment. This person works with a NAEP Representative and the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) in preparing for assessment day. The School Coordinator will receive OPI renewal units for completing the tasks below. The School Coordinator will be responsible for:

  • confirming the scheduled assessment date with the NAEP State Coordinator;
  • registering for the Assessment Management System (AMS) website, which will serve as the primary resource and action center throughout the NAEP assessment process;
  • providing information about the school;
  • using the AMS to prepare for the assessment;
  • being familiar with how students participate in statewide assessments;
  • using the AMS website to collect and enter student information;
  • accessing student information such as birth date, demographic information and enrollment status;
  • notifying parents of the assessment;
  • communicating with NAEP Representative and participating in a virtual Assessment Planning Meeting (APM) with the Technology Coordinator (if selected for school devices) to finalize assessment preparations;
  • reserving dedicated space for most, if not all, of the day with tables or flat desks and an adequate number of electrical outlets in the assessment location;
  • ensuring the availability of a school or district staff member on assessment day to address any technical issues;
  • collaborating with school staff to ensure a high rate of student participation and
  • meeting the NAEP Representatives when they arrive on assessment day to provide assessment location and introduce to the Technology Coordinator (if selected for school devices).

After completing the School Technology Survey (STS), the survey designates the school as NAEP or school devices. If a school is designated as school devices, then the Technology Coordinator will identify an App Installer who will be responsible for managing the technology requirements for by

  • being familiar with the devices students will use to take the NAEP assessment to complete technical tasks before and during the administration;
  • accessing and utilizing the eNAEP Download Center;
  • confirming that the NAEP Assessment application has been successfully installed on school devices before assessment day;
  • attending in a virtual Assessment Planning Meeting (APM) with your School Coordinator and NAEP Representative,
  • meeting the NAEP Representatives when they arrive on assessment day to provide credentials and/or help with accessing devices and Internet.

Each school has designated NAEP Representatives. The representatives consist of an Assessment Coordinator (AC) and Assessment Administrator (AA). The NAEP Representatives, employed by a U.S. Department of Education contractor to work directly with schools, will be responsible for

  • verifying information that the School Coordinator has provided via the Assessment Management System (AMS) website;
  • working with the School Coordinator to finalize assessment logistics;
  • participating in a virtual Assessment Planning Meeting (APM) with the School Coordinator and Technology Coordinator (if selected for school devices);
  • bringing all assessment materials and equipment (if selected for NAEP devices) to the school on assessment day; and
  • administering the assessment.

The NAEP State Coordinator works at Montana Office of Public Instruction and will be responsible for

  • working with schools to confirm the assessment date;
  • communicating with authorized representatives and principals about the importance of NAEP and student participation;
  • preparing and submitting a list of students enrolled in NAEP-selected schools in November;
  • preparing and submitting a list of students newly enrolled in NAEP selected schools in January;
  • providing schools with instructions and information about notifying parents of participating students;
  • providing guidance for including students with disabilities (SD) and English learners (EL); and
  • responding to questions from the school community throughout the assessment period.

The School Coordinator can designate a SD/EL Specialist access to the Assessment Management System to help provide student information. The specialist could receive OPI renewal units for their assistance in completing the tasks below. The SD/EL Specialist will be responsible for:

  • reviewing any students participating in the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) are excluded from participating in NAEP;
  • reviewing NAEP Inclusion Policy,
  • providing information about students with disabilities (SD) and or English learners (EL) so that NAEP Representatives can plan appropriate testing accommodations; and
  • ensuring SD and EL students are included in the NAEP assessment to the fullest extent possible unless they participate in the alternate assessment - DLM ELA/Math assessments.

What do teachers say about NAEP?

This short video has educators explaining the importance of NAEP, the relevance of NAEP and how it applies to teachers.

Visit the Nation's Report Card to access:

  • NAEP Question Tools (NQT) for Teachers. Create your own NAEP test and see what students know and can do.
  • NAEP Item Maps for Teachers. Item maps help to illustrate what students know and can do in NAEP subject areas by positioning descriptions of individual assessment items along the NAEP scale at each grade level. An item is placed at the point on the scale where students are more likely to give successful responses to it. The descriptions used in NAEP item maps focus on the knowledge and skills needed to respond successfully to the assessment item.
  • Test yourself. Try sample questions in a variety of subjects for yourself. At the end of the quiz, see how students across the nation performed.

The “What Every Parent Should Know About NAEP” video and brochure explains eight things parents should know about NAEP such as (1) What is NAEP? (2) How is NAEP different? (3) How was my child selected? (4) Are students with disabilities included? (5) Are the data confidential? (6) Can I see the results? (7) How does my state measure up? (8) How can I see sample questions?

Learn More About NAEP

Introducing NAEP to Students

NAEP Frequently Asked Questions

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a congressionally-mandated project of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education. It is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what our nation's students know and can do in various subjects such as mathematics, reading, science, civics, and U.S. history. For more information, review An Overview of NAEP.

Participation is required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015, for any district receiving Title I funding. As of the 2003 administration, participation in mathematics and reading at grades 4 and 8 became a requirement in all states and school districts receiving Title I funding. With over a decade of trend in these grades and subjects, the biennial NAEP state-level administration is a vital data collection for Montana and it helps inform policymakers of what Montana students know and can do in these various subjects and grades. For more information on this national assessment, visit the Nation’s Report Card .

The probability (or chance) of being selected for the NAEP sample depends on the size of the student enrollment at each school. Generally, if a school is chosen frequently it is because the school's enrollment in the grade constitutes a relatively large proportion of the state's student population. Therefore, large schools are more likely to be selected than smaller ones. For more information, review Selecting Schools for Participation in State-Level NAEP .

The NAEP Inclusion Policy and the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) expect that all sampled students participate in the assessment, including students with disabilities (SD) and English learners (EL). SD and EL students should be included in the NAEP assessment to the fullest extent possible, unless they participate in alternate assessments such as MSAA or AMSA.

Any verbal commands such as cueing to stay on task, prompts to stay on task, or frequent reminders to stay on task have never been allowed in Montana. Under the MontCAS Test Security Manual , the OPI believes that administering these supports to students too closely relates to “coaching,” which is a testing irregularity that gives an unfair advantage to a student or group of students. These should not be requested under “Other Specify,” because they are not permitted under OPI policies for state assessments.

NAEP does not allow the use of spell check, a 100-number chart, or a multiplication table, even though these tools are allowed on Montana’s state assessments. These should not be requested under “Other Specify.”

The NAEP results are found at The Nation’s Report Card . Teachers, principals, parents, policymakers, and researchers all use NAEP results to assess progress and develop ways to improve education in the United States. It is the only national assessment that can compare results across states.

Students’ performance on main NAEP assessments is reported as scale scores and as the percentages of students at or above three NAEP achievement levels (NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, and NAEP Advanced).

Average scores are reported on a 0–500 scale for reading, mathematics at grades 4 and 8, history, and geography, or on a 0–300 scale for science, writing, civics, and mathematics at grade 12. Scores at five percentiles on each scale provide results for lower-performing students (at the 10th and 25th percentiles), middle-performing students (at the 50th percentile), and higher-performing students (at the 75th and 90th percentiles) in that subject.

NAEP achievement levels are performance standards showing what students at the NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, and NAEP Advanced levels should know and be able to do. Based on recommendations from policymakers, educators, and members of the general public, the National Assessment Governing Board sets specific NAEP achievement levels for each subject area and grade assessed. View the NAEP achievement level descriptions for mathematics and reading .

Because NAEP scales and achievement levels are developed independently for each subject, results cannot be compared across subjects.

Students’ performance on the NAEP long-term trend assessments is reported as scale scores (on 0–500 scales in mathematics and reading) and as the percentages of students attaining performance levels that correspond to five points on the scale (150, 200, 250, 300, and 350). In each subject, the performance of 9-year-olds tends to concentrate within the lower three performance levels, 13-year-olds within the middle three levels, and 17-year-olds within the top three levels. Read more about the long-term trend performance levels .

NAEP results are not reported for individual students or schools, but are available for selected student groups (for example, by gender or race/ethnicity) and based on responses to student, teacher, and school questionnaires.

No. By design, information is not available at the individual student or school levels. Reports traditionally disclose state, regional, and national results. Because NAEP is a large-group assessment, each student takes only a small part of the overall assessment. In most schools, only a small portion of the total grade enrollment is selected to take the assessment, and these students may not reliably or validly represent the total school population. Only when the student scores are aggregated at the state or national level are the data considered reliable and valid estimates of what students know and can do in the content area; consequently, school- or student-level results are never reported.

The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) is charged by Congress with informing the public about what America’s students know and can do in various subject areas, as measured by The Nation’s Report Card . This information helps our nation understand where more work is needed to improve students’ education.

OPI Staff are here to help:

Shantel Niederstadt, NAEP State Coordinator, (406) 444-3450

For Technical Questions

NAEP Help Desk
(800) 283-6237
naephelp@westat.com

Statewide Testing Home