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Alignment Content Analysis of NAEP 2009 Reading Assessment: Analysis based on method of Surveys of Enacted Curriculum

Author(s)Rolf K. Blank, John Smithson
Publication dateJune 2010
publication pdfAlignment Content Analysis of NAEP 2009 Reading Assessment
KeywordsNAEP, Reading, Assessment

Beginning in summer 2009, the complete set of NAEP student assessment items for grades 4 and 8 Science and Reading 2009 assessments were analyzed for comparison to the NAEP Item Specifications which are based on the NAEP Assessment Frameworks for these subjects (National Assessment Governing Board, 2009). The data produced from the Assessment analysis can be used for multiple comparisons to other assessments or to state or national standards for learning. The review and analysis of NAEP Assessment items was led by CCSSO and the arrangements for item access were made through the National Center for Education Statistics, Assessment Division. The analysis was conducted with the SEC methodology developed by Porter and Smithson (2001) which has been used in analyses of many state, national and international assessments through the SEC State Collaborative managed by CCSSO (see  www.SECsurvey.org).                                                                   

The most general summary measure of alignment between two documents analyzed with the SEC method (either assessment or standards) reported is the alignment index (AI), a scale value that ranges from 0.00 to 1.00, with 1.00 indicating perfect alignment between the two documents being compared. In this report on the alignment of NAEP assessments, three types of criteria are utilized to adjudicate the sufficiency of the alignment results: (1) the national average of alignment indices for state assessments to state standards, based on results available from the SEC database  www.SEConline.org, (2) the alignment index for assessment instruments that were previously analyzed through NCES, and (3) an expected state alignment threshold level that is consistent across all subjects and grade levels, based on our prior data and experience with alignment analyses across states and including national and international documents. The standard baseline criterion for the overall alignment index (AI) is 0.25, and the criterion is 0.50 for each of three sub-measures of alignment (Balance of Representation, Categorical Concurrence, and Cognitive Complexity).

Contact:Kimberly  Rhodeskimberlyr@ccsso.org202-312-6865