Study of the Alignment of the 2015 NAEP Mathematics Items at Grades 4 and 8 to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Mathematics
This study is the second in a planned series of comparisons between the content of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics assessment and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for mathematics. It compares items in the 2015 NAEP item pool and the CCSS. The study is framed around two complementary questions:
To what extent does the NAEP item pool include content that is targeted by the CCSS for instruction at or below the grade level tested by NAEP?
To what extent do the CCSS target for instruction, at or below the grade level tested by NAEP, content that is assessed by NAEP?
Study authors assembled a panel of 18 mathematicians, classroom teachers (or recent classroom teachers), mathematics supervisors, and other mathematics educators to classify all of the items and address these questions.
This resource meets its goal of providing a comparison of items in the 2015 NAEP mathematics item pool and the CCSS as reviewed by expert panelists. Its presentation is well organized and would be useful to those interested in learning more about the concordance between NAEP and the CCSS. While it is not completely clear how the CCSS are being implemented and influencing instruction, individuals involved with NAEP testing might find the information in this paper useful. Further monitoring of this topic might also be useful to see if the concluding recommendation that this is an appropriated moment for NAEP Governing Board to review the (NAEP) framework in light of the CCSS as well as other states’ college and career standards is actualized.