NAEP Achievement-Level Results

Overall NAEP Achievement Levels
Higher percentage of eighth-grade students at or above NAEP Proficient compared to 2014

In 2018, about 46 percent of eighth-grade students performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level on the TEL assessment, which was significantly higher than the 43 percent of students in 2014, the previous assessment year.

Also in 2018, about 84 percent of eighth-grade students performed at or above the NAEP Basic level, which was not significantly different compared to 2014. Five percent of eighth-graders performed at the NAEP Advanced level in 2018, which was higher in comparison to 2014.

NAEP achievement levels are performance standards that describe what students should know and be able to do. Results are reported as percentages of students performing at or above three achievement levels (NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, and NAEP Advanced). Students performing at or above the NAEP Proficient level on NAEP assessments demonstrate solid academic performance and competency over challenging subject matter. It should be noted that the NAEP Proficient achievement level does not represent grade-level proficiency as determined by other assessment standards (e.g., state or district assessments). NAEP achievement levels are to be used on a trial basis and should be interpreted and used with caution. Find out more about the NAEP TEL achievement levels.

Interpreting the Results
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NAEP achievement-level setting is based on the judgments of a broadly representative panel of teachers, education specialists, and members of the general public. The authorizing legislation for NAEP requires that the achievement levels be used on a trial basis until the Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) determines that the achievement levels are reasonable, valid, and informative to the public (20 USC § 9622(e)(2)(C)). The NCES Commissioner’s determination is to be based on a congressionally mandated, rigorous, and independent evaluation. The latest evaluation of the achievement levels was conducted by a committee convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in 2016. The evaluation concluded that further evidence should be gathered to determine whether the achievement levels are reasonable, valid, and informative. Accordingly, the NCES Commissioner determined that the trial status of the achievement levels should be maintained at this time. Read more about how NAEP achievement levels are set. In 2018 the National Assessment Governing Board issued a revised Policy Statement clarifying that the NAEP Proficient level is not intended to reflect grade-level performance expectations but is specific to performance on NAEP assessments. Read the Governing Board Policy Statement here.

The chart below lists the percentages of eighth-grade students performing at each of the TEL NAEP achievement levels in 2014 and 2018. Click "Show NAEP achievement-level details" to see the percentage of students at each of the NAEP achievement levels. Click "Hide NAEP achievement-level details" to see the percentage of students at or above NAEP Basic or at or above NAEP Proficient. Click to set the baseline at either NAEP Basic or NAEP Proficient to see the percentages of students performing at or above NAEP Basic or at or above NAEP Proficient.

NAEP Achievement Levels by Student Group
Higher percentages of eighth-grade students at or above NAEP Proficient for several student groups compared to 2014

In 2018, the percentages of eighth-grade students who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level were higher for several student groups in comparison to 2014. For example, the percentages of Black and Asian eighth-grade students who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level on the TEL assessment were higher in 2018 compared to 2014. The percentages of students who performed at or above NAEP Proficient were also higher for

Disaggregating NAEP TEL achievement-level results for the student groups listed above shows different performance patterns in 2018 as follows:

In 2018, the percentages of students performing at the NAEP Advanced level were higher for White students, male students, students not eligible for the National School Lunch Program, and students attending city schools in comparison to 2014. There were no significant changes in the percentages of students performing at or above the NAEP Basic level in TEL for any reported student group in 2018 compared to 2014.

The chart below lists the percentages of eighth-grade students performing at each of the TEL NAEP achievement levels in 2014 and 2018. Click "Show NAEP achievement-level details" to see the percentage of students at each of the NAEP achievement-levels. Click "Hide NAEP achievement-level details" to see the percentage of students at or above NAEP Basic or at or above NAEP Proficient. Click to set the baseline at either NAEP Basic or NAEP Proficient to see the percentages of students performing at or above NAEP Basic or at or above NAEP Proficient.